Seoul residents to vote online on city budget projects, from kids' cafes to safer sidewalks

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Sunday that it will hold an online public vote to select the final projects for its participatory budgeting program.

The participatory budgeting system lets residents propose policies they consider necessary, which are then reviewed and ranked through a voting process. This year's open call drew 534 proposals spanning a wide range of areas, including improvements to the living environment, public safety, welfare and culture and sports.

After review by relevant city departments and screening by subcommittees made up of participatory budget committee members, the city narrowed the list to 47 projects with a combined budget of 25.8 billion won for the public vote.

Among the projects selected in the "Walking with the Vulnerable" category are repairs to deteriorating sidewalks along Dongil-ro in Gwangjin-gu and a kids' cafe program for children aged 7 to 12. The open proposal category includes a smart safe-route-home project and an expansion of cool-roof and cool-pavement initiatives.

Voting runs through Aug. 23 on the city's mVoting website and is open to all Seoul residents, who may each select up to three projects. The city also plans to award prize money to the proposers of the top 10 vote-getters.

Once the public vote establishes a priority ranking, the projects will go before the full participatory budget committee for deliberation before being finalized. They will then be submitted to the Seoul Metropolitan Council for review and approval, after which the city will move forward with the selected projects to improve residents' daily lives.

"Each vote cast by our residents is a precious choice that shapes Seoul's future, so we ask for your keen interest and active participation," said Choi Eun-jeong, the city's fiscal affairs officer.