Bloomberg Philanthropies Selects Top 35 Innovative Urban Ideas as Finalists in 2018 Mayors Challenge
February 21, 2018
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the 35 Champion Cities in the 2018 U.S. Mayors Challenge, a nationwide competition that encourages city leaders to uncover bold, inventive ideas that confront the toughest problems cities face. These 35 urban innovations rose to the top of a competitive pool of more than 320 applications. The Champion Cities will now begin a six-month testing phase where they will conduct public prototypes of their ideas with grant funding of up to $100,000 per city, a new addition to the competition this year.
Read moreBloomberg Philanthropies Launches the 2018 Public Art Challenge for U.S. Cities
February 15, 2018
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the launch of the 2018 Public Art Challenge. Mayors of U.S. cities with 30,000 residents or more are invited to apply for up to $1 million in funding for temporary public art projects that address important civic issues. Submissions for dynamic works of art across all disciplines will be considered. Proposed projects will be evaluated on their ability to generate public-private collaborations, celebrate creativity and urban identity, and strengthen local economies.
Read moreBloomberg Philanthropies Announces the American Cities Best at Using Data to Improve Residents’ Lives
January 25, 2018
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the inaugural group of nine cities to achieve What Works Cities Certification, a first-of-its-kind national standard of excellence in city governance. What Works Cities Certification rates how well cities are managed by measuring the extent to which city leaders incorporate data and evidence in their decision-making. The certification recognizes Boston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Louisville, New Orleans, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C for their proven leadership in data-driven government. Through What Works Cities, the nine cities will each receive additional expert assistance to accelerate progress and deepen their leadership in using data.
Read moreMichael R. Bloomberg and Lawrence H. Summers Create Task Force to Address Preventable Leading Causes of Death and Noncommunicable Diseases Through Fiscal Policy
January 18, 2018
World Health Organization (WHO) Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases, entrepreneur and philanthropist Michael R. Bloomberg and distinguished economist Lawrence H. Summers, former Secretary of the US Treasury and former Director of the National Economic Council of the United States, today announced a Task Force on Fiscal Policy for Health.
Read moreRoad Deaths and Injuries Hold Back Economic Growth in Developing Countries
January 9, 2018
A new World Bank study, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, finds that reducing road traffic deaths and injuries could result in substantial long-term income gains for low- and middle-income countries. The report, “The High Toll of Traffic Injuries: Unacceptable and Preventable,” introduces a new global methodology to calculate the economic impact of road safety and analyses the cases of China, India, the Philippines, Tanzania and Thailand.
Read moreAmerican Talent Initiative Grows to 86 Schools and Nationally Recognized Colleges Share Commitments to Educate More High-Achieving, Low-and Moderate-Income Students
December 7, 2017
The American Talent Initiative (ATI), a Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative led by the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program and Ithaka S+R, announced that its membership has grown from 30 to 86 top colleges and universities since it launched in December 2016. ATI’s mission is to enroll 50,000 additional talented, low- and moderate-income students at colleges and universities with strong graduation rates by 2025. In addition, ATI shared six member institutions’ ambitious new plans to attract, enroll, and support more high-achieving, lower-income students.
Read moreC40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards Celebrate 10 Best Cities for Climate Action in 2017
December 5, 2017
Ten cities were honored today at the C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards ceremony, which recognizes the world’s most inspiring and innovative cities taking major climate action. The fifth-annual awards ceremony took place at the North American Climate Summit in Chicago.
Read more
Bloomberg Philanthropies Announces 2017 Mayors Challenge Selection Committee Co-Chaired by Former Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and Former Xerox Chairman & CEO Ursula Burns
November 29, 2017
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the selection committee for the 2017 U.S. Mayors Challenge, a nationwide competition that encourages city leaders to think big, be bold, and uncover inventive ideas that confront the toughest problems U.S. cities currently face. More than 320 cities are taking part in this year’s competition, the fourth Mayors Challenge Bloomberg Philanthropies has held since 2013. Former U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and Former Xerox Chairman and CEO Ursula Burns will co-chair the selection committee, which is comprised of distinguished policy experts, artists, academics, business executives and social innovation leaders, that will choose the winning cities.
Read moreAmerica’s Pledge Co-Chairs Mike Bloomberg and Governor Jerry Brown Reaffirm U.S. Commitment to Paris Agreement on Climate Change, Present Report on U.S. Climate Action at UN Talks
November 11, 2017
California Governor Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown Jr. and Michael R. Bloomberg, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, released the America’s Pledge report at the U.S. Climate Action Pavilion, a purpose-built exhibition space sponsored by U.S. non-federal leaders at a United Nations climate change conference in Bonn, Germany.
Read moreMichael R. Bloomberg Commits $50 Million to International Effort to Move Beyond Coal, Reinforcing Leadership on Global Climate Action
November 9, 2017
Just after announcing a renewed commitment of $64 million to the Beyond Coal campaign in the United States and during this year’s UN Climate Conference COP 23 in Bonn, Germany, Michael R. Bloomberg, U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, announced a $50 million commitment to partners worldwide to catalyze a global effort to move nations away from coal dependence. European Climate Foundation will be the leading partner in Europe. Bloomberg’s announcement marks his first investment in efforts outside the U.S. to decrease reliance on coal and shift to renewable, cleaner energy sources. In the U.S., Bloomberg’s efforts to move away from coal have spurred the closing of more than 50% of the United States’ coal plants since 2011.
Read more