Potrzeby starzejącego się społeczeństwa a proces budżetu obywatelskiego

Purpose - The purpose of this article is to determine the main types of needs of members of the silver generation (K60M65+) reported and possible to meet through participatory budgeting processes, as well as to determine the scale and barriers of participation of this group in the analysed processes. Research method - The paper uses a descriptive method along with a spatial¬ statistical analysis of data on the participation of Wrocław residents in 2023 Wrocław participatory budgeting process. Results - The participatory budget can be a tool to meet the needs of seniors related to improving their living conditions in the urban space, social infrastructure, and increasing their competences and skills. Social infrastructure projects – especially those related to sports and recreation – are preferred. Only 5% of Wrocław’s senior citizens took part in participatory budgeting processes in the period under review. Barriers to participation that were identified include reluctance, lack of trust, digital exclusion and lack of knowledge. Originality / value / implications / recommendations - In the literature, the issue of seniors’ participation in the participatory budgeting process in Poland has not been addressed so far. In view of the ageing of the population and the need to adapt urban space to the needs of this group, it is important to search for and diagnose tools to include the stakeholders themselves in the decision¬ making process.