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Under the guidance of City Manager Rick Cole, Santa Monica, California has redefined what it means to look out for residents’ health and welfare. Through its Wellbeing Project, a 2013 Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge winner, the city has created a Wellbeing Index that not only provides a baseline understanding of all it takes for people to thrive, it also helps the city measure its residents’ wellbeing and apply that insight to city plans and policies.

Cities will be the main stage where this AV revolution plays out. Inexpensive, efficient, and flexible mobility made possible by AVs could transform urban economies, restructure the shape of neighborhoods and regions, and change the way cities respond to complex challenges, from aging populations to economic disenfranchisement. The impacts could be as far-reaching as those fostered by the automobile a century ago.

Santiago is already tackling this health issue head-on. The city created the Juntos Santiago program as part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Mayors Challenge in 2016. As one of the Challenge’s four $1 million prize winners, Santiago Mayor Felipe Alessandri is developing a neighborhood-level competition in which “teams” of 10- to 12-year-olds will be encouraged to choose healthier food options and to exercise more.

By Global Cities, Inc., a program of Bloomberg Philanthropies

Our Global Scholars program offers educators a constructive approach to counter recent trends of xenophobia and intolerance. Using digital technology, students interact across different cultures, gaining an appreciation for diversity and curiosity about the world at an early age. In this effort, we have found common ground with Out of Eden Learn, developed by Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Global Cities, Inc. has committed $250,000 to Out of Eden Learn’s online learning community that fosters thoughtful cross-cultural inquiry and exchange.

Through strategic partnerships with the world’s leading health organizations like the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (also known as the CDC), Bloomberg Philanthropies is working to improve the lives of people around the globe by analyzing public health data and working with partners to implement strong policies preventing these deaths.

In this episode, we’ll hear from Dr. Tom Frieden, former Director of the CDC and Former New York City Health Commissioner and Allison Jaffin of Bloomberg Philanthropies as they discuss the importance of organizations like the CDC and how progress is possible when it comes to the prevention of NCDs.

Stephanie Miner is serious about finding inventive ways to tackle the challenges her city faces. In her two terms as mayor of Syracuse, New York, her bold leadership has helped the city gain the upper hand on its 500 miles of centuries-old water infrastructure. Through a partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Innovation Teams (i-teams) program, Syracuse has analyzed data from as far back as the 1800s to predict water-main failures and, with that insight, preemptively – and more efficiently – fix rapidly failing pipes. By using a new approach, Syracuse has experienced an 18 percent decline in water-main breaks and is saving more than $430,000 in annual repairs.

By Jessica Leighton, Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Health team

In recognition of World Malaria Day, today we highlight Mike Bloomberg’s commitment to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Malaria Research Institute for its innovations in understanding, preventing and controlling malaria.

In the seven years since he took office, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu has proven the power of bold leadership, including an 18 percent drop in the murder rate, 16 percent decrease in unemployment among working-age African-American men, and numerous public-private partnerships that extended prosperity to new corners of the city. His city was also selected as one of five in the first cohort of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Innovation Teams program and is currently participating in What Works Cities.

The Department of Health recently announced good news coming out of the Philippines – there are at least 1 million fewer smokers. Data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) revealed that between 2009 and 2015 smoking declined from 29.7 percent to 23.8 percent.

Rolled out last November, “CapeConnect” allows residents to identify a specific piece of road – either by parcel, street or cross streets – that need immediate attention from city crews. Cape Coral officials outlined their initial success with the app at the second annual What Works Cities Summit in New York City on March 27-28. Residents can also call an information hotline in addition to using the app.