James Anderson

✍️ How Do Cities Adapt to Tackle Grand Challenges? Catch up on our 2025 @IIPP_UCL #RethinkingTheState Forum panel with @cityofsound in conversation with @MazzucatoM, @JamesAnderson, @RPuttick & Bridgette Morris. 📷 Read our recap & watch the recording: buff.ly/sKqsT82

The practice of municipal innovation is maturing – and that evolution is visible in the 24 winners of our 2025 – 2026 Mayors Challenge. These local governments begin by mapping how residents experience government. They organize around outcomes rather than department silos. They analyze data before prescribing fixes. And more. From @CityofBoise to @bcn_ajuntament to Beira, our team @BloombergDotOrg is thrilled to back their work – and help it spread. From @GlennGamboa in @AP: apnews.com/article/bloomb…

Terrible News for Congestion Pricing Naysayers: It not only works, even drivers who never enter NYC congestion toll zone see quicker trip times, a new paper finds: bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

The latest graduate of our mayoral leadership programs to throw his hat in the ring for higher office.

Interesting. One of Mike Bloomberg’s most underrated moves as mayor was a daily 30-minute senior staff huddle (DMs + comms + CoS). Shared situational awareness: crises, priorities, and where teams could reinforce each other. Governing is choreography. politico.com/news/2026/02/0…

Vanderbilt University—one of the great research universities in the world—has chosen San Francisco as the home for a full-time academic campus. Beginning in 2027, Vanderbilt plans to bring students, faculty, and all the energy that comes with academic life into the heart of our city. If we want San Francisco to lead the future, we must compete for the institutions that shape it. Today shows what happens when we stay focused, work together, and aim high. San Francisco is on the rise. And we’re just getting started.

@KGforNYC @PANYNJ Great news, Kathryn.

It's been an honor to serve the first female Governor as her Dir of State Operations. I’m excited to continue tackling complicated projects as ED of @PANYNJ on behalf of NYers, New Jerseyans, and all that work and travel through our airports, seaports, bridges, and tunnels!

We’re in a “show me, not a trust me” moment. Local government needs to show the work—and deliver impact residents see and feel. That’s the focus on our mayoral programming, now expanded to Europe. apnews.com/article/bloomb…

Hard to take the doomsayers seriously when only ~20% vote in local elections. That’s not a system to defend. We need experimentation. Great to see Anchorage pilot mobile voting — and commit to learning and sharing what they find. nytimes.com/2025/11/13/us/…

Thank you, @POTUS, for your tireless work to end the war in Gaza and bring every Israeli hostage home. A moment to feel proud of America — above politics. wsj.com/world/middle-e…

The Bloomberg LSE European City Leadership Initiative mayors spent the week with the continent’s fiercest public innovation minds — from @MazzucatoM to @geoffmulgan to @DavidHalpernCBE to our terrific partners at @LSECities and @TheHertieSchool. Now, they head back to their city halls to put these lessons to work for their residents. Here's more on the week from The Urbanist: monocle.com/radio/shows/th…

The measure of a country is not how tightly power is held at the center, but how widely progress is felt at the edges. That is why the launch of the Bloomberg LSE European City Leadership Initiative matters. @MetroMayorSteve in ⁦@ProSyn⁩: project-syndicate.org/commentary/equ…

Coming to a city hall near you: local government will be where human-centered AI meets the street—and shows what it can do.   Great speaking with ⁦@politico’s⁩ ⁦@StevenOverly⁩ on all things @BloombergDotOrg City Data Alliance, mayors, and more: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/com…

A supervisor was recalled for choosing a coastal park for the whole city over a highway for his neighborhood. He lost—but he was right. Cities fail when the conveniences of the few trump the needs of the many. nytimes.com/2025/09/17/us/…

We launched GovEx over a decade ago to fill a critical gap: no one was helping municipalities build the internal capacity to use data to improve residents’ lives. Today, GovEx begins an exciting new chapter under new leadership. Take a look!

As James Anderson, head of the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies, says: “Local government is the first line and the last mile in solving almost every major challenge that we face today.”

Local governments can—and must—be more than they are. That means putting residents at the center, harnessing ideas from every corner of a city, and turning energy into solutions. Great talking with Chuck Marohn at @StrongTowns about how @BloombergDotOrg is building innovation inside city halls, and how his org is driving bottom-up change across America: podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/the…

Inspired by the success of Bridge Meadows' intergenerational housing, city leaders, as finalists of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge, will tackle high costs & restrictive zoning. The goal: clear the way for more walkable, commuity-led developments. More of this, pls!