Frequently asked questions

Here, you can find answers to frequently asked questions.

GENERAL

Who can participate in Vantaa’s participatory budgeting projects?

Anyone can come up with ideas, either alone or in a group. However, the ideas must be concern places within a specific area. Voting is open for the project area’s residents who have turned 12 years old.

Who implements the ideas?

The plans with the most votes are implemented by the City of Vantaa. Where possible, residents have the possibility to participate in the implementation.

What do I do if I see an inappropriate suggestion/message?

You can report inappropriate messages, ideas or comments by using the Flag sign. The flag is available under the heading, in the right margin or in the upper right-hand corner of a comment.

REGISTERING AND LOGGING IN

Do I need to register? How do I register for the first time?

You need to register if you want to share ideas, comment and/or vote.

Registration is done by clicking ‘Register’ in the upper right-hand corner. You can register to the service by creating personal credentials. As a user registers to the service, they must disclose their name and email address and create a password. The user must confirm their email address by clicking the link that is sent to their email when they register to the service. It’s also possible to register to the service with a Facebook or Google account.

How do I log in to the service?

You can log in to the service after registration. You can log in to the service with your email address and password or a Facebook or Google account. If you have registered to the service with your email address, you can still use your personal Facebook or Google account to log in if the user account to the service in question was created with the same email address.

I did not get a registration email

Please check your spam folder. You can order a new registration email on the login page under ‘Didn't receive confirmation instructions?’.

I forgot my password

You can order a new password on the login page under ‘Forgot your password?’.

IDEAS AND VOTING

When can I vote for and brainstorm ideas?

Familiarise yourself with the ongoing projects on the service’s ‘Participate’ page. You can participate by sharing your ideas, developing the ideas and voting. Ideas can be submitted during 18 August – 14 September 2020. The vote will be organised on 20 October – 16 November 2020.

How do I submit my idea?

You can submit your idea in the brainstorming phase. First, familiarise yourself with the conditions and instructions for the ideas. Submit your idea in the Idea tab by clicking ‘New proposal’. Create your suggestion, i.e. write the name of your idea in the correct field, describe your idea in the following field and click ‘Continue’. If someone else has already submitted a similar idea, you will proceed to the ‘Compare’ phase. After this, select a theme for your idea. If you wish, you can also select a location and submit an attachment. Click ‘Send’, after which you can still view your idea. Remember to finish by clicking ‘Publish’ in order to publish your idea on the platform. You can still edit the idea you submitted for 60 minutes after publishing.

Are there restrictions for the ideas?

You can find the terms and conditions of the ideas here.

Where do I find ideas submitted by others?

You can browse ideas submitted by others in the Idea tab. You can also comment other’s ideas by selecting ‘View proposal’. You can find a comment field at the end of each suggestion where you can leave your comments regarding the idea.

How do I vote?

Voting is done on the project’s ‘Vote’ tab during the voting period. On this page, you can also see the budget available to you in the budget figure. You can select several suggestions until you have used the entire budget. You can also vote for just one suggestion.

First of all, check the voting instructions and the plans voted on. Click the headline of the proposal to view the plan. Vote by clicking the v button beside the proposal in the plan list or the Add to your vote button on the plan description page. Follow the budget spending.

When you have chosen the plans you want to vote on, press Vote on the budget line above the plans. You can confirm your vote on the window by pressing Comfirm. Check that after confirmation the text ”Budget vote completed” appears, so that you know your vote is successful.

Which ideas will proceed to the vote? Why is my idea not in the vote?

After the brainstorming phase, the city’s experts will go through all of the submitted ideas and check that the idea fits in the provided budget and complies with the terms and conditions. A note will be left on each idea specifying whether it’s possible to implement the idea or not. The note and justifications can be found under ‘Ideas’ on the idea’s own page.

I do not want to or cannot use the online service. Where can I participate in person?

It’s also possible to participate in the various phases of the project in other ways than online. Read more about the project events and other ways to participate under ‘Events’.

You can submit your idea in person at the idea locations or brainstorm with the city’s experts at the popup locations.

The ideas will be developed in workshops, which will also be announced under ‘Events’.

Which languages can I participate in?

Ideas can be submitted in Finnish, Swedish or English.

I CANNOT FIND AN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION

Please contact Participation Coordinator Laura Lettenmeier at laura.lettenmeier(at)vantaa.fi.