In the news

A quick look at news stories this week featuring Bloomberg Cities’ programs and partners.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Los Angeles Times, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg brought to bear the need for locally elected leaders to tackle difficult problems. “Cities are where people can express themselves to government. You got to remember a mayor and the local city council are much closer to the public than the governor and the state legislature, or the president and the federal legislature. So, if the public is in favor of something, the local officials know it and they get held responsible even if it really isn’t fair to hold them responsible,” said Bloomberg. (Los Angeles Times)

“Innovation is good for conservatives and liberals. [We’re] trying to do more good with less money. We’re not making government bigger, but making it stronger,” said Jorrit de Jong, Lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and faculty director of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. A program started after a $32 million gift from Michael Bloomberg, the initiative looks to foster innovation in cities and improve performance at City Hall by training mayors and their administrators. (Harvard Gazette)

From coast to coast, What Works Cities had a big data week. Las Vegas, Little Rock, Ark., Providence, R.I., and Syracuse, N.Y., all participating members of the Bloomberg Philanthropies program, show how using data can improve the residents’ life and governance in cities. (Medium)