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City Mayors Foundation


Brazil’s city minister resigns
over corruption allegations

News (Brazil):
Brazil’s Minister of Cities resigned yesterday amid allegations of corruption. Mario Negromonte, who held the office since Dilma Rousseff succeeded Lula da Silva as president, is a member of the Progressive Party, which is allied to the country’s ruling Workers’ Party. Negromonte is accused of awarding public work contracts to companies that had financed his party. In a statement he denied all accusations. More
Decline of segregation has not led
to a more equal society in the US

News (USA):
Segregation of African Americans in US urban neighbourhoods has declined to its lowest level for more than a century, says a report published this week by the Manhattan Institute. The study’s authors wrote that the most standard segregation measure showed that American cities were now more integrated than they had been since 1910. But the decline in physical segregation has not led to a more equal society. More


Dianne Watts
Mayor of Surrey
Mayor of the Month: Dianne Watts has been mayor of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada since 2005. She has won election three times. In November 2011 she secured a third term with 81 per cent of the votes.
Dianne Watts was an architectural consultant before she was elected to the City Council in 1997. When first elected as mayor in 2005 she became the first woman to hold the post in Surrey. Her vote and her majority have increased at each election. In 2008 she had a majority of 43,000 votes. In 2011 it was over 48,000. More


Latin American cities are the
most dangerous in the world
Security: Latin America's cities are the most dangerous in the world, with certain cities - especially Honduran and Mexican ones - leading the list of world cities with most murders. San Pedro Sula, a city of some 720,000 people in northern Honduras is thought to be the most dangerous city in the world with 160 murders per 100,000 inhabitants per annum. The murder rate in Ciudad Juárez, on the Mexican-US, border is estimated at 148. New Orleans, with a murder rate of 58, is the world’s most murderous city outside Latin America. More

London 2012 elections:
Issues and candidates

Politics: The fourth set of elections for the Mayor of London and London Assembly since 2000 will take place on 3 May 2012. All three main candidates from the 2008 race are standing again in 2012. Since the 2008 elections, the London mayor has acquired significant new powers, particularly over policing. Voting for the mayor takes place under the preferential Supplementary Vote system. City Mayors takes a look at the race and the declared candidates. More

Czech municipal government
and mayors of largest cities

Government: In the Czech Republic members of municipal councils are directly elected using a proportional electoral system. Every citizen of the Czech Republic over eighteen years of age has the right to vote and to run for municipal office. The term of a municipal council is four years. Mayors are elected by and responsible to their councils. More

Britain’s rural community rail projects
increasingly popular with passengers

Transport: Whilst mainland Europe leads on local and regional government commissioning of rail services, the UK leads on community engagement. In the last decade close to 30 community rail partnerships have been established across the less well-served areas of the country and 18 of these are now backed by designation within the Government’s 2005 community rail strategy. More

Black barbershops offer
health care in US cities

Health: In cities across the United States, African-American barbers are receiving accolades, not for cutting hair, but for improving health outcomes for African-American men. Their barbershops are functioning as informal health clinics and challenging American notions about how health care is delivered. More

Songs written for
American cities

Culture: It is said there is a song for every city in America. While some songs never got much further than the city limits others became international hits. Gerard Kenny’s 1978 ode to his hometown ‘New York, New York - So Good They Named It Twice’ spelled the re-birth of America’s largest metropolis after it almost went bankrupt in 1975 and one year after a city-wide blackout shut it down for 25 hours. The song ‘If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair’ sung by Scott McKenzie in 1967 became the anthem for the worldwide flower power movement. More

Confronting organized crime and
urban violence in Latin America

Security: Public safety is increasingly determined by crime and security in urban spaces. How the public safety problem in urban spaces is dealt with in the 21st century as urbanization intensifies will determine citizens’ perceptions of the accountability and effectiveness of the state in upholding the social contract between the citizens and the state. Major cities of the world and the provision of security and order within them, will increasingly play a major role in the 21st century distribution of global power. More

The most expensive cities in
the world, Asia and Europe

Economics: Tokyo remains the most expensive city in the world according to new research by human resources consultants ECA International. Oslo is ranked second, while Karachi is said to be the least expensive city. The Swiss cities of Zurich and Geneva occupy places three and five in the ranking. The top four costliest cities in Asia are all Japanese, with the Korean capital Seoul placed fifth. In Europe, Norwegian and Swiss cities are to be avoided by the budget conscious. Intro | World table | Asia table | Europe table |

German-speaking cities occupy
top places in best-cities survey

Environtment: Vienna has again been named as the ‘best’ city in the world, with the Austrian capital’s perennial Swiss rival, Zurich, in second place. Auckland, Munich and Düsseldorf complete the top five. Overall, German-speaking cities occupy six places in the top ten in this year’s Quality of Living Survey by Mercer Consulting. More

Mayor Monitor
Praise. Criticise. Write.

Mayor Monitor: How mayors dealt with the Occupy movment dominates the latest comments received by Mayor Monitor: Robert Doyle's attack on the Occupy Melbourne protest was one of the worst things I have ever witnessed. • Mayor Johnson's response to Occupy London has shown that when he says he cares about Londoners he means his City of London chums • NYC Mayor Bloomberg sat by and let what once was a pleasant downtown park be occupied by smelly idiot protestors • Portland Mayor Adams created and implemented a plan for Occupy Portland that deflected any violence and confrontations with law enforcment. Write

Reunification with mainland China
has not hurt the Hong Kong brand

City branding: The reunification of the former British colony and the Chinese mainland in 1997 was seen by some as the death knell for the investment hub as a global city. Yet careful branding and a robust economic offer underpinned by legal and political stability have seen Hong Kong prosper in its declared aim to be ‘Asia’s world city’, rivalled only by Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. The city also serves as an exemplar in smart city growth and urban living, with high standards of design and an educated workforce. More

Discipline and civil rights
in American state schools

Education: Discipline may be necessary for ensuring responsible student behavior, but “the application of discipline is unfair and unequal” in American state schools. Moreover, many student disciplinary practices employed by local state school systems may result in violations of US Civil Rights Law. Those are the findings of Discipline Policies, Successful Schools, and Racial Justice, a report by Dan Losen of The Civil Rights Project of the University of California at Los Angeles. More

The participation of citizens
in German local government

Government: For historical and constitutional reasons, the organisation of the local community in Germany is first and foremost the domain of local people. Through political and civic engagement of citizens in their community, municipalities embody the living, breathing foundation of the state. The local polity has at its core a system of representative democracy, which traditionally forms the main area of political participation. More

The most expensive and
richest cities in the world

Economics: Oslo, Zurich, Geneva, Copenhagen, Stockhom, Tokyo and Sydney have emerged as the world's most expensive cities based on a standardised basket of 122 goods and services surveyed by UBS. The basket costs the least in Delhi, Manila and Mumbai. People in Zurich, Geneva and Copenhagen earn the most in the world, while the highest purchasing power is enjoyed in Zurich, Sydney and Luxembourg. More


London 2012 elections:
Issues and candidates

Politics: The fourth set of elections for the Mayor of London and London Assembly since 2000 will take place on 3 May 2012. All three main candidates from the 2008 race are standing again in 2012. Since the 2008 elections, the London mayor has acquired significant new powers, particularly over policing. Voting for the mayor takes place under the preferential Supplementary Vote system. City Mayors takes a look at the race and the declared candidates. More


American abortion debate characterizes the
relationship between city, state and the Union

Society: Few issues in the United States are more polarizing than abortion - President Obama once called the opposing camps on abortion “irreconcilable” - yet it is difficult to find a mayor of a large American city that is entirely against abortion. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents usually disagree about taxation, policing, housing, social welfare, and other policies. But the right of a woman to choose her own method of reproductive health is something upon which, say, Republican Mayor Jerry Sanders of San Diego, Democratic Mayor Vincent Gray of Washington, DC, and Independent Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City all agree. More


The most expensive cities in
the world, Asia and Europe

Economics: Tokyo remains the most expensive city in the world according to new research by human resources consultants ECA International. Oslo is ranked second, while Karachi is said to be the least expensive city. The Swiss cities of Zurich and Geneva occupy places three and five in the ranking. The top four costliest cities in Asia are all Japanese, with the Korean capital Seoul placed fifth. In Europe, Norwegian and Swiss cities are to be avoided by the budget conscious. Intro | World table | Asia table | Europe table |



Municipal bonds have been issued
by US local government since 1812

Finance: Infrastructure in the US is generally financed through subnational capital financing vehicles, termed municipal bonds, which encompass the issuance of bonds by state and local governments, their agencies and quasi-public bodies generically termed special districts. While the term comprises issuers other than municipalities, the first bond of this trail-blazing genre was issued in 1812 by New York City. More


Al Gore says Green energy
needs ‘patient’ investment

Green energy: The second Low Carbon Investment Conference at the end of September 2011 in Edinburgh focussed strongly on offshore wind energy – specifically unlocking investment and cutting the costs of production. This is seen by the Scottish Government as essential to its aim of re-industrialisation through renewable energy. Cutting the costs of offshore wind relative to other sources is imperative if Scotland is to make progress quickly enough to become a manufacturing and exporting country in this growing subset of renewable energy infrastructure and production. More

US cities threatened by storms,
floods, drought and rising seas

Environment: As the US grapples with a record year for storms, drought and weather-related devastation, a new report released by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reveals climate change is leaving American cities open to a range of water-related vulnerabilities – from drought to sea level rise and increased rainfall – regardless of region or size. The report looks at how communities facing these new extremes are trying to protect their water supplies and waterways. More


Gentrification poses a new
dilemma for many US cities

Development: Gentrification has been a characteristic of major American cities like New York and Boston for over a century, but in the past decade it has become part of the growth cycle of smaller cities as well. Minority and working class neighborhoods such as Pittsburgh’s South Side; Northwest Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and East Austin, Texas are being transformed as white and middle-class residents move in. More

London Olympics: The Games will be a success
but doubts over their long-term legacy remain

Development: For seven weeks, from 27 July to 9 September 2012, the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games will take place in London. Since winning the 2005 bid against its competitors Paris, New York and Moscow, while promising that the 30th Olympiad would regenerate London’s East End, a lot has changed in England’s sixth-most deprived district of Newham and the surrounding areas of Stratford. More

World’s most famous slum must
be remodelled not redeveloped

Development: Dharavi is Asia’s largest and the world’s second-largest ‘slum’, made famous by the film Slumdog Millionaire. Maharashtra’s state government now has plans to re-develop large parts of it. City Mayors’ Urban Development Consultant Prakash M Apte describes the plans as perhaps well meaning but certainly misguided. He calls for a remodelling of Dharavi. Prince Charles agrees with him, arguing Dharavi offered a better model than western architecture for housing a booming urban population in the developing world. More


The London brand:
2000 years young

City Branding: London may have long survived on Dr Johnson’s well-worn dictum that “there is all in London that life can afford” but it was iconography, which established it as the world city during the 20th century. As a nexus for world trade at the peak of the British Empire, the city remains pre-eminent as global hub in the 21st century, despite the occasional wobble and dented prominence following its de-industrialisation and struggle to find its place in the world. More

Amsterdam, a brand that appeals
to tourists and business alike

City Branding: Ever since the late sixties / early seventies Amsterdam has been known as the city of ‘sex, drugs and rock-and-roll’. But since these flower power years, a lot has changed. Amsterdam still breathes its liberal and tolerant atmosphere. But there is more. In August 2010 the 17th-centrury Amsterdam Canal District was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List; hence the city is now recognized as an international icon of urban planning and architecture. More


Discipline and civil rights
in American state schools

Education: Discipline may be necessary for ensuring responsible student behavior, but “the application of discipline is unfair and unequal” in American state schools. Moreover, many student disciplinary practices employed by local state school systems may result in violations of US Civil Rights Law. Those are the findings of Discipline Policies, Successful Schools, and Racial Justice, a report by Dan Losen of The Civil Rights Project of the University of California at Los Angeles. More


Black barbershops offer
health care in US cities

Health: In cities across the United States, African-American barbers are receiving accolades, not for cutting hair, but for improving health outcomes for African-American men. Their barbershops are functioning as informal health clinics and challenging American notions about how health care is delivered. More


Czech municipal government
and mayors of largest cities

Government: In the Czech Republic members of municipal councils are directly elected using a proportional electoral system. Every citizen of the Czech Republic over eighteen years of age has the right to vote and to run for municipal office. The term of a municipal council is four years. Mayors are elected by and responsible to their councils. More


The participation of citizens
in German local government

Government: For historical and constitutional reasons, the organisation of the local community in Germany is first and foremost the domain of local people. Through political and civic engagement of citizens in their community, municipalities embody the living, breathing foundation of the state. The local polity has at its core a system of representative democracy, which traditionally forms the main area of political participation. More


Mayors from Europe,
The Americas and Asia

British mayors | Belgian mayors | French mayors | German mayors | Italian mayors | Spanish mayors | Canadian mayors | US mayors | Argentine mayors | Brazilian mayors | Chilean mayors | Mexican mayors | Japanese mayors |


Mayor Monitor
Praise. Criticise. Write.

Mayor Monitor: How mayors dealt with the Occupy movment dominate the latest comments received by Mayor Monitor: Robert Doyle's attack on the Occupy Melbourne protest was one of the worst things I have ever witnessed. • Mayor Johnson's response to Occupy London has shown that when he says he cares about Londoners he means his City of London chums • NYC Mayor Bloomberg sat by and let what once was a pleasant downtown park be occupied by smelly idiot protestors • Portland Mayor Adams created and implemented a plan for Occupy Portland that deflected any violence and confrontations with law enforcment. Write


Latin American cities are the
most dangerous in the world
Security: Latin America's cities are the most dangerous in the world, with certain cities - especially Honduran and Mexican ones - leading the list of world cities with most murders. San Pedro Sula, a city of some 720,000 people in northern Honduras is thought to be the most dangerous city in the world with 160 murders per 100,000 inhabitants per annum. The murder rate in Ciudad Juárez, on the Mexican-US, border is estimated at 148. New Orleans, with a murder rate of 58, is the world’s most murderous city outside Latin America. More

Confronting organized crime and
urban violence in Latin America

Security: Public safety is increasingly determined by crime and security in urban spaces. How the public safety problem in urban spaces is dealt with in the 21st century as urbanization intensifies will determine citizens’ perceptions of the accountability and effectiveness of the state in upholding the social contract between the citizens and the state. Major cities of the world and the provision of security and order within them, will increasingly play a major role in the 21st century distribution of global power. More



British city halls present a wide range
of neo-classical and neo-gothic styles

City Halls: The majority of British city halls of the 19th and early 20th century feature neo-classical and neo-gothic architectural designs. Bolton’s Town Hall is a fine example of 19th century neo-classical architecture, while Southampton’s Civic Centre was designed in a modern, spare classical style. In contrast, Bradford City Hall is an impressive example of Victorian neo-gothic architecture. David Jennings describes their history, features and current use. | Bolton | Southampton | Bradford |


Guangzhou Metro: From nought to
1.2 billion passengers in 20 years

World Metros: In the early 1990’s Guangzhou, China’s third-largest city, was becoming dysfunctional as economic and population growth was matched by pollution and gridlock growth. But the construction of the Guangzhou Metro has made the city one of the most mobility friendly metropolises in the world. More

Britain’s rural community rail projects
increasingly popular with passengers

Transport: Whilst mainland Europe leads on local and regional government commissioning of rail services, the UK leads on community engagement. In the last decade close to 30 community rail partnerships have been established across the less well-served areas of the country and 18 of these are now backed by designation within the Government’s 2005 community rail strategy. More


The largest cities in the
world and their mayors

Statistics: The mayors of the world’s twenty largest cities are each responsible for more people than most national prime ministers. For example, London, ranked 20th in the world, has more residents than nations like Paraguay, Denmark, New Zealand or Ireland, and if Karachi, globally the largest city, was a country it would rank above Greece, Portugal or Hungary. The combined population of the world’s eight megacities comfortably exceeds that of Germany. More


USA Census: Rust-belt
cities are still shrinking

Statistics: Results from the April 2010 census in the USA are being published during March and April 2011. The administrators are under time pressure because the census is used to revise the allocation of seats in the US House of Representatives. After publication of half the data, the key trends are: Overall, the US population is growing by one per cent p.a. The Latino population is spreading across the country. The country is becoming more urban/suburban. The rust-belt cities are still shrinking. More


Urban events, conferences
seminars and conventions

Events (International): City Mayors’ directory of urban events, conferences, seminars and conventions is aimed at city leaders, urban decision makers and those with an interest in cities worldwide. The directory provides specialists with comprehensive lists of events tailored to their areas of interest. More


The unknown violinist
Metro Mensch: In Washington DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, a man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about three minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule. More




The City Mayors Foundation was established in 2003 to promote, encourage and facilitate good, open and strong local government




Brazil’s city minister resigns over corruption allegations


Mayor of the Month for February 2012: Dianne Watts, Surrey, BC, Canada


Decline of segregation has not led to a more equal society in the US


Indian voters not put off by deadly attack during election


Global real estate investors to explore new target cities


Latin American cities are the most dangerous in the world


Best-known US mayors join in support of gay marriage


Japanese communities put on earthquake alert


Urban Britain: Much like a curate's egg


Rare female success in Japan local government


London 2012 elections: Issues and candidates


The majority of Chinese now live in urban areas


Czech municipal government and mayors of largest cities


Nominations are sought for the 2012 World Mayor Prize

World capitals to apply for new domain names



The world's largest cities and their mayors

Mexico City Mayor wins World Mayor Prize

Code of Ethics for mayors

The most expensive and richest cities in the world

Traditional alpha cities challenged by up-and-coming regional centers

Local democracy strengthened by new social media platforms

Al Gore says Green energy needs ‘patient’ investment

Greenhouse gases: Rich cities, not big cities, are main culprits

Historic Cities / Living Cities

Mayors and their political parties

World's top cities

Swiss and German cities dominate ranking of best cities in the world

How good is your Mayor?

New York, London and Paris rank first in a new index of global cities

Local government

Mayors of the world

The world's city halls

Green mega cities

Asia has become home to world's fastest growing cities

21st century cities: Home to new riches and great misery

Urban events, conferences, seminars and conventions

Historic Cities - Living Cities


Mayors from The Americas

Local government in The Americas

US mayors lobby federal government for fully funded transportation policies

Black barbershops offer health care in US cities

Gentrification poses a new dilemma for many US cities

US Census: Latino population spreading across the country

City Halls in The Americas

Wealthy American cities can afford to be greener

Toronto’s Rouge Park to become Canada’s first urban national park

Adding value, not just shrinking is the key to rightsizing cities

North American cities on the internet

The larger the city, the larger the gap between rich and poor

US poverty 2011

Canada slow to build high-speed rail routes

Municipal bonds have been issued by US local government since 1812

Confronting organized crime and urban violence in Latin America

Latin American cities: pioneers of Bus Rapid Transit systems


Mayors from Europe

City Halls in Europe

Local government in Europe

Swiss and German cities dominate top 10 of 'best' cities in the world

London Olympics: The Games will be a success but doubts over their long-term legacy remain

The participation of citizens in German local government

Czech municipal government and mayors of largest cities

Madrid Metro: A thoroughly modern urban rail system

London 2012 elections: Issues and candidates

The London brand: 2000 years young

Britain’s rural community rail projects increasingly popular with passengers

European cities abandon demand-driven car parking

The state of Muslims in Western European cities

Europe's and Britain's greenest cities

European Cities of Culture 1985 to 2019


Mayors from Asia

Local government in Asia

Mayors from Asia and Australia

City Halls in Asia

Guangzhou Metro: From nought to 1.2 billion passengers in 20 years

Provision of health infrastructure vital to economic development of growth cities

World’s most famous slum must be remodelled not redeveloped

Gandhinagar’s unique layout threatened by urban planners

India needs futuristic policies to manage economic growth and rapid urbanization

Ahmedabad is the first city in India to adopt a Bus Rapid Transit system

China's urban transition causes growing inequality

Megacities must urgently address the needs of slum dwellers

Metro Mensch in Baghdad


Mayors from Australia

City Halls in Australia

Local government in Australia

Mayors from Asia and Australia


African mayors

Mayors from Africa

Local government in Africa

Access to drinking water remains urban Africa’s number one priority

By 2030 Africa will change from rural to urban society

Helen Zille - My aim for South Africa: An open, opportunity-driven society

Success of future megacities will depend on cooperation between citizens and authorities

Mauritania’s urban slums offer no support to rural newcomers

African cities demand access to basic services