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Bloomberg Philanthropies’ work with cities includes our Government Innovation program and Bloomberg Associates, our philanthropic consultancy. Through this work, we are helping local governments strengthen their ambitions and abilities.

Top photo: We have worked with Bogotá through several programs, helping the city test bold new ideas, improve data use, and transform its downtown.

GOVERNMENT INNOVATION

Replicating Proven Solutions Across Cities

Cities face shared challenges — yet often lack the support or incentives to test ambitious new approaches. Bloomberg Philanthropies helps city leaders aim higher, experiment with bold solutions, and then share what proves effective, so others can build on that progress. In 2013, we launched the Mayors Challenge, a competition that invites cities to develop bold solutions and helps spread them around the world. And in 2024, we launched the Bloomberg Cities Idea Exchange, a global platform to further accelerate the spread of promising ideas.

2025 Mayors Challenge Winners

In February 2026, we announced the 24 winning cities of the 2025 Global Mayors Challenge, our largest-ever round of the competition. The winners will receive technical assistance and $1 million each in funding to implement and evaluate their ideas.

Strengthening City Leadership

Ten years ago, there were few opportunities for mayors to access leadership development programs. Today, through our city leadership programs, mayors around the world have access to hands-on training, trusted peer networks, and practical tools to help them govern more effectively. Our work began in 2017 with the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. We have since expanded our successful model to serve mayors in Israel, Africa, and most recently, Europe, where we launched our latest mayoral leadership program in partnership with the London School of Economics and the Hertie School in Berlin in 2025.

Mayors in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative attend expert sessions in New York City.

The ninth class of mayors in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative heard from experts in New York City in July 2025.

4

4

programs launched to train mayors across the U.S., Israel, Africa, and Europe

557

557

mayors provided with executive leadership training

3,653

3,653

senior staff trained

Using Data to Improve Residents’ Lives

Bloomberg Philanthropies helps cities harness the next generation of data and artificial intelligence tools to solve problems, improve efficiency, and deliver tangible results for residents. As part of this work, we launched the City Data Alliance in 2022 with Johns Hopkins University. To date, we have helped 80 cities from 12 countries build the skills needed to incorporate data-driven insights into decision-making, while providing intensive support to test and scale responsible uses of AI that improve services and operational efficiency.

Bringing Creativity to City Halls

Bloomberg Philanthropies continues to support small, multidisciplinary innovation teams (i-teams) embedded in city halls. Since 2011, we have supported 115 i-teams in 1,067 cities around the world who have provided expertise in data analysis, design, and project management to help cities better understand and address their biggest priorities.

In 2025, we supported 53 i-teams to help test new ideas and deliver stronger results for residents – including new i-teams in 18 cities across Europe. We also partnered with the national government of the Dominican Republic to address two key priorities: growing the economy and reducing bureaucracy.

Dominican Republic launches República de Ideas, a national competition inviting citizens to submit innovative proposals.

Through a special engagement inspired by the work of our i-teams, we partnered with the government of the Dominican Republic to launch República de Ideas, a national competition to draw innovative proposals from citizens across the country.

SPOTLIGHT

Kyiv, Ukraine

The Kyiv i-team digitized social benefits delivery, reducing processing times by 87 percent and clearing a 40,000-case backlog — making aid faster and safer for veterans, elders, and displaced residents.

Oakland, California

The Oakland i-team led the launch of the mayor’s “Keep the Town Clean” initiative, which has removed more than 145 tons of illegal garbage citywide through community-led clean ups and a new zero-waste strategy.

Building Bonds Between City Residents and City Halls

In 2024, we launched the Youth Climate Action Fund to bring city halls and young people together to address pressing, local climate change challenges. The initiative provides funding and technical assistance to help cities support small-scale, youth-led projects that fight climate change, reshaping how young residents view local institutions — participants report a 21 percent increase in their trust of city government.

In 2025, we announced a new investment that will enable three times more cities to engage youth in local climate action.

Youth in Córdoba, Argentina build electric bicycles to collect food scraps and expand composting.

In Córdoba, Argentina, youth created specialized electric bicycles to collect food scraps from restaurants and increase composting.

98

98

participating cities

2,968

2,968

youth-led climate projects supported

100,000+

100,000+

youth engaged

SPOTLIGHT

Córdoba, Argentina

Young people built and operated electric bicycles to collect organic waste from restaurants, diverting one ton of compost each month from landfills while helping café staff improve waste separation.

Kampala, Uganda

Youth launched five small businesses that turn waste into charcoal briquettes, a clean energy source — reducing reliance on traditional fuels, lowering emissions, and creating jobs for even more young people.

Montego Bay, Jamaica

Youth created a rainwater harvesting system that became essential in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, delivering clean water to communities cut off from regular supply.

Partnering Across Baltimore

Bloomberg Philanthropies has worked in Baltimore for decades, taking a holistic approach to strengthening the community and uplifting its businesses, youth, and local nonprofit organizations. In addition to many of our initiatives that are active in Baltimore, we supported over 100 nonprofit organizations in 2025, and helped to bring Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses to Baltimore, which has provided 785 local business owners with education, coaching, and technical assistance.

In October 2025, Mike met students who received new glasses through our Vision Initiative, which is expanding access to free vision screenings and eyeglasses for students across Baltimore.

2024-2025 Impact

5.1M

5.1M

free meals provided

4,452

4,452

individuals placed in jobs

2,947

2,947

homes upgraded for seniors

2,400

2,400

trees planted

100,000+

100,000+

pounds of trash removed

BLOOMBERG ASSOCIATES

Founded in 2014, Bloomberg Associates is our philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world, using proven best practices and deep experience in municipal government to make them stronger, safer, and more efficient.

Since its inception, Bloomberg Associates has helped garner $2.8 billion in city and private investments across 25 cities, collaborating on more than 1,000 projects that improve resident outcomes and bring leaders’ visions to life.

$2.8B

$2.8B

in city and private investments secured across 25 cities

1,000+

1,000+

projects launched that improve resident outcomes

Client City Spotlights

Newark, New Jersey

Over the past several years, we have helped Newark accomplish several priorities. Most recently, we helped the city establish its first-ever Office of Film and Television to expand film production across the city. As a result, Lionsgate and Great Point Studios invested $125 million in a 270,000-square-foot production complex. We also helped the city secure a $750,000 grant to launch a training program that will create new career pathways into the film industry for residents.

Newark launches a tree-planting campaign with federal funding and support from Bloomberg Associates.

Newark secured federal funding to launch a new tree-planting campaign in 2025 with Bloomberg Associates‘ support.

A design guide supports sustainable, responsive development along the Rio Salado in Phoenix.

Our team helped to create a design guide to inform sustainable, responsive development along the Rio Salado, which runs through Phoenix.

Phoenix, Arizona

We are supporting the city of Phoenix to transform a former department store building into a state-of-the-art workforce training and education center. The center will expand local access to quality jobs and training in industries spanning bioscience, healthcare, and information technology, and serve as a catalyst for investment in one of Phoenix’s most underserved corridors. Our team is also addressing the growing threat of extreme heat in Phoenix, helping to guide efforts to plant 27,000 trees and create 500 shade structures.

London, United Kingdom

Bloomberg Associates has long worked with London to accomplish a number of priorities, from strengthening the city’s digital services and data infrastructure, to building a comprehensive plan to address homelessness, to connecting 100,000 young Londoners to high-quality mentorship opportunities. In 2025, we helped develop a long-term plan to make Oxford Street – one of London’s busiest and most iconic corridors – more pedestrian friendly, as part of efforts to drive economic growth while reducing harmful air pollution from vehicles.

London tests a one-day pilot closing Oxford Street to vehicle traffic with support from Bloomberg Associates.

Bloomberg Associates helped London plan a one-day pilot that closed Oxford Street to vehicle traffic in September 2025.

Westminster, United Kingdom

Bloomberg Associates has worked with Westminster City Council to launch a network of primary, nursery, and special schools that now serve over 3,000 students each year. In addition to our continued support to revitalize a key retail corridor on Harrow Road, in 2025 we helped to develop a new data-driven plan to ensure Westminster’s markets are among the most vibrant and well-managed in the city.

Guadalajara, Mexico

Guadalajara is Bloomberg Associates’ newest client city. We are engaged in its Care Communities initiative, which aims to launch one-stop neighborhood centers that connect residents to health, social, and employment services. We are also guiding the city’s first-ever full count of its homeless population, helping officials collect data to guide effective interventions. And in preparation for Guadalajara hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, we are leading work to revitalize major spaces to enhance safety, accessibility, and visitor experience.

Bratislava, Slovakia

Bloomberg Associates helped Bratislava launch its Mayor’s Climate Challenge, which brought together major employers and helped to reduce energy use across commercial buildings by nearly 10 percent in 2025, lowering emissions and reducing operating costs. With our support, Bratislava also completed its most ambitious street redesign in decades, adding protected bike lanes, wider sidewalks, and new public space to address safety and traffic concerns.

Residents in Bratislava recycle yard waste into mulch for city parks during the annual Mulchfest.

We helped Bratislava organize the third annual Mulchfest, which engaged residents to recycle yard waste into garden mulch for city parks.

Bloomberg Associates supports shop owners in Lisbon’s historic center.

Bloomberg Associates is working with Lisbon to support shop owners in the city’s historic center.

Lisbon, Portugal

In 2025, Bloomberg Associates supported the city in developing its long-term economic development strategy, which focuses on creating vibrant commercial districts, strengthening local businesses, and building new partnerships. We also helped create the Lisbon Economic Dashboard, a new public platform that centralizes city-level information on business activity, employment, real estate, tourism, and more.

Ottawa, Canada

Since 2024, Bloomberg Associates has worked with Ottawa on several projects, including helping to design and launch its new Street Seats program, which transformed underused curbside areas into lively public spaces along a major commercial corridor. Three spaces opened in summer 2025, drawing over 2,500 residents across 166 events, from live music to fitness classes. The city plans to expand the initiative to more locations in 2026 with our guidance.

New public spaces open in downtown Ottawa to support revitalization efforts.

We helped Ottawa open three new vibrant public spaces in summer 2025 as part of efforts to revitalize its downtown. Credit: Capital Content for the Centretown BIA

Streets near schools in Milan transform into safe play spaces for families through the Play Places initiative.

As part of our work with Milan to improve pedestrian safety and urban livability, we supported the launch of Play Places, which temporarily transforms streets near schools into safe play spaces for families.

Milan, Italy

Our engagement in Milan concluded in 2025, after working to complete 78 projects since 2018 focused on driving economic growth, sustainability, and quality of life, and assisting with the goal of ensuring all residents live within a 15-minute walk or bike ride to essential daily services. In preparation for the 2026 Winter Olympics, we helped the city revitalize public spaces and promote active mobility, building on its Piazza Aperte program, which has converted over 100,000 square feet of city streets into vibrant, pedestrian-friendly plazas.

Client City Spotlights

Newark launches a tree-planting campaign with federal funding and support from Bloomberg Associates.

Newark secured federal funding to launch a new tree-planting campaign in 2025 with Bloomberg Associates‘ support.

Newark, New Jersey

Over the past several years, we have helped Newark accomplish several priorities. Most recently, we helped the city establish its first-ever Office of Film and Television to expand film production across the city. As a result, Lionsgate and Great Point Studios invested $125 million in a 270,000-square-foot production complex. We also helped the city secure a $750,000 grant to launch a training program that will create new career pathways into the film industry for residents.

A design guide supports sustainable, responsive development along the Rio Salado in Phoenix.

Our team helped to create a design guide to inform sustainable, responsive development along the Rio Salado, which runs through Phoenix.

Phoenix, Arizona

We are supporting the city of Phoenix to transform a former department store building into a state-of-the-art workforce training and education center. The center will expand local access to quality jobs and training in industries spanning bioscience, healthcare, and information technology, and serve as a catalyst for investment in one of Phoenix’s most underserved corridors. Our team is also addressing the growing threat of extreme heat in Phoenix, helping to guide efforts to plant 27,000 trees and create 500 shade structures.

London tests a one-day pilot closing Oxford Street to vehicle traffic with support from Bloomberg Associates.

Bloomberg Associates helped London plan a one-day pilot that closed Oxford Street to vehicle traffic in September 2025.

London, United Kingdom

Bloomberg Associates has long worked with London to accomplish a number of priorities, from strengthening the city’s digital services and data infrastructure, to building a comprehensive plan to address homelessness, to connecting 100,000 young Londoners to high-quality mentorship opportunities. In 2025, we helped develop a long-term plan to make Oxford Street – one of London’s busiest and most iconic corridors – more pedestrian friendly, as part of efforts to drive economic growth while reducing harmful air pollution from vehicles.

Westminster, United Kingdom

Bloomberg Associates has worked with Westminster City Council to launch a network of primary, nursery, and special schools that now serve over 3,000 students each year. In addition to our continued support to revitalize a key retail corridor on Harrow Road, in 2025 we helped to develop a new data-driven plan to ensure Westminster’s markets are among the most vibrant and well-managed in the city.

Guadalajara, Mexico

Guadalajara is Bloomberg Associates’ newest client city. We are engaged in its Care Communities initiative, which aims to launch one-stop neighborhood centers that connect residents to health, social, and employment services. We are also guiding the city’s first-ever full count of its homeless population, helping officials collect data to guide effective interventions. And in preparation for Guadalajara hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, we are leading work to revitalize major spaces to enhance safety, accessibility, and visitor experience.

Residents in Bratislava recycle yard waste into mulch for city parks during the annual Mulchfest.

We helped Bratislava organize the third annual Mulchfest, which engaged residents to recycle yard waste into garden mulch for city parks.

Bratislava, Slovakia

Bloomberg Associates helped Bratislava launch its Mayor’s Climate Challenge, which brought together major employers and helped to reduce energy use across commercial buildings by nearly 10 percent in 2025, lowering emissions and reducing operating costs. With our support, Bratislava also completed its most ambitious street redesign in decades, adding protected bike lanes, wider sidewalks, and new public space to address safety and traffic concerns.

Bloomberg Associates supports shop owners in Lisbon’s historic center.

Bloomberg Associates is working with Lisbon to support shop owners in the city’s historic center.

Lisbon, Portugal

In 2025, Bloomberg Associates supported the city in developing its long-term economic development strategy, which focuses on creating vibrant commercial districts, strengthening local businesses, and building new partnerships. We also helped create the Lisbon Economic Dashboard, a new public platform that centralizes city-level information on business activity, employment, real estate, tourism, and more.

New public spaces open in downtown Ottawa to support revitalization efforts.

We helped Ottawa open three new vibrant public spaces in summer 2025 as part of efforts to revitalize its downtown.

Ottawa, Canada

Since 2024, Bloomberg Associates has worked with Ottawa on several projects, including helping to design and launch its new Street Seats program, which transformed underused curbside areas into lively public spaces along a major commercial corridor. Three spaces opened in summer 2025, drawing over 2,500 residents across 166 events, from live music to fitness classes. The city plans to expand the initiative to more locations in 2026 with our guidance.

Streets near schools in Milan transform into safe play spaces for families through the Play Places initiative.

As part of our work with Milan to improve pedestrian safety and urban livability, we supported the launch of Play Places, which temporarily transforms streets near schools into safe play spaces for families.

Milan, Italy

Our engagement in Milan concluded in 2025, after working to complete 78 projects since 2018 focused on driving economic growth, sustainability, and quality of life, and assisting with the goal of ensuring all residents live within a 15-minute walk or bike ride to essential daily services. In preparation for the 2026 Winter Olympics, we helped the city revitalize public spaces and promote active mobility, building on its Piazza Aperte program, which has converted over 100,000 square feet of city streets into vibrant, pedestrian-friendly plazas.

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