Budapest council to carry out projects based on residents’ proposals

The Budapest metropolitan council will carry out fifteen projects worth a total of one billion forints (EUR 2.9m) based on proposals submitted by the city’s residents, Budapest leaders said on Tuesday.

The projects will include revamping empty council flats and renting them to the homeless, setting up a leisure and cultural centre for autistic people, developing small woodland areas and building fountains and new public toilets around the city, they told a press conference announcing the winning proposals.

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony noted that it had been an essential part of his election programme to “give the city back to its residents” and consult with people about planned developments.

The mayor welcomed the fact that 13,000 votes had been submitted.

Deputy Mayor Gábor Kerpel-Fronius said one billion forints had been set aside from the city’s 2020 budget for developments that residents were invited to vote about.

He said 500 million forints had been allocated for projects that affect the whole of the city or at least three districts. Some 250 million forints were allocated for social projects and another 250 million forints for green developments.

Of some 700 proposals submitted, 53 were included in a list that residents were invited to vote about between mid-May and the end of July, he said.

The city government will start preparing the implementation of the 15 winning projects in the autumn, he added.

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Source: MTI