Building on Mike’s experience in New York’s City Hall and his belief that cities can make extraordinary progress on global challenges, Bloomberg Philanthropies focuses on local action to create an impact in communities across the world.

The best city leaders are uniquely positioned to tackle some of the most pressing issues their residents face. They tend to be problem-solvers, innovators, and pragmatists, because the people they represent expect nothing less. The Bloomberg American Cities Initiative is Bloomberg Philanthropies’ effort to support them across the U.S.

Each of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ areas of focus contributes to this work in cities across the country. Three challenges – the Mayors Challenge, Public Art Challenge, and Climate Challenge – support local leadership and encourage bold ideas in government policy, public art, and sustainability to improve the quality of life for residents. The Bloomberg American Health Initiative and the Partnership for Healthy Cities drive vital policy changes to address public health threats like opioid overdoses and obesity. The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative provides world-class management training from Harvard’s top professors and yearlong coaching and technical support to help mayors and their teams take on their toughest challenges. These programs, and many more, help cities to continue driving progress on critical issues across America.

As part of this unprecedented effort, Bloomberg Philanthropies published the 2018 American Mayors Survey, the largest comprehensive survey of mayors and city managers ever done. Among other key findings, it shed light on how cities across the country are responding to the opioid epidemic and climate change. The results of the survey are now informing efforts to promote bold leadership in America’s cities, advance policies and legislation, and empower residents to solve urban problems.

“Cities are driving our progress as a nation – from taking on education reform and public health crises to spurring economic development and job growth to battling crime and climate change.”
Mike Bloomberg