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February 22, 2008 –
Washington, D.C. – Addressing World
Bank Employees at a well attended Urban Sector
Day forum, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New
York City praised cities’ “uncanny ability to
overcome daunting challenges time after time.”
In the face of explosive urban growth, with most
of this occurring in developing country cities,
cities face major economic, social, and
environmental challenges that can make or mar
successful city governance. New York City is
adjudged one of the most successful cities in
the world. In his address titled, “Building
Better Cities: New York’s Experience in Urban
Transformation” Mayor Bloomberg shares his
city’s experience as an example of how cities
can overcome these challenges. |
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Mayor Bloomberg at the World Bank
Courtesy: Frank R. Vincent / World Bank
General Services Dept. |
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After 9/11 and the terrible incidents thereafter, he
said that many people believed that New York’s “days
of greatness were numbered.” There were predictions
of job flight, residents moving away, crime rate
jumping to new heights, the city economy would never
recover; and that the great city of New York was on
an “irreversible downward spiral of decline.”
The reality however, is that New York has proved the
exact opposite of these predictions. While there was
no one royal road to this success Mayor Bloomberg
identified four universal values to building better
cities that can be replicated in other parts of the
world: (i) Harnessing the forces of immigration and
globalization, (ii) Tapping the “power of
innovation,” (iii) Instituting accountable
governance, and (iv), Strong political will and
independence to take on ‘entrenched interests’ when
they stand in the way of progress.
Bloomberg praised the impact of immigrants on his
city, where some 3 million residents - 37 percent of
the population - are foreign-born. "Their ambition,
hard work, and entrepreneurial drive continue to
bring dynamic new life to our economy and a fresh
new spirit to our city," Bloomberg said. "New
Yorkers understand that. Even after 9/11, when it
would have been understandable for us to become
fearful about the rest of the world, we have
continued to welcome immigrants at a history-making
pace. And they have more than repaid us."
Globalisation also played a major role in reviving
New York’s economy. Cities that hope to succeed
cannot close their doors to the world’s workers.
Cites must also foster a spirit of innovation in
their planning. New York, he said, is using
innovative conditional cash transfers (CCT) to help
some of its poorest citizens climb out of poverty.
Under CCT's the poor get direct cash if they meet
certain education and health benchmarks.
In terms of climate change concerns the mayor said
New York, along with more than 700 American cities,
was taking an innovative approach to slow climate
change by pledging to meet the carbon-reduction
standards of the Kyoto protocol - in contrast to the
U.S. government policy. "Increasingly we're working
in concert with one another, and adopting one
another's best practices in areas ranging from
'greening' our streets to cleaning our air."
Accurate and transparent data collection is key to
accountable city governance. New York City,
Bloomberg said, holds the title of ‘America’s safest
big city’ because they have been mapping crime
trends and then sending police officers to where the
crime is specifically based. Many would say that
more money is the solution to any problem, but, it
is possible to do more with less.
Political independence in city administration with
an eye on the merits of the decisions made than on
political expediency has allowed the city to take on
vested interests, and to “let the chips fall where
they may.” Mayor Bloomberg cited the example of the
ban on smoking he instituted in the city to
illustrate this. His administration raised cigarette
taxes, undertook public information campaigns,
increased smoking cessation programs, and outlawed
smoking in all public places. This has really paid
off by the results they’ve seen with reduced smoking
and better health for New York City’s citizens.
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Left to right: Kathy Sierra, Mayor
Bloomberg and Graeme Wheeler with
the carbon offset certificate
presented to the mayor.
Courtesy: Frank R. Vincent / World
Bank General Services Department |
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The Mayor was introduced by World Bank President,
Robert Zoellick via a TV satellite link from London,
where Zoellick was in meetings. Praising Bloomberg
for his "commitment to public service," Zoellick
recalled that the World Bank has had a relationship
with him going back to 1986, when its Treasury
purchased Bloomberg Terminals, the computers with
which Bloomberg built his financial media business
before being elected Mayor of New York City.
"They contributed tremendously to market efficiency,
breaking the near monopoly that the dealers had -
not only in information but analytics," Zoellick
said.
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After Bloomberg spoke and answered questions from
the audience, Katherine Sierra, Vice President of
Sustainable Development at the Bank, and Graeme
Wheeler, Managing Director at the Bank, presented
Bloomberg with a framed certificate attesting that
the World Bank had purchased one tonne of CO2
through the Scolel Té Project in Chiapas, Mexico, to
offset the Mayor's trip to Washington.
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