Land Use Patterns and Small Investment Project Preferences in Participatory Budgeting: Insights from a City in Poland

Katarzyna Groszek, Marek Furmankiewicz (), Magdalena Kalisiak-Mędelska and Magdalena Błasik
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Katarzyna Groszek: Independent Researcher, 09400 Płock, Poland
Marek Furmankiewicz: Institute of Spatial Management, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50357 Wroclaw, Poland
Magdalena Kalisiak-Mędelska: Institute of Management and Quality Sciences, Calisia University, 62800 Kalisz, Poland
Magdalena Błasik: Independent Researcher, 55040 Domasław, Poland

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-23

Abstract: This article presents a spatial analysis of projects selected by city residents and implemented in five successive editions (2015–2019) of the participatory budgeting in Częstochowa, Poland. The study examines the relationship between the type of hard projects (small investments in public infrastructure and landscaping) and the pre-existing characteristics of the land use of each district. Kernel density estimation and Spearman correlation analysis were used. The highest spatial density occurred in projects related to the modernization of roads and sidewalks, recreation, and greenery, indicating a relatively high number of proposals within or near residential areas. Key correlations included the following: (1) greenery projects were more common in districts lacking green areas; (2) recreational infrastructure was more frequently chosen in areas with significant water features; (3) street furniture projects were mostly selected in districts with sparse development, scattered buildings, and postindustrial sites; (4) educational infrastructure was often chosen in low-density, but developing districts. The selected projects often reflect local deficits in specific land use or public infrastructure, but also stress the predestination of the recreational use of waterside areas.

Keywords: urban development; land use structure; social preferences; small-scale infrastructure; participatory budgeting; Poland (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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