Neighbourhood Decision Making

Londoners can submit ideas for Neighbourhood Decision Making 2023 from Monday, August 21 to Friday, September 29.

Through Neighbourhood Decision Making, Londoners of any age and demographic can submit ideas to make their neighbourhoood even better with improvements, events or activities.

A total of $250,000 is available through the program to enhance neighbourhoods across the city. Individual projects can receive up to $30,000 in funding.

Projects may include bike repair stations, murals, playground upgrades, electric vehicle charging stations, community pantries, pollinator pathways, little free libraries and streetlights, to name a few. Londoners can find more examples in our ideas booklet. We encourage Londoners to submit their own ideas, big or small, since they know their neighbourhoods best.

Ideas will be accepted until September 29, 2023. The voting period will take place from Monday, November 13 to Saturday, November 18.

How do I submit an idea?

1.) Come up with an idea that will make your neighbourhood event better. For inspiration, review the ideas booklet.

2.) Register for or log-in to the SmartSimple application portal using the buttons below to submit your idea to the City.

3.) Then, click the button below to begin submitting your idea.

4.) Find your area of the City under “Idea Submission” and click “Apply Now”. Through this program, London is broken up into five areas including Central, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest. Determine which area of the City you live in before submitting your idea

5.) Once the application opens, fill out the “Idea Name” and click “Save Draft”.

6.) Fill out the remainder of the application questions, click the “Save” button along the way to ensure you don’t lose any information.

7.) Once you have filled out all the application questions, click “Idea Summary” at the top of the page to view your completed application.

8.) After you view your application and are happy with your submission, click “Submit”.

9.) Wait for a reply from City staff about the outcome of your application!

What happens after I submit an idea?

1.) After the submission deadline, City staff will review all the ideas. If your project is viable, City staff will work with you to turn your idea into a one-page proposal.

2.) Then, you will be encouraged to promote your idea in your neighbourhood ahead of the voting period, which takes place from Monday, November 13 to Saturday, November 18.

3.) During the voting period, Londoners from all areas of the city will vote on the ideas they want implemented in their neighbourhood. Voting will take place in-person, over the phone or online. Each Londoner will have the opportunity to vote for up to three ideas. New this year, Londoners can vote in-person at Neighbourhood Resource Centres and the City’s community centres throughout the entire week.

4.) Following the voting period, City staff will count the votes. If your idea gets enough votes, City staff will work with you to make it a reality.

What is Neighbourhood Decision Making?

Neighbourhood Decision Making is a City program that offers community members of all ages and demographics the opportunity to decide how to spend a portion of the municipal budget in their neighbourhoods.

Through the program, Londoners are invited to submit project ideas to improve their local communities, encourage their neighbours to vote for their ideas during the voting period and see the winning ideas with the most votes come to life through City-funding.

Have a question, want to fill out a paper copy of the idea submission form or need support with your submission? Call 519-661-5336 or email neighbourgood@london.ca and a member of our NeighbourGood team will provide more details.

Frequently asked questions

Who can submit an idea?

Ideas can be submitted by London residents of all ages and resident-led groups. Residents cannot submit ideas in their professional capacity and ideas should not benefit or be perceived as benefiting any particular business or organization but the neighbourhood as a whole.

What types of ideas are considered viable?

Idea proposals should…

• Involve and empower members of the neighbourhood and demonstrate broad-based and diverse participation in the project process;

• Be originated, planned, and put into action by the neighbours and community members who will be affected by the project;

• Occur within the city limits and be on public land that is accessible. Note, an exception may be considered in cases where public land is not available, and the project is completely and totally accessible to the general public. For example, a mural on the exterior wall of a building on private property.

Idea proposals should further the City of London Strategic Plan and may achieve the following outcomes:

• Improve neighbourhood safety, participation, and mobility;

• Beautify the neighbourhood;

• Improve community connections and understanding between neighbours or community members;

• Encourage equity, diversity, and inclusion;

• Enhance or expand green space;

• Protect neighbourhoods and communities from climate change.

What types of ideas are not considered viable?

Idea proposals should not:

Benefit (or be perceived to benefit) any particular business or organization
Pay for employee positions
Pay for a project on private property unless it is totally accessible to the public
Reimburse out-of-London travel expenses or any accommodation expenses
Fund any alcohol, tobacco or gambling expenses
Contribute to fundraising revenue for projects
Delay or cancel projects that are part of the Council’s approved multi-year Budget
Substitute funding lost from other sources of money
Reimburse an organization’s operating expenses not directly linked to the awarded project
Pay for expenses or financial commitments undertaken prior to the organization being under contract with the City of London

Where can I view the past winning projects?

You can find a detailed overview of all the past winning Neighbourhood Decision Making projects here: https://getinvolved.london.ca/21609/widgets/131899/documents/87224

How to find out if your idea is something within the budget and is viable?

You can communicate with City staff about your idea before submitting it by emailing neighbourgood@london.ca or calling 519-661-5336 idea. You can also submit your idea and City staff will review it and let you know how much it will cost.