Innovative Government
The role of cities – and innovative city governments – is more important than ever.
For the first time, cities are home to most of the world’s population. By 2050, it is projected that three of every four people will live in cities. This historic shift presents challenges and opportunities. On the one hand, city leaders must find ways to use limited resources to serve growing numbers of people. On the other, cities are drivers of progress and innovation, and hold the solution to many of the pressing issues we face – from confronting climate change and improving public health to creating jobs in a changing global economy. By helping city governments innovate, engage the public, make the most of their resources, and turn bold new ideas into policy, we can improve the lives of billions of people.
Timeline
2022
April 2022 Bloomberg Philanthropies and The Sagol Family Launch The Bloomberg-Sagol Center for City Leadership at Tel Aviv University
Bloomberg Philanthropies and The Sagol Family announced a major new effort to strengthen local leadership across Israel through The Bloomberg-Sagol Center for City Leadership at Tel Aviv University. Inspired by the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, the new program aims to help mayors of cities across Israel – north and south, large and small, Jewish- and Arab-led – deliver better and more equitable public services to residents, strengthen social bonds, and deepen ties to the global community of innovative city leaders.
March 2022 New Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance Launches in the U.S., Latin America, and Canada with $60 Million Investment
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the launch of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ City Data Alliance, a program that will identify 100 cities from across North and South America that are the most sophisticated at using data to make policy decisions and propel them to an even higher standard with executive education, direct-to-city coaching, and a focused investment to improve a critical data capacity.
January 2022 Bloomberg Philanthropies Announces 15 Winners of the Global Mayors Challenge
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the 15 winning cities of the 2021-2022 Global Mayors Challenge, the fifth edition of the worldwide innovation competition that supports and spreads cities’ most promising ideas. These 15 winners are being recognized for designing the boldest and most ambitious urban innovations to emerge from the global COVID-19 pandemic.
2021
October 2021 Bloomberg Philanthropies and Johns Hopkins University Establish the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation
The Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation will be a hub and resource center for city leaders and their staff to receive specialized training in creative problem solving in local government, and it will also conduct research on the impact of these practices. The Center will develop fellowships for city hall staff to build a stronger evidence base for their work, create peer-learning initiatives for public innovation practitioners to share their knowledge, and strengthen networks among national and international organizations focused on public innovation.
July 2021 Bloomberg Philanthropies Recognizes 16 U.S. Cities For Using Data Most Effectively
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced that 16 U.S. cities have achieved 2021 What Works Cities certification, which evaluates the degree to which city leaders are using data to inform policy and funding decisions. Data-informed strategies have enabled these newly certified cities to increase resident satisfaction, reduce carbon emissions, address homelessness, and more.
June 2021 Bloomberg Philanthropies to Help Six Global Cities Harness Digital Innovation to ‘Build Back Better’
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced new partnerships with six global cities aimed at accelerating digital transformation to improve the lives of residents and boost recovery from the COVID-19 global pandemic. The three-year grants, which will fund innovation teams, or “i-teams,” will help mayors in each city leverage data and digital technologies to enhance public services and create new value for communities.
June 2021 Bloomberg Philanthropies 2021 Mayors Challenge Names Top 50 Global Urban Innovations Emerging From Pandemic
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the 50 Champion Cities, representing the boldest urban innovations of the past year that will advance to the finalist stage of the 2021 Global Mayors Challenge, a worldwide innovation competition that encourages and spreads the cities’ most promising ideas. This year’s program focuses on elevating the most important public innovations generated in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic.
March 2021 Bloomberg to Help Reduce Financial Barriers for Top Talent to Begin Careers in Public Service
Bloomberg Philanthropies and NYU’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service announced the Georgina and Charlotte Bloomberg Public Service Fellows Program, launching in the 2021-2022 academic year, to help ensure that the most dedicated and innovative future leaders have access to, and robust training for, careers in public service.
March 2021 Bloomberg Philanthropies & Harvard University Announce Creation of the Bloomberg Center for Cities to Support Mayors Around the World as They Face Unprecedented Challenges
Building on the success of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, a collaboration between Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Harvard Kennedy and Business Schools, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced an expansion of support for city leaders with a new $150 million investment to establish the university-wide Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University to strengthen the capabilities of mayors and their teams, advance effective organizational practices in city halls around the world, support a new generation of public servants as they encounter unprecedented challenges.
2020
March 2020
Bloomberg Philanthropies launches the Coronavirus Local Response Initiative to virtually convene experts in public health and City leadership to help U.S. cities respond to the pandemic. The initiative provides mayors with information on the virus, and support for how to act on critical public health intelligence quickly, efficiently, and reliably for the benefit of their citizens.
2019
October 2019
CityLab DC, a two-day summit organized by The Aspen Institute, The Atlantic, and Bloomberg Philanthropies gathered over 500 city leaders, practitioners and civic leaders representing 169 cities across 30 countries. Over the course of the event, speakers engaged in conversations across dozens of topics focusing on the greater theme of urban innovation.
September 2019
More than 50 heads of state and delegations, as well as 200+ CEOs joined Mike Bloomberg in New York City to discuss solutions to the rising threats of economic and environmental instability at the third annual Bloomberg Global Business Forum.
June 2019
Mike launched Beyond Carbon, the largest-ever coordinated campaign against climate change in the United States. With a $500 million three-year investment, the initiative will employ advocacy, legal, and electoral strategies to accelerate coal plant retirements, stop gas rush, and win policy changes.
January 2019
Bloomberg Philanthropies named Albuquerque, Austin, Denver, Orlando and San Antonio the final of twenty-five winning cities to be awarded resources and technical support to help achieve their ambitious climate goals.
2018
December 2018
Mike Bloomberg joined Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles at the UNC Charlotte Center City Garden to announce Charlotte as the nineteenth winning city in Bloomberg’s American Cities Climate Challenge.
November 2018
The City of Coral Springs, FL, in partnership with the City of Parkland, FL, was announced a 2018 Public Art Challenge winner. The cities will receive $1 million for their project “Inspiring Community Healing After Gun Violence: The Power of Art.”
November 2018
Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Ballmer Group announced today a new $12 million project that will help communities analyze economic mobility in American cities and develop interventions that can increase residents’ economic progress.
November 2018
Mike Bloomberg joined Mayor Berkowitz in Anchorage to announce the city as a 2018 Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge Winner, receiving a $1 million grant to address climate change and economic development through art.
November 2018
Mike Bloomberg joined Mayor Caldwell to announce Honolulu as a winner of the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge. The city’s ambitious proposal aims to curb air pollution and city-wide emissions by 80%.
October 2018
Winners of the Bloomberg Philanthropies U.S. Mayors Challenge were announced at CityLab Detroit: Denver, CO; Durham, NC; Fort Collins, CO; Georgetown, TX; Huntington, WV; Los Angeles, CA; Philadelphia, PA; New Rochelle, NY; and South Bend, IN. The cities will receive $1 million.
October 2018
Mike Bloomberg joined Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter to announce Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and St. Louis as the next round of winning cities in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ American Cities Climate Challenge.
October 2018
Mike Bloomberg joined Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto in West End Overlook Park to announce Boston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington D.C. as the next round of winning cities for the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge.
October 2018
Mike Bloomberg, with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) President Rhea Suh, announced California cities Los Angeles, San Diego and San Jose and Portland, Oregon as the next round of winning cities for the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge.
October 2018
Gary, IN Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson and artist Theaster Gates hosted a conversation at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge-winning “ArtHouse: A Social Kitchen” to discuss entrepreneurship, community building, and using non-profit culture as a driver of urban revitalization.
June 2018
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the American Cities Climate Challenge to support mayors tackling climate change in the United States.
April 2018
Out of hundreds of applicants in the Fast Company World Changing Ideas, Los Angeles Innovation Team, supported with Bloomberg Philanthropies, is selected as the winning initiative in the Urban Design Category.
April 2018
As part of the American Cities Initiative, Bloomberg Philanthropies releases the 2018 American Mayors Survey – the largest survey of mayors to date. The research describes how mayors are responding to issues like climate change, the opioid epidemic, and disruptive technology.
March 2018
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ 35 Mayors Challenge Champion Cities are provided with $100,000 to begin a six-month testing phase of ideas on issues that matter to their citizens and to America’s future.
February 2018
35 cities have been selected to continue in the competition as Champion Cities, with proposals on tough problems including the Opioid crisis, job creation and climate action.
2017
August 2017
Bloomberg Philanthropies, Mayor Pugh, Governor Hogan and Goldman Sachs announce $10 million commitment to continue supporting Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses in Baltimore to help create jobs and increase economic growth.
July 2017
Mike Bloomberg announced $200 million American Cities Initiative to help U.S. cities innovate, solve problems, and work together in new ways.
May 2017
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and Bloomberg Associates formalize a partnership to work together to enhance government services and improve city life for Parisian residents.
March 2017
Bloomberg Philanthropies announces What Works Cities Certification, a new effort to create a national standard for data-driven local governments that most effectively use data to allocate resources and improve residents’ lives.
March 2017
The city of Nashville engages Bloomberg Associates to consult across a number of discipline areas in order to help her government improve the quality of life for Nashvillians through responsible economic and infrastructure development.
2016
November 2016
The 2016 grand prize winner is São Paulo (Brazil). Bogotá (Colombia), Medellín (Colombia), Guadalajara (Mexico) and Santiago (Chile) are also winners of the 2016 Mayors Challenge competition.
October 2016
The Bloomberg Aspen Initiative on Cities and Autonomous Vehicles, a new program for leading global mayors who will work together to prepare their cities for the emergence of autonomous vehicles.
August 2016
Bloomberg Philanthropies and Harvard convene the first Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, bringing together 40 mayors for a three-day program on executive leadership training and equipping them with the tools and skills to effectively tackle challenges faced in their cities.
August 2016
Bloomberg Associates adds Bogota to its roster of client cities; advising Mayor Enrique Peñalosa on a diverse range of new initiatives to improve the quality of life of residents.
August 2016
In a major milestone for the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Innovation Teams program, the Centennial, CO i-team launches a partnership with Lyft to fully subsidize connections to mass transit aimed at tripling ridership from traditional dial-a-ride services.
June 2016
Twenty finalist cities, representing 10 million people, are selected for the first ever Mayors Challenge in Latin America and the Caribbean.
April 2016
The What Works Cities Summit in New York brings together Mayors from the around the country to learn how to implement and use data to improve city governance.
March 2016
Bloomberg Associates begins its engagement with Oakland, and Mayor Libby Schaaf, to develop creative solutions to some of the City’s most pressing challenges. The team consults across eight discipline areas.
January 2016
Bloomberg Philanthropies launches the latest Mayors Challenge competition to cities in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Challenge aims to inspire cities to develop bold, scalable ideas that improve city life.
2015
December 2015
Four Bloomberg Associates disciplines begin working with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and senior government officials to improve city operations, launch new programs and help solve complicated municipal challenges.
October 2015
CityLab, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, traveled to London to build on the ideas established in New York City and Los Angeles. The event explored income inequality, safety, mobility, infrastructure & other dynamics of modern metropolises to create more livable & sustainable cities.
August 2015
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces the list of cities selected to participate in the India Smart Cities Challenge, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Nominated cities will formulate a unique vision, mission and plan for a “Smart City.”
August 2015
Bloomberg Philanthropies announces the first cities selected to participate in What Works Cities – a $42 million initiative to help 100 mid-sized America
n cities enhance their use of data and evidence to improve the lives of residents.
June 2015
Bloomberg Philanthropies today detailed its partnership with the Government of India in support of the Smart Cities Mission, one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious urban development programs to improve quality of life in India’s fast-growing urban centers.
June 2015
Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis enlists Bloomberg Associates to advise him, and senior leaders, on innovative initiatives and strategies to support open government, increase engagement with residents and collaborate with local businesses and private partners.
June 2015
Bloomberg Associates signs a year-long consulting agreement with Mayor Eduardo Paes to help enhance Rio’s international reputation and put forth a new global vision for Cariocas to embrace. The consultants advise across seven discipline areas to develop short and long-term tailored strategies.
April 2015
The Genesis Generation Challenge announces the nine winning teams of young adults who are committed to making the world a better place through innovative projects guided by Jewish values. The teams range from promising start-ups to well-established businesses and non-profits.
April 2015
Bloomberg Philanthropies launches the What Works Cities initiative to help 100 mid-sized cities better use data and evidence. The program helps mayors and local leaders use data and evidence to engage the public, make government more effective and improve people’s lives.
February 2015
In his role as the U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, Mike Bloomberg travels to India to highlight the country’s economic growth and deliver the keynote address at the RE-Invest forum in New Delhi.
2014
December 2014
Bloomberg Philanthropies announces that 12 U.S. and 2 non-U.S. cities have been selected to participate in the $45 million expansion of its Innovation Teams program which aims to improve the capacity of City Halls.
October 2014
Cities of Service coalition expands overseas with 8 UK cities among its members. Founded by Mike Bloomberg in 2009, Cities of Service currently supports a coalition of 200 cities in the U.S. and UK whose mayors are committed to engaging citizen volunteers to solve local challenges.
September 2014
The second annual CityLab: Global Solutions to Urban Challenges brings together 300 global city leaders — mayors, plus urban theorists, city planners, scholars, architects, and artists — for a series of conversations about urban ideas that are shaping the world’s metro centers.
September 2014
Bloomberg Philanthropies announces the winners in the 2014 Mayors Challenge. Barcelona receives the Mayors Challenge Grand Prize for Innovation and prizes are also awarded to Athens, Kirklees, Stockholm, and Warsaw.
August 2014
Kansas City Mayor Sly James enlists Bloomberg Associates to advise Kansas City, Missouri on developing best practices, build consensus and foster key relationships. Six Associates discipline areas engage to work hand-in-hand with the City through all phases of project implementation.
June 2014
Bloomberg Associates provides critical guidance to Mayor Boris Johnson on legacy projects and municipal initiatives to improve the quality of life of Londoners in the areas of Cultural Assets Management, Media & Tech Strategies, Marketing & Tourism, and Urban Planning.
June 2014
Bloomberg Philanthropies and Nesta release a new report highlighting 20 of the world’s top innovation teams in government. The publication showcases innovation teams established by city, regional, and national governments to develop and deliver new solutions to complex challenges.
June 2014
Mike Bloomberg and London Mayor Boris Johnson co-host the fourth Bloomberg Technology Summit in London. Bloomberg releases a new report, “London: Digital City on the Rise,” which found that London’s technology and information sector employs 382,000 workers, an increase of 11% since 2009.
May 2014
The Genesis Prize honors Mike Bloomberg’s achievements in public service, philanthropy and entrepreneurship. Mike invests the $1 million award to create the Genesis Generation Challenge, a competition to find and fund the next big idea that would better the world.
April 2014
All eight Bloomberg Associates disciplines engage in a formal year-long consulting agreement with Mexico City Mayor Miguel Mancera to assist the City in developing tailored strategies to help solve unique short and long-term municipal challenges through innovation, creative, data-driven solutions.
April 2014
Bloomberg Associates signs a formal year-long consulting agreement with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to help foster innovative public-private partnerships, build resources and implement programs across 6 Associates disciplines.
February 2014
President Obama launches “My Brother’s Keeper,” – a program based largely on the Young Men’s Initiative, launched by Mayor Bloomberg in 2011 as the nation’s boldest and most comprehensive effort to tackle the broad disparities slowing the advancement of black and Latino young men.
February 2014
Mike Bloomberg welcomes UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres at C40 Mayors Summit, the first time C40 actively engaged with the UN process.
January 2014
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appoints Mike Bloomberg as his first Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, signaling cities significant role in keeping the planet from warming another 2 degrees Celsius.
January 2014
Mike Bloomberg founds Bloomberg Associates, the first-ever philanthropic international consulting service to help mayors and city governments improve the quality of life of their citizens. The consultancy is directed by a team of globally recognized experts and proven practitioners.
2013
December 2013
Upon completing a maiden trip on the No. 7 train, Mayor Bloomberg visits the new No. 7 train station at 34th street and 11th Avenue. The No. 7 train is the first subway extension paid for by the City in more than 60 years and is part of a plan to redevelop the Far West Side of Manhattan.
October 2013
The first annual CityLab: Urban Solutions to Global Challenges kicks off in New York City. CityLab 2013 brought together global city leaders to engage in a series of conversations about urban ideas and innovations that are shaping metro centers around the world.
September 2013
Mayor Bloomberg and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee co-host the second Bloomberg Technology Summit in New York City. A new economic report shows that New York’s tech/information sector has grown rapidly over the past five years and is now the second largest driver of the New York economy.
September 2013
Bloomberg Philanthropies launches the 2013-2014 Mayors Challenge, a competition to inspire European cities to come up with bold ideas that solve major problems and improve city life – and that ultimately can be shared with other cities.
May 2013
Citi Bike launches as the nation’s largest bike share system. The program has seen more than 855,000 bikers take more than 15 million trips and travel more than 26 million miles as of January 2015. More than 470 lane miles of bike lanes were added during the Bloomberg administration.
March 2013
Bloomberg Philanthropies announces the winners of the Mayors Challenge. Providence, RI received the Grand Prize for Innovation and a $5 million implementation award; Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, and Santa Monica also received $1 million each to support implementation.
January 2013
Bloomberg Philanthropies announces Financial Empowerment Center grants to five cities (Denver, CO, Lansing, MI, Nashville, TN, Philadelphia, PA & San Antonio, TX) to replicate New York City’s evidence-based Financial Empowerment Center model.
2012
October 2012
In 2012, Mayor Bloomberg hosts the inaugural Bloomberg Technology Summit, bringing together business, tech, government, and community leaders for an off-the-record conversation and collaboration on the future of technology, and its role in our economy.
June 2012
Bloomberg Philanthropies launches the Mayors Challenge, a competition to inspire American cities to generate innovative ideas that solve major challenges and improve city life. The Challenge awards funding to the cities that come up with the boldest and most replicable ideas.
2011
August 2011
Mayor Bloomberg announces the launch of the Young Men’s Initiative, the nation’s boldest and most comprehensive effort to tackle the broad disparities slowing the advancement of black and Latino young.
July 2011
Bloomberg Philanthropies announces a $24-million initiative to fund Innovation Delivery Teams that help mayors effectively design and implement solutions to pressing city challenges. The first five cities to receive the grant are Atlanta, Chicago, Louisville, Memphis, and New Orleans.
2010
November 2010
Mayor Bloomberg is appointed Chair of C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, the network of world’s megacities working together to take measurable actions to reduce carbon emissions.
May 2010
At 11:50 a.m., Mayor Bloomberg answers the 100 millionth call to 311, marking a significant milestone for the City’s call center. The largest of its kind in the country, NYC 311 has transformed City government by dramatically improving the accessibility of City services.
2009
September 2009
Bloomberg Philanthropies expands a demonstration grant to Women for Women International, partnering with NOVO Foundation to enroll 52,000 women in job and life skills programs in Sudan, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda over four years.
September 2009
Mayor Bloomberg joins mayors from 16 cities across the country to launch Cities of Service, a bipartisan coalition of mayors representing more than 20 million Americans, who will work together to engage millions of volunteers in service.
May 2009
Mayor Bloomberg and Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan announce the opening of Broadway in Times Square to pedestrians for the first time, creating a world-class plaza, improving traffic safety and local economic performance.
January 2009
In the State of the City speech, Mayor Bloomberg details the new Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan to move the city through economic downturn with a nine-point jobs plan that is expected to create 400,000 jobs in the next six years.
2008
June 2008
Mayor Bloomberg announces the City’s first Financial Empowerment Center, which will offer free, one-on-one financial counseling and coaching to low-income Bronx residents, as well as an online searchable database of all financial servi
ces available to New Yorkers.
2007
December 2007
In Bali, Indonesia, Mayor Bloomberg urges larger focus on cities in fight against global warming to international delegates, as parties create a new roadmap to tackle climate change under Bali Action Plan.
October 2007
The New Housing Marketplace Plan expands to a $7.5 billion, 10-year plan to build and preserve 165,000 units by 2013. This is the largest municipal affordable housing plan in the nation’s history and provides affordable homes for 500,000 New Yorkers.
2006
December 2006
Mayor Bloomberg unveils the New Housing Marketplace Plan, the City’s largest affordable housing program since the Koch Administration. The plan pledges to create or preserve 65,000 units of affordable housing by 2008, creating homes for almost 200,000 New Yorkers.
2003
March 2003
Mayor Bloomberg launches NYC 311 Customer Service Center to provide 24-hour, non-emergency services and information in 180 languages through one all-purpose number: 311. NYC 311 provides quick and easy access to government services and information with the highest level of customer service.
February 2003
Mayor Bloomberg releases the campaign accountability report listing every proposal made during his 2001 campaign, and the status of each proposal. The report promotes greater accountability in government, encouraging all New Yorkers to hold their elected officials accountable.
2002