Participatory budget in Monterrey, Mexico: obstacles, challenges and possibilities

Abstract

ABSTRACT Participatory Budget, as a process for democratic decision-making in allocating public funds, has gained traction globally since the initial experiences in Porto Alegre, Brazil in the 1980s. This article analyses the 2022 and 2023 experiences of participatory budget (PB) in the city of Monterrey, Mexico. Based on a comparative analysis of secondary data of Monterrey’s two-year programme, the study illustrates the obstacles and potentialities of implementing PB. Some of the limitations revolve around intergovernmental coordination, spatial limitations and limited impact on changing power relations concerning urban interventions. In assessing the programme’s implementation, we seek to highlight that while participation indeed increased from 2022 to 2023, the conceptualisation of the programme differs from the original one in Porto Alegre, and distribution of projects and resources remains uneven. By critically evaluating Monterrey’s PB initiatives, the article aims to contribute to the broader discourse on the complexities and challenges of participatory budget implementation.