Every year, cities around the world decide how to spend billions of dollars of public money. Should they invest in better public transit, build more affordable housing, or hire more police officers? These decisions are complex and involve difficult trade-offs. In this lesson, you'll step into the shoes of city planners. You will work in a team to decide your city's priorities and create a budget. You'll need to negotiate, justify your choices, and present your final plan to the public.
City Budget Priorities
Cities must balance the needs of many different departments.
Warm-up: What's Most Urgent?
In your groups, discuss the following five city departments. Rank them from 1 (most urgent priority) to 5 (least urgent priority) for the upcoming year. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.
- Public Transit (buses, trains, bike lanes)
- Affordable Housing (building new homes, supporting renters)
- Public Safety (police, fire department)
- Parks & Recreation (community centers, green spaces)
- Climate Action (preparing for floods, reducing emissions)
The Allocation Game
It's time to put your money where your mouth is! Your team is the city's budget committee. You have $100 million in tokens to allocate across the five key departments. Your goal is to create a budget that reflects your team's priorities.
Part 1: Your First Budget
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