Vancouver asks residents to weigh in on how to spend $100K in city's West End

The city is inviting Vancouverites with ties to the West End to vote on how to spend $100,000 for up to 14 community improvement projects. 

The process, which the city calls participatory budgeting, is open to anyone with a strong connection to the downtown neighbourhood — through work, living arrangements or volunteering. 

Coun. Pete Fry says it's the first time the city has implemented participatory budgeting, and he's hoping there will be more of it in other neighbourhoods. 

"I'm very excited to see this project succeed," Fry said. 

"It's a really good opportunity for communities to come forward and say, 'Hey, this is how we'd like to see our community benefit.'"

Voters choose and rank up to four of 14 projects. The projects with the highest number of votes and that fall within the $100,000 budget will be implemented. Fry said money for the budget came from parking revenues. 

Some of the projects include a chalk art block party, a pedestrian crossing and increased mental health services.

Voting takes place between Jan. 25 and Feb. 4. People can take part online or in person. Results will be announced Feb. 8 and projects have to be implemented within 18 months. 

'Finding our way'

Fry said participatory budgeting takes place in cities around the world, including Toronto and New York. 

The city said it chose the West End to pilot the process because of its manageable size. 

Kendal Fish, a volunteer with the project, says the process started last January when citizens submitted more than 1,700 ideas. 

Volunteers then grouped those and whittled them down to the current choices, based on inclusivity, the project's impact, and feasibility. 

"It's been extremely interesting. We've been finding our way," Fish said, adding that volunteers hope to share what they've learned with other neighbourhoods.