Price Hill's $40K challenge will renovate and improve

Price Hill Will created a $40K challenge for renovating and improving the neighborhood as a whole by involving community members and using participatory budgeting. Citizens were given leftover funds from a former lawsuit in order to take full control of the budget and redevelopment of their neighborhood.

The concept of participatory budgeting was introduced in 2007 by Chicago Alderman Joe Moore. Moore formed a committee of community members to control the budget and create changes within his community. Since then other cities have caught on to further involve the citizens in decision-making and developments.

Price Hill community members have met in order to plan for this revitalization and developed several major themes for development including Business and Entertainment, Community Cooperatives, Community Promotion & Connection, and Public Spaces & Things to Do in Them. Citizens broke up into various groups and focused on an idea within one theme. One group plans to create a historical bike tour around the area, another plans to upgrade and improve the park by Queens Tower, while another group will focus on the idea of community gardening.

"I am excited to hear that the groups have already taken responsibility by breaking up the themes and taking on major tasks involved with the application," organizer Diana Vakharia expressed.   
"This project gives citizens a chance to improve leadership skills as well as a chance to improve the community."

Ken Smith, the Executive Director of the $40K challenge, expressed his excitement about allowing residents control in order to motivate them for change.

"We would love to have the entire community involved," Smith said. "Obviously, with this small budget, Price Hill will not be completely transformed, but we hope that by continuing to engage more citizens, that alone will be transformative for the neighborhood." 

Writer: Lisa Ensminger
Photography by Scott Beseler.