Two NZ finalists in 2021 Global Mayors Challenge

Two of New Zealand’s largest cities are finalists in Bloomberg Philanthropies 2021 Global Mayors Challenge, which recognises bold urban innovations. Wellington and Auckland are among 50 cities selected from 631 applicants.

This year’s challenge focuses on elevating the most important innovations generated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Finalists were chosen based on four criteria: vision, potential for impact, feasibility, and transferability.

Wellington is one of 50 international cities which are finalists in Bloomberg Philanthropies 2021 Global Mayors Challenge.

Wellington’s entry is the Wellington City Digital Twin Project (DTP), which uses a digital cities twin tool that utilises advanced gaming technology to create large scale city visualisations comprising integrated and real time data. 

“This platform will lead to enhanced public, agency and stakeholder collaboration, and co-designing of Wellington, aspiring carbon-zero capital of New Zealand,” said Wellington Mayor Andy Foster. 

“This is a huge opportunity for the city to showcase the Wellington tech sector’s leadership and our appetite to attack the real problems of climate change head on. DTP is one of our great assets and this is a chance to make it a tool for climate action.” 

The entry from Auckland Council will see the development of a carbon portal and dashboard to measure the carbon footprint of infrastructure programmes and show where carbon outputs can be reduced through design, material selection and construction processes.

Auckland is the other NZ city making the finals in the challenge.

Mayor Phil Goff said he was pleased that Auckland Council’s submission has received global recognition.

“Auckland Council’s 10-year Budget 2021-31 allocates $32 billion into critical infrastructure to stimulate economic growth and support our COVID-19 economic recovery,” he says.

“With construction accounting for around 11 per cent of carbon emissions, it’s an area where we need to see greater innovation if we are to meet our goal of halving emissions by 2030.

As a Mayors Challenge finalist, both cities now advance to the four-month Champion Phase of the competition. From June through October, the 50 finalist cities will refine their ideas with technical assistance from Bloomberg Philanthropies and its network of leading innovation experts.

Fifteen of the 50 cities will ultimately win the grand prize, with each receiving $1 million and robust multi-year technical assistance to implement and scale their ideas. Grand Prize Winners will be announced in early 2022.

The winning cities will be announced early 2022.

Announcing the finalists, Bloomberg says the ideas put forward provide a “powerful snapshot of the innovation priorities” of the world’s cities. 

“These 50 finalists are showing the world that, in the face of the pandemic’s enormous challenges, cities are rising to meet them with bold, innovative and ambitious ideas,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, and 108th mayor of New York city.

“By helping these cities test their ideas over the coming months, we will have a chance to identify cutting-edge policies and programmes that can allow cities to rebuild in ways that make them stronger and healthier, and more equal and just.”