What Ideas Do You Have to Improve Cambridge

The City of Cambridge has announced the launch of the 13th cycle of Participatory Budgeting (PB). The City will allocate $500,000 for winning projects that will be included in next year's Fiscal Year 2028 Budget. Both capital and up to 3-year operating projects are eligible for funding.

Community members can submit ideas until October 11, 2026 in the following ways:

• Visit pb.cambridgema.gov
• Email [email protected]
• Call the City of Cambridge Budget Office at 617-349-4270
• Drop written ideas at the Budget Office on the 3rd floor of City Hall or at various community events
• Mail ideas to the City of Cambridge Budget Office, 795 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139

Ideas will also be collected through direct community outreach and at certain public events throughout the idea collection period. Organizations interested in hosting an Idea Collection workshop in their community can contact the Budget Office at [email protected] for more information.

Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process where community members can directly decide how to spend part of the City's budget. Past winning projects have included shaded seating in public spaces, pollinator and rain gardens, community-designed public art murals, resources to support new parents, laundry access in public schools, and many others.

In Cambridge, the intention is for Participatory Budgeting to directly involve residents in the budgeting and city-building process, foster civic engagement and community spirit, and help ensure that the City's budget reflects the priorities of Cambridge residents and local partners.

During the PB12 vote in March 2026, 10,172 Cambridge residents age 12 and older voted to decide how to allocate Participatory Budgeting funding to address community needs, marking three consecutive years of reaching over 10,000 voters. Since the inaugural process in 2014, the City of Cambridge has collected over 10,000 ideas, counted more than 76,000 votes, and committed over $11 million to more than 80 Participatory Budgeting projects.

"We are once again thrilled to engage with the community in this unique process that gives residents an opportunity to directly decide how to spend funding from our FY28 budget," said Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang. "Participatory Budgeting has facilitated the implementation of more than 80 Participatory Budgeting projects over 12 cycles. While the amount we have allocated in this year's cycle is less than prior years due to macro-economic conditions and the City's focus on lowering budget growth, it remains a substantive total that will allow us to be responsive to what's most important to the community. We anticipate the funding level for Participatory Budgeting to increase incrementally in future years through our 5-year capital plan. "

Between October 2026 and February 2027, volunteer Cambridge residents (also called PB Delegates) will research all ideas submitted by the community during idea collection, and work with City Staff to develop proposals that will be presented for a community vote in March 2027. All Cambridge residents age 12 and older will be eligible to participate in the voting process, which will be available online, in-person at several Cambridge locations, and over the phone during the March 2027 voting period.

Cambridge residents are encouraged to join the PB process as volunteer PB Delegates to contribute to the proposal development process that will create the PB13 ballot. Those interested in volunteering can visit pb.cambridgema.gov for information on how to sign up.

For updates and the latest information about the Participatory Budgeting process, please visit pb.cambridgema.gov, contact the Budget Office at 617-349-4270 or email [email protected].