City parks and recreation centers have long been places for families, friends, and neighbors to come together. And, parks are more popular and important than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, as we all shelter-in-place and seek safe ways to take care of our physical, mental and social health.

Cities have invested in creative programs, such as ActivateATL in the city of Atlanta, to ensure all their citizens have equal access to these vital public spaces. …

By Bloomberg Associates

It comes around every ten years, but this year, completing the census is even more important given it determines the allocation of funding for public health services and representation in Washington and states across that country, which impacts civil rights issues.

With recent news that The Census Bureau is ending its door-knocking efforts one month earlier than anticipated, we asked Bloomberg Associates’ Rose Gill and Jane Bartman, who work with cities and government leaders to help them best administer the census in their communities, five questions about this year’s census.

1) I’ve heard a lot about being counted in the census this year, but why is it important? How does the government use the census information? …

By Mike Hopper and Mariama N’Diaye, Bloomberg Associates

In 2016, while working with the City of Houston, we found ourselves sitting down with the Principal of a public high school located in Houston’s Fifth Ward neighborhood. We requested the meeting because of a confluence of events: the Houston Health Department accepted the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) challenge (a program designed to support boys and young men of color launched by President Obama in 2014 built on the Young Men’s Initiative launched during the Bloomberg mayoral administration); Bloomberg Associates was assisting the Houston Health Department to implement a plan to achieve the MBK milestones; and, the upcoming Super Bowl was being hosted in Houston. …

Interested in learning how cities can prepare for the realities of climate change and extreme heat? Looking to understand how local government leaders are using technology to tackle urban challenges? Wondering if major events can make a positive impact on host cities?

You could learn the answers to these questions and more at the upcoming 2020 SXSW Conference by voting for Bloomberg Associates’ session ideas. The PanelPicker is now open through Friday, August 23. Community votes make up 30% of the final decision, and public input is important to help shape the event.

This year, our team is dialed into three key topics that are impacting cities globally. Through collaborative and candid conversations, our experts will explore challenges, solutions and strategies to help cities and their leaders succeed. Learn more about our 2020 proposals…

By Jake Elder, Sustainability, Bloomberg Associates

It is increasingly difficult to avoid references to climate change in the news. With record-shattering heatwaves this summer, people around the world have felt the effects of climate change. UN Secretary General António Guterres said it best:

“…we are on track for the period from 2015 to 2019 to be the five hottest years on record. This year alone, we have seen temperature records shattered from New Delhi to Anchorage, from Paris to Santiago, from Adelaide and to the Arctic Circle.”

In the U.S., July 2019 was the hottest month ever recorded. Anchorage, Alaska saw its first day with temperatures over 90° F. These impacts were felt around the rest of the country: Boston had nearly as many days above 90° F in July as it averages in an entire year, setting a monthly temperature record of its own; similar records were set in Maine, Connecticut, Arizona, and New Mexico. …

Hosted by Katherine Oliver (Principal, Media & Digital Strategies, featuring Rose Gill Hearn (Principal, Municipal Integrity)

The first episode of our census series was dedicated to the basics: who gets counted, what the survey is, when it takes place, why it matters, and how cities are preparing for the census.

To get a sense of specific preparation plans, we visited a Bloomberg Associates’ client city, Detroit, Michigan. …

Hosted by Katherine Oliver (Principal, Media & Digital Strategies, Bloomberg Associates) in conversation with Jaime Lavin (Municipal Integrity, Bloomberg Associates)

In order to be managed, data needs to be collected. One of the largest data collection efforts in the United States is fast approaching; cities and states are gearing up for the 2020 census.

Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that works with cities across the world, is advising Detroit and Atlanta to prepare for the decennial survey.

Jaime Lavin of Bloomberg Associates municipal integrity team spoke to our podcast host, Katherine Oliver, about the history of the census, how to prepare, and potential challenges in the 2020 count. …

By Todd Asher, Media & Digital Strategies, Bloomberg Associates

It takes years and vast resources for urban planners, architects, and engineers to plan and build cities.

With the rise of tech, technologists have been working behind the scenes with government leaders to build our cities more effectively putting their resident first and making it easier, simpler and more enjoyable to live in cities.

The City of Paris has been building an online city for the past 15 years. To meet the needs of their evolving city, the Paris Information Technology team created Lutece. …