My Neighbourhood project, Iceland

In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis in Iceland, Icelanders’ political trust was at an all-time low. Citizens wanted more transparency from government and a greater role in decision-making. Against this backdrop, a not-for profit civic technology provider, Citizens Foundation, developed a platform to rebuild the relationship between elected officials and their constituents. The platform – ‘Better Reykjavik’ – included a tool for annual participatory budgeting – ‘My Neighbourhood’ – in districts across the city.

The approach was praised by the Council of Europe as an example of how “thousands of citizens having had a real influence on their environment.” All neighbourhoods of Reykjavík have been visibly improved through the ‘My Neighbourhood project’. In 2017, funding for the projects totalled approximately 7 million Euro, amounting to about 0.35% of the city Reykjavik’s total budget. The city’s objectives were to:

• build a different way for politics to be done, where engagement was more fun, and where the effects of taking part were tangible to citizens
• ensure that the reduced financial resources of the city were put to their best use.

A project management team in the Mayor’s office runs the Better Reykjavik project, including its promotion and engagement campaigns. The city has established a Construction Board to review proposed projects suggested for funding via the process for feasibility and cost.