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NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans is one of 50 Champion Cities selected today as finalists in the 2021 Global Mayors Challenge, a global innovation competition that identifies and accelerates the most ambitious ideas developed by cities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These 50 urban innovations rose to the top of a competitive pool of more than 630 applications from 99 countries, in the first-ever Global Mayors Challenge.
As a Mayors Challenge finalist, New Orleans now advances to the four-month Champion Phase of the competition. From June through October, the 50 finalist cities will refine their ideas with technical assistance from Bloomberg Philanthropies and its network of leading innovation experts. Fifteen of the 50 cities will ultimately win the grand prize, with each receiving $1 million and robust multi-year technical assistance to implement and scale their ideas. Grand Prize Winners will be announced in early 2022.
“We are honored to be among the record number of cities that submitted proposals to Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Mayors Challenge this year and are especially excited to be moving on to the Champion City phase. Building meaningful trust with our residents has always been at the core of my administration, finding these 'moments that matter' and digging in on why they matter creates real dialogue, empathy and understanding that paves the way for lasting change. I am proud of our team for bringing this idea to life, leaning in on innovation and collaboration in ways that will move our city forward,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
“These 50 finalists are showing the world that in the face of the pandemic’s enormous challenges, cities are rising to meet them with bold, innovative, and ambitious ideas,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and 108th mayor of New York City. “By helping these cities test their ideas over the coming months, we will have a chance to identify cutting-edge policies and programs that can allow cities to rebuild in ways that make them stronger and healthier, and more equal and more just.”
Trust in public institutions is at historic lows throughout the U.S., and New Orleans must further overcome centuries of discrimination, corruption, and disinvestment in vulnerable communities. The city is proposing to empower all City employees to focus on the “moments that matter” for residents, rather than singularly focusing on the outcomes that have traditionally been managements' focus. This idea is compelling because it centers empathy in government response and because it seeks to repair relationships in a predominantly Black community harmed by years of “urban renewal” projects and the highest incarceration rates worldwide.
The 50 Champion Cities submitted ideas addressing four of the most significant challenges borne of the pandemic: Economic Recovery & Inclusive Growth; Health & Wellbeing; Climate & Environment; and Good Governance & Equality. A prestigious selection committee co-chaired by Bloomberg Philanthropies board member Mellody Hobson, Co-CEO & President, Ariel Investments, and David Miliband, President & CEO, International Rescue Committee, assessed the applications to determine the Champion City finalists.
“This is always an especially exciting phase of the Mayors Challenge, helping mayors push their innovations to even greater heights,” said James Anderson, head of Government Innovation at Bloomberg Philanthropies. “While 15 cities will ultimately take home grand prizes, all 50 cities receive world class coaching and support to improve their ideas and their potential to improve lives.”
The 2021 Global Mayors Challenge builds on the success of four previous Bloomberg-sponsored Challenges in the U.S. (2013 and 2018), Europe (2014), and Latin America and the Caribbean (2016). For more information, visit mayorschallenge.bloomberg.org and @BloombergCities on Twitter and Instagram.
Note: The Mayors Office is currently recruiting for two AmeriCorps VISTA positions to work on this initiative (Project Why). Learn more here, here and here.
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