The City of Wrocław (Poland) and ICLEI will hold the 22nd Breakfast at Sustainability's (B@S) on Monday 13 March 2017 in Brussels (Belgium) on the topic of participatory budgeting and civic crowdfunding for green cities. The session will look at how good ideas can transform cities into better, greener places to live. Most ideas need money to be implemented, but where should the money come from: the city’s budget, individual contributions, user fees, or perhaps national or EU funding?

Other questions to be discussed include: Do we value more the products and services we know the price of? Is it fair for public projects to rely on crowdfunding platforms? Are citizens more willing to share their ideas if the money is already there, like in the case of participatory budgeting? What kind of projects get proposed and funded? Do all ideas really need money to be implemented?

The session will see a lively discussion on how tools such as participatory budgeting and civic crowdfunding can transform urban governance, mobilise local communities and create a new culture of co-creation. The event will be hosted by the Permanent Representation of Poland to Belgium under the patronage of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Brussels. The Mayor of Wrocław Rafal Dutkiewicz and representatives of the European Commission will be present. To register (free of charge), contact Claudia Fantini at: brussels-office@iclei.org by 7 March 2017.

For more information, download the invitation/programme.