Annotation

This article examines the transition from sporadic to systematic citizen participation in participatory budgeting, based on an analysis of the experience of the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization “Delai gorod” in Omsk from 2023 to 2026. The study aims to introduce the concept of a “sustainable model of participation in participatory budgeting” into the academic debate and elucidate its essence. It also identifies organizational forms of initiative project proponents that can ensure systematic, resource-rich, and effective citizen engagement in participatory budgeting practices. This article will be of interest to researchers in public administration, participatory budgeting practitioners, local governments, and the heads of non-profit organizations and property management companies involved in urban development. A comparative analysis of three models (property management company, non-profit organization, and non-institutional community) revealed that the “property management company” model demonstrates the greatest sustainability potential due to diversified co-financing and the possibility of post-project support for completed improvement projects. The authors conclude that the transition to a sustainable model of participation contributes to the formation of local communities, the transformation of initiators into agents of social change, an improvement in the quality of initiative projects, and the comprehensive development of municipal territories.