NYC's Bloomberg Launches European City Contest
NEW YORK September 24, 2013 (AP)
By JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is offering European cities millions of dollars to be government groundbreakers, tapping his personal fortune to extend his cities-as-civic-laboratories campaign overseas as the end of his own tenure nears.
The billionaire businessman-turned-politician invited about 600 sizeable European cities Tuesday to compete for 9 million euros — about $12 million — in prizes, from his personal foundation, for novel plans to improve urban life.
The competition could signal how Bloomberg aims to maintain and broaden his impact on government after his 12-year tenure ends in December.
"I am a big believer in the power of cities to shape the future," Bloomberg said in a statement to The Associated Press ahead of a news conference at London City Hall. He said the contest would spotlight "bold ideas which can take root in Europe and spread around the world."
Modeled on a Bloomberg Philanthropies contest that awarded $9 million to five U.S. cities this year, the European competition seeks ideas that solve problems or make government more efficient or citizen-friendly.
It's open to cities with 100,000 or more residents in 40 countries. Winners of a 5 million euro grand prize and four 1 million euro awards will be announced next fall.
In the recent U.S. version of the Mayors Challenge, the $5 million top prize went in March to Providence, R.I. Its project aims to improve poor children's vocabulary by outfitting them with recording devices if their parents agree to it, counting the words the children hear and coaching parents.
Providence officials say they hope to start working with families in January. White House officials are watching with interest, said Tom Kalil, a technology adviser to President Barack Obama.
紐約市市長(原來就是富豪)有個多元計畫競賽,他邀請了歐洲很多都市與美國都市比賽,如何改善都市生活, 如何增進,官員們的工作效率與市民的友善. 獎金是9百萬歐元(真的很多元,也很多種計畫) 第一像是如何改進清寒兒童的字彙.獎金是5百萬美元. (真得事有錢好辦事!) 聯白宮都很有興趣, 派任專注這計畫 !
留言列表
