John,

One year ago, our Global Mayors Challenge called on cities to share their most innovative solutions to big challenges -- so that we could find and elevate ideas that were not only improving lives in one city, but had the potential to be replicated in cities around the world.

The entries poured in, with creative ideas to address economic recovery and inclusive growth; health and wellbeing; climate and environment; gender and equality, and more.

Out of 631 total submissions, coming from 99 countries around the world, we identified 50 Champion Cities, who spent months working with residents and experts to rigorously test and refine their projects.

Today, we announced the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Mayors Challenge winners: 15 of the most promising urban innovations to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch a short video about the winners, and check our their solutions below:

AMMAN, JORDAN Map available public assets and service infrastructure to improve the city's emergency response and infrastructure investments		BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA Create "care blocks" that support female caretakers, shift more of the care burden to men, and shift more unpaid care work to paid care work
BUTUAN, PHILIPPINES Strengthen local food production by empowering farmers to make smarter decisions through a new agri-business model		FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE Create a vibrant new digital marketplace supporting tree maintenance and the urban canopy using digital technologies
HERMOSILLO, MEXICO Create eco-friendly employment opportunities that benefit both the environment and underemployed women		ISTANBUL, TURKEY Foster city-wide mutual aid through a program that crowdsources contributions to meet basic needs for those in need
KIGALI, RWANDA Introduce a smart-waste system that improves sanitation and water quality in the city		KUMASI, GHANA Address waste-management and youth unemployment crises by training young people to install toilets
PATERSON, NJ, USA Respond to Opioid Use Disorder by fulfilling requests for lifesaving medication within 90 minutes through a coordinated effort among police, first responders, hospitals, and pharmacies		PHOENIX, AZ, USA Combat rising unemployment -- especially among people lacking Internet access -- by creating mobile units that provide job seekers access to resources, training, and opportunities
ROCHESTER, MN, USA Bring more women of color into high paying construction jobs by coordinating with contractors and facilitating trainings		ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS Use digital tokens to create incentives for local businesses to hire vulnerable residents
ROURKELA, INDIA Provide cold-storage units to women co-ops to empower female food vendors, reduce food waste, and increase access to fresh foods		VILNIUS, LITHUANIA Take lessons learned during Covid to create more resilient K-12 education models, especially those that tap the "city as a classroom"

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND
Create a "virtual twin" of the city that helps residents to better understand climate change impacts, promoting resident action

"Cities can implement innovative ideas at a pace that national governments simply can't match," said Mike when announcing the winners. "Our 15 winners offer bold, achievable plans to improve health, reduce unemployment, empower women, and more. Collectively, they have the potential to improve millions of their residents' lives -- and the most successful solutions will inspire cities around the world to embrace them."

Learn more about the 15 Mayors Challenge winners, and the vital role cities play in bringing forth solutions to our greatest global challenges:

https://bloombergcities.jhu.edu/mayors-challenge

Thanks,

Bloomberg Philanthropies