Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University

Harvard research + relevance for cities = the center newsletter. 📬Subscribe to get occasional event invitations, career & student opportunities, the latest research and free resources for leadership and public management, and more: bit.ly/47c56jO.

This Women’s History Month, we’re releasing a new free teaching case on the city of Bogotá’s “Care Blocks”—a cross-agency model designed to support caregivers, the majority of which are women, whose work is unpaid and too often unrecognized. Follow Mayor @ClaudiaLopez and Secretary of Women’s Affairs Diana Rodríguez as they build a “system of care,” test interventions, set performance metrics, and negotiate across city hall to recognize and redistribute care work while pushing for lasting cultural change. ➡️ Download the case: bit.ly/3PKrqwi. 📸credit: Comisión Intersectorial del Sistema Distrital de Cuidado

Why do cities struggle to adopt AI at scale—even as the technology advances at an extraordinary pace? In the latest #DataSmartCityPod, produced by @DataSmartCities—located at the Center—host @GoldsmithOnGov speaks with Center faculty affiliate @MitchWei of @HarvardHBS and Santiago G., Chief Information Officer for the @CityOfBoston. Together they explore the growing gap between AI capability and government adoption, how Boston improved user satisfaction 3x with an AI-powered web search, and what it takes to move AI from pilots to impact in city government. Watch the conversation and follow Data-Smart for the latest on agentic AI in cities: bit.ly/4sHwgIW.

EdRedesign Lab researchers and the CEO of Communities In Schools came together to discuss relationships and personalized support at at a Bloomberg @CenterforCities event ken.sc/4bmjxpk

How have past visions of the future shaped the cities we live in today? Join a lunchtime event with Center faculty affiliates Bruno Carvalho (Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences; @HarvardMellon; @HarvardGSD) and Rachel Weber (@HarvardGSD) for a conversation on how historical ideas about tomorrow’s cities continue to influence urban planning and policy today. 📆 Thursday, April 19 at 12:00 p.m. EST 🌐 Virtual event open to all 📍 In person event open to all @Harvard ID holders (lunch provided) 🔗 Register today: bit.ly/4lA2bsr.

We're launching something new. Introducing free, self-paced online learning modules for current and future city leaders everywhere. Today we’re bringing the @Harvard classroom to you. The first module, Using Data and Evidence as a City Leader, is designed to help you use data more confidently—and more impactfully—in your work. 🔗Register for the free module here: bit.ly/4p1xFsf. More modules coming soon. Authors: Teddy Svoronos, Amelia Knudson, Laura Metzger, Charlotte Tuminelli, Jorrit de Jong, Quinton Mayne, Gaylen W. Moore, Elizabeth Patton

We’re #hiring: Join the Bloomberg Center for Cities as a Project Manager. This role manages the end-to-end execution of the Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellowship while supporting the continued growth of student engagement initiatives across Harvard. We’re looking for a highly organized, detail-oriented project manager with strong judgment, customer service orientation, Salesforce proficiency, and the ability to navigate ambiguity and build structure. Help connect @Harvard students with cities and drive impact through public sector leadership. Apply or share with your networks: bit.ly/3XYthj1.

How can we disagree better? Join @JuliaMinson of @Kennedy_School for a virtual session next week on research-backed tools for navigating conflict and leading productive conversations. 📆 Monday, March 9 at 11:00 a.m. EST 🔗 Register: bit.ly/3MvxpnC

What does leadership require in moments of uncertainty and transformation? Join us tonight at 6:00 p.m. EST with @HarvardIOP and @HarvardCPL as we welcome former Boston mayor and U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh for a conversation on leadership, labor, and the future of work. Moderated by Anthony Foxx, former mayor of Charlotte, NC and U.S. Secretary of Transportation; Director, Center for Public Leadership; Bloomberg Center for Cities faculty affiliate 🌐 Livestream via IOP YouTube channel 📍 JFK Jr. Forum (@Harvard ID required) 🔗 Register: bit.ly/4s64LbH

Pleased to welcome Mayor John-Charuk Siafa of Monrovia, Liberia, to the Bloomberg Center for Cities, where he met with Center Director Jorrit de Jong ahead of tonight’s event. Africa’s cities are shaping the future of global urban growth and resilience — and tonight’s discussion brings together leaders at the forefront of that transformation. Join us at 6:00 p.m. for a conversation with: - Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos, Nigeria (@jidesanwoolu) - John-Charuk Siafa, Mayor of Monrovia, Liberia - Zoe Marks of @Kennedy_School 🌐 Livestream via @HarvardIOP YouTube channel 📍 JFK Jr. Forum (@Harvard ID required) Register to attend or tune in live → bit.ly/4s3n9BX. Co-sponsored with @HarvardIOP and @AfricaHarvard

We welcomed Mayor @AHammoudMI of @Dearborngov and economist Gordon Hanson of @Kennedy_School to the Center to discuss Dearborn’s long-view strategy for building a resilient workforce in the face of economic challenges for workers and policymakers. Read the full recap and watch the recording on our YouTube channel to learn how cities can align training, funding, and opportunity for the future: bit.ly/4cltEM5.

Tune in TODAY at 4:00 p.m. EST: What if improving economic mobility starts not just in schools but in neighborhoods? Grounded in research from The EdRedesign Lab and Opportunity Insights, this discussion with leaders and researchers will examine how place-based systems can improve both short-term academic outcomes and long-term economic mobility. Register now to attend virtually: bit.ly/46HdnNF. 📸credit: Communities In Schools

In recognition of Black History Month, explore a new set of Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative teaching cases featuring Black local government leaders. From stepping into the mayor’s office during turbulent transitions to launching a team to neighborhood revitalization, these stories place you in the role of decision-maker—grappling with tradeoffs, managing teams, and working across silos to deliver results. Download the free cases and bring these lessons to your city or classroom: 📖 A New Dawn with Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard?: bit.ly/3DcWPRH. 📖 Newport News: Breakthrough Expectations: bit.ly/4aMPgyj. 📖 Building and Sustaining a Department of Neighborhoods and Citizen Engagement in Lansing, Michigan: bit.ly/4qSmlPl. 📖 Solving Problems Block by Block: Clean Sweeps and Neighborhood Improvement in Buffalo, NY: bit.ly/4kgwiDe.

Join @OppInsights, @CenterforCities, and The EdRedesign Lab (HGSE) next week for a discussion about closing opportunity gaps for low-income students through place-based, personalized supports. Details below ⬇️

Students from Transition Term—a collaboration of the Bloomberg Center for Cities and @TaubmanCenter—gathered at the Center to discuss their experiences supporting newly elected mayors who participated in the Center’s Program for New Mayors: First 100 Days. Students reflected on the realities of political transitions: navigating fiscal pressures, strengthening data and decision-making systems, building trust, and clarifying roles. They also shared what made the experience meaningful, including immersing themselves in new communities, learning from dedicated public servants, and contributing research and fresh perspectives. This next generation of public leaders is putting skills and passion for government to work where it matters most.

@Harvard alumni who have built impact working in and with cities gathered with students online and in person at a recent Center event for a candid conversation about city leadership. Read the recap or watch the recording to hear their stories and learn how work in cities produces tangible impact: bit.ly/4avS9n4

What if closing opportunity gaps starts beyond the classroom? Join us for a hybrid conversation featuring new findings from The EdRedesign Lab at @hgse and @OppInsights on how place-based, personalized supports and cross-sector collaboration can transform outcomes for children and communities.🔗Register: bit.ly/46HdnNF. 📆 Tuesday, March 3 at 4:00 p.m. EST 📺 Virtual event open to all 📍In-person event at the Bloomberg Center for Cities open to all @Harvard University ID holders. Doors open and refreshments available at 3:45 p.m. 📸 Credit: Communities In Schools

You’re invited: as jobs are created, transformed, and displaced—often accelerated by AI—cities face urgent choices about how to address economic distress and build resilient, productive workforces. Join the lunchtime conversation on Feb. 19 w/ @gordon_h_hanson and Mayor @AHammoudMI to learn how cities can redesign budgets and implement workforce policies to support growth. 🔗 Register: bit.ly/4k9upJZ. 📺 Virtual event open to all. In-person event open to all @Harvard ID holders. 📆 Thursday, February 19 at 12:00 p.m. EST Co-sponsored with @HarvardRTE and @HarvardMWC.

How can city leaders leverage redevelopment projects to drive inclusive growth? A new teaching case produced by the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative surfaces choices and challenges in downtown revitalization. Download for free to use in your city hall or classroom: bit.ly/41Dlvgk. Teaching case authors: @Fioffreda, Jorrit de Jong, and Tim O'Brien @HarvardGrwthLab

Now hiring: we’re looking for a leader who understands how cities across the world operate, is passionate about developing the next generation of city talent, and is eager to inspire students while creating clear pathways into city government. Apply or share with your networks: bit.ly/3XYthj1. #Hiring #OpenJobs #NowHiring #Careers

@Harvard students and alumni: interested in building impact and improving outcomes for residents in the community where you live? Join a hybrid event demystifying how city governments work and the ways Harvard alumni have contributed to their success. Students and alumni from across the University are invited. 📆 Thursday, January 29 at 6:00 p.m. 🫱🏾‍🫲🏻Networking reception with refreshments for in-person attendees 🔗 Save your spot: bit.ly/3NweBoe.