NEW YORK (AP) – Barcelona, Spain, captured the grand prize in a competition that spurs cities to develop novel approaches to improve urban life, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced Wednesday.
Barcelona was awarded 5 million euro ($6.5 million) as top finisher. Four others were awarded 1 million euros ($1.3 million) each: the metropolitan area of Kirklees, England, and the cities of Stockholm; Warsaw, Poland; and Athens, Greece.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the winners, selected from 21 finalists, in Paris. The prizes came from the billionaire businessman-turned-politician’s personal foundation for innovative ideas that could also potentially spread to other cities.
“To meet the biggest challenges of the 21st century, city leaders must think creatively and be unafraid to try new things, and the Mayors Challenge is designed to help them do that,” Bloomberg said in a statement.
Cities were challenged to come up with creative solutions to critical urban issues, such as youth unemployment, aging populations, civic engagement, environment and public health and safety.