Strengthening U.S. Cities with Management Training for Small and Midsized Cultural Organizations
October 23, 2019
Q&A with Ethan Joseph, Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts Team Member
Small and midsized cultural organizations are essential to the vibrancy of U.S. cities, but there are very few training programs specifically for the leaders of these institutions, which range from museums and community arts centers, to ensembles and interdisciplinary festivals. These institutions provide access to diverse and enriching cultural experiences, arts-related social services, and support for creatives to develop skills and innovate. They also face unique management challenges – and opportunities.
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Follow the Data Podcast: Protect Kids: Fight Flavored E-Cigarettes
October 21, 2019
On September 10th, 2019, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the creation of a new $160 million initiative to end the youth e-cigarette epidemic. The three-year program, called Protect Kids, is led by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which will partner with other leading organizations including parent and community groups concerned about the nation’s kids and health.
Dr. Kelly Henning, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Health program lead, spoke to Matt Myers, President of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, about the initiative, including the need to hold the federal government accountable for it’s stated intentions to ban flavored e-cigarettes.
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Global Health Checkup: A New Era for Tobacco Control in Mexico
October 16, 2019
By Dr. Kelly Henning, Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Health program lead
In 2008, Mexico City became the largest city in the world to adopt a 100% smoke-free law, setting a tremendous global precedent for tobacco control policies. In 2011, with support from our partners, the federal government increased tobacco taxes to further protect the city’s most vulnerable communities.
However, progress since then has slowed down, in part, because of political barriers. Over 51,000 people die each year in Mexico from tobacco related illnesses. Approximately 15 million adults still smoke tobacco, including 27% of men. Nearly 700,000 adolescents (age 12-17) smoke as well, comprising 5% of the smoking population.
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Follow the Data Podcast: Census Series — The Bureau
October 7, 2019
Follow the Data’s Census Series has covered the “Who, What, When, Where, Why” and featured a case study on how one city, Detroit, Michigan, is preparing for the 2020 census.
In the final episode of the series we learn more about the federal agency that manages the decennial census, among other things. Terri Ann Lowenthal, former staff director for the House of Representatives Census Oversight Subcommittee, speaks to Bloomberg Associates’ Municipal Integrity Principal, Rose Gill Hearn, about how the Census Bureau has evolved to prepare for the first “digital count,” about the agency’s commitment to confidentiality and the efforts made to achieve full census participation.
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Follow the Data Podcast: My Brother’s Keeper: Impact in Houston, Texas
September 9, 2019
In today’s episode, we revisit a conversation about tackling persistent problems facing boys and young men of color.
Bloomberg Associates – the international, philanthropic consulting arm of Bloomberg Philanthropies tailored for city government—works with the city of Houston, Texas on My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) initiatives. MBK aims to address opportunity gaps for boys and young men of color, offering new support from cradle to career through young adulthood.
Last fall, Niiobli Armah IV of Bloomberg Associates’ Social Services team spoke to both the Mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner and Asa Singleton, an MBK program participant. The Mayor discussed inter-departmental collaboration, his personal experience with the MBK program, and long-term impact. Asa describes how he got involved with MBK, advice for others, and the opportunities he hopes to explore in the future.
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Explainer: What is prototyping?
August 28, 2019
Whether it’s the car you drive or the smartphone in your pocket, most of the products and services you use today went through many rounds of prototyping, testing, and iterative development before they made it to market.
And while that’s not always been true for the things local governments produce, that’s beginning to change.
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Follow the Data Podcast: An American Problem with an American Solution
August 27, 2019
To support efforts to educate policy makers, the public, and media about the consequences of gun violence — and to promote efforts to keep guns out of the hands of people with dangerous histories — New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino founded Mayors Against Illegal Guns in 2006. The original coalition of 15 mayors quickly grew to 855 mayors by 2014.
That same year, in an effort to combat the National Rifle Association (NRA), Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action — a grassroots network of moms with chapters in all 50 states — joined forces to create Everytown for Gun Safety. Today, Everytown has more than 5 million supporters across America.
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Follow the Data Podcast: Everybody eats – obesity prevention in three nations
August 12, 2019
Nearly every nation is experiencing rising rates of overweight and obesity and no country has successfully reversed these trends. This poses a serious threat to people’s health and wellbeing; the significant healthcare costs associated with treating obesity and related conditions, such as diabetes heart disease and certain cancers, have the potential to undermine economic development across the globe.
A major cause of the obesity epidemic is easy access to unhealthy, ultra-processed foods and beverages that are inexpensive and marketed heavily—especially to children. We need leaders who can stand up to the food and beverage industry and fight for communities where healthy foods are the norm, not the exception.
Dr. Neena Prasad of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Health team spoke with three public health experts who are doing just that: Paula Johns, Director of ACT Health Promotion in Brazil; Professor Karen Hofman, Director of Priceless South Africa; and Deborah Chen, Executive Director of the Heart Foundation of Jamaica. They describe the food environments in their countries and highlight some of the successes and challenges of their work.
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What every data-driven mayor needs
August 7, 2019
By Beth Blauer, Executive Director, Johns Hopkins University Centers for Civic Impact
On a visit to Louisville a couple of years ago, I overheard a very brief conversation between Mayor Greg Fischer and a city employee. It’s left a big imprint on the work I do helping city governments bring data into their decision-making processes.
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Follow the Data Podcast: Times Square – The World’s Plaza
July 29, 2019
This spring, officials celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Broadway pedestrian plaza in Times Square. Before 2009, Times Square was mainly reserved for cars — offering little to no pedestrian space. The streets and sidewalks were infamous for being cluttered and congested by traffic.
Today, Broadway through Times Square is a lively pedestrianized plaza, with space for people to walk, sit, eat and soak in the city. Our guests today, Janette Sadik-Khan and Andy Wiley-Schwartz have special insight into the transformation of the iconic street into a plaza.
Formerly the Commissioner of New York City’s Department of Transportation under Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Janette now leads the transportation team at Bloomberg Associates. Andy served as Assistant Commissioner for Public Space in New York, joining the Bloomberg Associates team after leaving city hall. They take their expertise from working in New York to other cities, like Milan, Bogotá, Athens and Detroit.
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