Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge Winners Leverage AI and Resident Input

Cities use innovative projects to improve core services, with many employing AI and community engagement.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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The winners of the 2026 Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge have created innovative projects to enhance their cities' core services, often utilizing a combination of artificial intelligence and resident input. The 24 winning initiatives range from using geothermal energy to lower heating bills in Boise, Idaho, to relocating flood-prone fishermen in Beira, Mozambique, to safer inland homes.

Why it matters

The Mayors Challenge aims to support bold, creative, and proactive city governments in solving problems and meeting residents' needs. The winning programs demonstrate how municipalities can leverage cutting-edge tools like AI and community engagement to improve essential services and build trust with their constituents.

The details

South Bend, Indiana's project uses AI to interpret data on residents, like families falling behind on water bills, and proactively offer them support services. Other winners include Boise using geothermal energy, Beira relocating coastal residents, and Lafayette, Louisiana finding a solution to update its sewer system on private property. The $1 million in funding and expert support from Bloomberg Philanthropies aims to help these initiatives succeed and potentially be replicated in other cities.

  • The 2026 Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge winners were announced on February 24, 2026.

The players

James Mueller

The mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who implemented an AI-powered initiative to proactively offer residents support services.

Michael R. Bloomberg

The founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg L.P., who launched the Mayors Challenge to help city governments succeed in solving problems and meeting residents' needs.

James Anderson

The head of government innovation programs at Bloomberg Philanthropies, who noted many winners are integrating AI in sophisticated ways to bring governments closer to their residents.

Monique Blanco Boulet

The mayor-president of Lafayette, Louisiana, whose administration found a solution to update the city's sewer system on private property, a plan that was named a Mayors Challenge winner.

Vico Sotto

The mayor of Pasig City in the Philippines, whose project to build floating parks in the Pasig River to reduce flooding will be accelerated by the Mayors Challenge support.

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What they’re saying

“Technology is not necessarily good or bad – it's how it's used and how you protect against abuses. We're trying to use cutting edge tools to deliver city services in a proactive way that meets our residents' needs.”

— James Mueller, Mayor of South Bend, Indiana (wral.com)

“The most effective city halls are bold, creative, and proactive in solving problems and meeting residents' needs – and we launched the Mayors Challenge to help more of them succeed.”

— Michael R. Bloomberg (wral.com)

“Testing and learning and adapting new ideas don't generally get funded with public dollars. It is up to philanthropy to support experimentation.”

— James Anderson, Head of government innovation programs at Bloomberg Philanthropies (wral.com)

“Bloomberg Philanthropies, the staff, Michael Bloomberg – all of them – have such a global impact in ways that most people will never know. They bring in a level of capacity and give you the space to really be creative and to come up with solutions that can change lives.”

— Monique Blanco Boulet, Mayor-President of Lafayette, Louisiana (wral.com)

“Trust in government is at an all-time low, but local governments consistently perform better in surveys about trust from their residents. It is critical for us to maintain that level of trust with our residents and build it even further. So that's why we're always looking at innovative ways of doing things better and making the city a better place to live.”

— James Mueller, Mayor of South Bend, Indiana (wral.com)

What’s next

The winning cities will receive $1 million each from Bloomberg Philanthropies to implement their programs, as well as support from the organization's experts to help the initiatives succeed.

The takeaway

The Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge is empowering local governments to tackle pressing issues through innovative, community-driven approaches that leverage cutting-edge tools like AI. By supporting bold experimentation, the program aims to help cities build trust and better serve their residents.