Bloomberg Philanthropies launches its largest Mayors Challenge ever to inspire city leaders globally

AP Business Writer

To support more innovative ideas from cities around the world, Michael R. Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City and founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies, Wednesday announced the largest Mayors Challenge ever. The expanded initiative will provide 50 cities with $50,000 and an invitation to Ideas Camp so the city leaders can hone and test their ideas. The 25 cities with the best ideas will then receive $1 million and the technical support needed to enact them.  The most successful of those ideas may go into the new Bloomberg Cities Ideas Exchange program, where municipal leaders share what has worked and what hasn’t, so other cities can replicate those ideas.