Participatory Budgeting & Citizen Design in Town Council

Participatory budgeting (PB) is a democratic process in which residents collectively decide how a portion of the public budget is allocated. It offers a more inclusive alternative to traditionally top-down approaches, with the potential to deepen civic engagement and rebuild trust between residents and local governance.

In a first for Singapore, Tanjong Pagar Town Council and the Institute of Policy Studies are piloting a PB exercise in the Spottiswoode Park precinct. Our research independently evaluates both the quality of the process and the outcomes it generates, using longitudinal surveys, focus groups, observation, and administrative data to track changes in residents’ civic knowledge, sense of belonging, and interest in community-led initiatives.

This evaluation aims to produce evidence on what makes participatory governance work in a local context, offering practical lessons for policymakers seeking to deepen democratic participation in public housing.

This project is supported by the Future-Ready Society Impact Fund, a joint initiative of the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities at the Singapore University of Technology and Design and the Institute of Policy Studies at the National University of Singapore, with Tote Board as a contributing partner.

Photo by Galen Crout on Unsplash