Mayor Vrbanovic participates in Bloomberg CityLab 2023 in Washington, D.C.

Mayor joins hundreds of mayors and policymakers from across the globe and meets with Canadian Ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman and U.S. Ambassador for City and State Diplomacy, Nina Hachigian

With cities at an inflection point, the tenth CityLab, October 18 – 20, hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with the Aspen Institute, convened more than 500 mayors, policymakers, urban innovators, business leaders, cultural experts, and creatives to share and explore scalable solutions.

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic joined featured speakers including Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor Muriel Bowser, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Governor Wes Moore, Claude Borna, Mitch Landrieu, and mayors and city officials from over 220 cities spanning more than 40 countries and six continents across the globe.

Programming included the largest-ever Mayors Innovation Studio, focused on accelerating the usage of generative artificial intelligence to improve public services, and a Special Infrastructure and Chief Innovators Studio to unleash new approaches for implementing once-in-a-generation funding for communities.

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic completed today his participation in Bloomberg CityLab, the preeminent global cities summit organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with the Aspen Institute. Mayor Vrbanovic was joined by the Lab Director for Kitchener’s Innovation Lab, Courtney Zinn, at this tenth annual event which ran in Washington, D.C., from October 18 – 20, 2023.

During his time in Washington, DC, Mayor Vrbanovic also met with Canada’s Ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman where he discussed the city’s #MakeItKitchener 2.0 economic development strategy, including Kitchener’s new SDG Idea Factory; Kitchener’s collaboration with Communitech and Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation; and both the opportunities and challenges associated with the new US approach to its industrial strategy as well as the CHIPs and Science Act. During his meeting with U.S. Ambassador Nina Hachigian, Mayor Vrbanovic discussed his work as Co-President with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the engagement of U.S. cities in the global space, and opportunities to strengthen ties between Kitchener and select U.S. cities in the future.

Cities are facing an era of increasingly intractable issues – from leading their communities through rapid urbanization, to confronting emerging technologies, to reinvigorating economic development and solving for housing affordability. Bloomberg CityLab 2023, against the historic backdrop of Washington, D.C., convened more than 500 mayors and leading urban and civic leaders, from policymakers to creatives. Together they shared and explored new ideas and urban interventions that are being pressure-tested in the present and will impact the future of cities – where more than half the world’s population lives.

“Kitchener and cities like us from around the world are increasingly facing new 21^st century challenges, with outdated legislation and resources at the national and sub-national orders of government,” said Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “Through the generosity of former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Bloomberg Philanthropies, Bloomberg CityLab provides us a unique opportunity to hear from colleagues and some of the best people in the world working with cities; to network with colleagues; and return to our cities with a renewed passion to lead and effect positive change in ways that ensure we build inclusive cities and communities where nobody is left behind.”

Mayor Vrbanovic joined hundreds of mayors and officials, spanning 40 countries and six continents, and featured speakers including Michael R. Bloomberg, Dan Porterfield, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Governor Wes Moore, Mitch Landrieu, Eleni Myrivili, Vishaan Chakrabarti, Claude Borna, Anita Cozart, Jeff Goodell, and Faith Leach.

Drawing on a decade of data, experiments, and initiatives pioneered by city leaders from around the world, programming included panel discussions, one-on-one interviews, interactive breakout sessions, artistic performances, excursions to unique destinations across Washington, D.C., and key events for mayors and local officials, including:

• The largest-ever Mayors Innovation Studio which convened more than 100 mayors who received tools to accelerate the usage of generative artificial intelligence to improve public services, hosted at the new Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue.
• A Special Infrastructure and Chief Innovators Studio which brought pioneering data, innovation, and infrastructure leaders together to unleash new approaches for planning and implementing once-in-a-generation infrastructure funding for their communities.

Additional topics that were addressed included:

• Advancing economic equality and environmental justice
• Transforming streets and mobility options that put residents first
• Building newfound community connections within and across cities
• Tackling homelessness while expanding access to quality, affordable housing
• Solving for sweeping, societal challenges such as climate change, public health and mental health care services

Among those in attendance were international mayors (or officials of equivalent position) of Adama, Ethiopia; Banjul, Gambia; Bratislava, Slovakia; Butuan City, Philippines; Freetown, Sierra Leone; Glasgow, Scotland; Helsinki, Finland; Kitchener, Canada; Kumasi, Ghana; Lusaka, Zambia; Masaka, Uganda; Montevideo, Uruguay; Monterrey, Mexico; Nansana, Uganda; Renca, Chile; Regina, Canada; Reykjavik, Iceland; San Pedro Garza García, Mexico; Skopje, North Macedonia; South Yorkshire, England; Tirana, Albania; and Turku, Finland.

From the United States, this included the mayors (or officials of equivalent position) of Allentown, Pennsylvania; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Birmingham, Alabama; Charleston, South Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Dubuque, Iowa; Durham, North Carolina; Elizabeth, New Jersey; Fort Collins, Colorado; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Hampton, Virginia; Highland Park, Illinois; Huntington, West Virginia; Jackson, Mississippi; Kansas City, Kansas; Knoxville, Tennessee; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Lansing, Michigan; Lincoln, Nebraska; Miami-Dade County, Florida; New Bedford, Massachusetts; New Orleans, Louisiana; Newark, New Jersey; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Paterson, New Jersey; Providence, Rhode Island; Rochester, Minnesota; Sacramento, California; San Bernardino, California; San Francisco, California; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Scottsdale, Arizona; Scranton, Pennsylvania; St. Louis, Missouri; St. Petersburg, Florida; Tacoma, Washington; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Vancouver, Washington; Washington, D.C.; West Palm Beach, Florida; and Youngstown, Ohio.

“As cities man the frontlines of the most pressing problems facing the planet, the tenth Bloomberg CityLab brought mayors and officials from around the world together with thinkers, innovators, and creatives at the cutting-edge of urban problem-solving and imagination,” said James Anderson, who leads the Government Innovation Program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. “Bloomberg CityLab 2023 offered deep learning, idea exchange, and bold exploration into the new generation approaches fit for the new generation challenges we face – providing a springboard for mayors and city leaders to drive sustainable, lasting impact for residents worldwide.”

“Cities have long been at the forefront of human ingenuity and innovation, but they also face enormous pressures, ranging from the impacts of a changing climate to ensuring affordable housing for all,” said Bunmi Akinnusotu, Director of City Innovation at the Aspen Institute. “We were excited to welcome inspiring urban leaders to the nation's capital for transformative dialogue and action, which is central to the Aspen Institute’s mission. Together at Bloomberg CityLab 2023, we explored newfound learnings and innovative solutions that can benefit the communities they serve across the world.”

Bloomberg CityLab was founded on the principle that the most important innovation is happening at the local level and that global impact can be achieved when cities share solutions. For over a decade, CityLab summits have crisscrossed the globe, gathering the most influential mayors and voices from hundreds of cities worldwide. Summits have made global headlines, and generated tangible takeaways for attendees. Past CityLab conferences have been hosted in New York, Los Angeles, London, Miami, Paris, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Amsterdam.

To learn more about Bloomberg CityLab 2023, visit citylab.bloomberg.org.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2022, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed US$ 1.7 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About the Aspen Institute:
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit aspeninstitute.org.

Media Contacts:

City of Kitchener
Bethany Rowland, Director of Communications & Marketing, Bethany.rowland@kitchener.ca

Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Sam Fuld, sam@bloomberg.org

The Aspen Institute:
Jon Purves, jon.purves@aspeninstitute.org