University of Illinois at Chicago’s Great Cities Institute (GCI) is a research center committed to creating, disseminating and applying interdisciplinary knowledge to urban affairs. It implements dozens of teaching, research and service programs designed to improve the quality of life in metropolitan Chicago and other urban areas. Among its programs is its Neighborhoods Initiative, which works with local community groups on health, technology, leadership development, and other issues of mutual concern. Through this initiative, GCI serves as the group responsible for providing project management, community engagement, and evaluation around Chicago’s Participatory Budgeting Project, an effort that has engaged over 13,000 residents in 12 different communities around deciding how to spend over $18 million in public dollars.