City Mayors: Mayors running the world's cities

Cities are shaping today's social, cultural, technological and economic agendas. They compete, learn from each other and act together

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Mayors from The Americas, Europe. Asia, Australia and Africa compete for the World Mayor Award. More

City Mayors ranks the world’s largest, best as well as richest cities and urban areas. It also ranks the cities in individual countries, and provides a list of the capital cities of some 200 sovereign countries. More

City Mayors profiles city leaders from around the world. More

City Mayors describes the history, architecture and politics of the greatest city halls in the world. More

Use Mayor Monitor to rate the performance of mayors from across the world More

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City Mayors reports political events, analyses the issues and depicts the main players. More

City Mayors describes and explains the structures and workings of local government in Europe, The Americas, Asia, Australia and Africa. More

City Mayors deals with economic and investment issues affecting towns and cities. More

City Mayors describes and explains financial issues affecting local government. More

City Mayors reports urban environmental developments and examines the challenges faced by cities worldwide. More

City Mayors reports on and discusses urban development issues in developed and developing countries. More

City Mayors reports on developments in urban society and behaviour and reviews relevant research. More

City Mayors invites readers to write about the people in their cities. More

City Mayors examines city brands and marketing. More

City Mayors lists and features urban events, conferences and conventions aimed at urban decision makers and those with an interest in cities worldwide. More

City Mayors deals with urban transport issues in developed and developing countries and features the world’s greatest metro systems. More

City Mayors examines education issues and policies affecting children and adults in urban areas. More

City Mayors investigates health issues affecting urban areas with an emphasis on health in cities in developing countries. More

City Mayors reports on how business developments impact on cities and examines cooperation between cities and the private sector. More

City Mayors examines the contributions history and culture make to urban society and environment. More

City Mayors examines the importance of urban tourism to city economies. More

City Mayors questions those who govern the world’s cities and talks to men and women who contribute to urban society and environment. More

City Mayors profiles national and international organisations representing cities as well as those dealing with urban issues. More

City Mayors reports on major national and international sporting events and their impact on cities. More

City Mayors lists cities and city organisations, profiles individual mayors and provides information on hundreds of urban events. More

Portland mayor proposes new
measures to curb illegal guns
News (USA): Despite strong opposition from America’s Nation Rifle Association, Portland Mayor Sam Adams is going ahead with plans to strengthen existing gun laws. A spokesman for the mayor said, the move was in response to an increase in gang-related shootings. “Last week there were 10 gang-related shootings in the Portland Metro area, and over the weekend there was an additional deadly shooting." More

Mexican drug cartels
target local democracy
News (Mexico): Hardly two weeks after the murder of Santiago Mayor Edelmiro Cavazos another Mexican mayor was killed by members of drug cartels. Marco Antonio Leal Garcia, the mayor of the small town Hidalgo in the northern state of Tamaulipas was shot dead while he was driving his SUV, City Mayors was told. According to eyewitnesses, the mayor’s four-year-old daughter was wounded in the attack. More

Mayor of Ulm
World Mayor 2010: Ivo Gönner is the highest regarded mayor in southern Germany. He has worked tirelessly for his city, attracting modern industries, looking after the less well off and helping immigrants to regard Ulm as their new home (Heimatstadt). The mayor has also represented the interest of cities vis a vis the regional and federal governments and indeed on the international stage. He is a great liberal in a conservative region. More

Mayor of Riace
World Mayor 2010: Sono stata nel suo Comune, Riace, ed ho visto che l'accoglienza è una realtà, insieme al rifiuto totale della mafia e della 'ndrangheta. Mimmo Lucano ha dimostrato che anche in Calabria si può fare ciò che per altri è impensabile, cioè governare bene, mettere in atto comportamenti onesti e voler bene alle persone, da qualunque parte del mondo provengano, rendendo loro possibile la vita in Italia fornendo casa e lavoro. More

The mayor who will rule over
the most violent city on earth
Mayors: Héctor Murguía Lardizábal, the Mayor-elect of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, will preside over what has been described as ‘the most violent city on Earth’. Homicides during 2009 totalled more than 2,660 and between January and August 2010 some 1,860 people were violently killed. On 15 August 2010 alone, 14 people died in a shoot-out in the city’s economic centre. More

The Linear City promises humane
living spaces for our small planet
Development: The idea of the Linear City results from ten years of study and a close look will make people realize that the concept offers several solutions to the ecological and sociological problems of our times. Moreover, the Linear City aims at increasing the quality of life by bringing the countryside to the city and it does so through a realistic and affordable transition. The world is currently faced with the fact that billions of people need a place to live on a small planet governed by ecological laws. More

Good policing is about social integration
and not about ‘zero tolerance’ measures
Security: In an interview with City Mayors, Latin American security expert and judicial Argentinean reformer, Carlos Arslanian, who is known for his progressive ideas for overcoming security threats in Latin American cities, described ‘zero tolerance’ and ‘tough on crime’ measures as total failures. “They’ve created a symbolic criminal law system, a criminal law system that fools citizens or utilizes the collective idea that with strong penalties we solve the problems,” he said. More

City Mayors reveals the nominees
for this year’s World Mayor Prize
World Mayor: City Mayors has revealed the names of mayors shortlisted for this year’s World Mayor Prize. Among the 25 candidates are four mayors from Canada and the US, four from Latin America, nine from Europe, six from Asia and two from Australasia. The candidates include city leaders from megacities such as Karachi and Mexico City as well as mayors from smaller communities such New Plymouth (New Zealand), Newark (USA) and Ulm (Germany). The Italian contestant is the mayor of Riace (Calabria), a village of some 1,800 people. More

The largest cities in the
world and their mayors
Statistics: The mayors of the world’s 25 largest cities are each responsible for more people than most national prime ministers. For example, London, ranked 23rd in the world, has more residents than nations like Paraguay, Denmark, New Zealand or Ireland, and if Karachi, globally the largest city, was a country it would rank above Greece, Portugal or Hungary. The combined population of the world’s eleven megacities - cities with more than 10 million inhabitants - equals that of Japan. More

American cities face new
realities after lost decade
Society: American market research firms systematically classify the residents of a metropolitan area according to their purchasing power. Each consumer group receives a descriptive moniker according to its specific demographic, economic, and social characteristics: “Successful Suburbanites”, for example or “Urban Working Families” or “Low Income Southern Blacks”. The communities in which these groups live are likewise labeled: “Wealthy Seaboard Suburbs”, “Distressed Neighborhoods”, “Rustbelt Neighborhoods”, and so on. More

The state of Muslims in
Western European cities
Society: There are estimated to be 15 to 20 million Muslims living in the European Union (EU); this population is expected to double by 2025. Muslims in Europe are a diverse population of citizens, as well as newly arrived migrants. Most live in capital cities and large industrial towns. Though the majority of Muslims are a long-standing and integral part of the fabric of their cities, many experience discrimination and social and economic disadvantages. Muslims in Europe today are also under heightened suspicion and scrutiny. More

Crazy alliances produce surprising
results in Mexico regional elections
Politics: Despite a climate of drug-related violence which is gripping Mexico, the country’s local and regional elections, held in 14 states on 4 July, proceeded without major incidents. But in Chihuahua and Tamaulipas, the two states most affected by violence, less than 40 per cent of those eligible to vote turned out to do so. In other states the election results were often the product of patched together alliances-of-convenience between left and right. More

Mayors and their
political parties
Politics: We are living in the so-called century of the city and most cities are governed by elected mayors. Over the past decade conservatives have scored a number of electoral successes across the world, with many citizens identifying with their messages on security, leaner government and lower taxes. However, research by City Mayors shows that many of the world’s largest and most prominent cities are still governed by mayors from the left or centre-left. More

The most powerful
cities in the world
Economics: New York City, London, Paris and Tokyo are deemed to be the most powerful cities in the world. New research has assessed 35 cities from across the world based on six criteria: Economy, research and development, livability, accessibility, cultural interaction as well as ecology and natural environment New York scores top marks for its economy as well as R&D, while London is judged to be the world’s cultural capital. Paris is number one for livability and accessibility. More

Currency movements main factor in deciding
ranking of most expensive cities in the world
Economics: Angola's capital city Luanda has replaced Tokyo as the most expensive city in the world for US expatriates according to the latest Cost of Living Survey from Mercer. Tokyo is in second position, while Ndjamena (Chad) is now in third place. The survey's table of the world's 50 most expensive cities includes 10 from Africa. More

Municipal bonds have been issued
by US local government since 1812
Finance: Infrastructure in the US is generally financed through subnational capital financing vehicles, termed municipal bonds, which encompass the issuance of bonds by state and local governments, their agencies and quasi-public bodies generically termed special districts. While the term comprises issuers other than municipalities, the first bond of this trail-blazing genre was issued in 1812 by New York City. More

First cities named to benefit
from environmental initiative
Environment: Fifteen cities have been named on as the first to have had their bids accepted as participants in the Green Capital Global Challenge initiative which was announced by entrepreneur Richard Branson during the Olympic Games in Vancouver. The 15 cities include two from Canada, three from Europe and 10 from the US. More

Swiss and German cities dominate
top places of best cities in the world
Environment: While Zurich, Switzerland’s largest city and the country’s financial capital, is no longer number one, three Swiss cities make it into the top 10 of 'best' cities in the world. According to new research, Vienna, Austria’s capital, is now the city most people would like to call their home. Geneva retains its position in third place. Overall, European cities continue to dominate the top locations in this year’s survey, with German cities particularly well represented among the top 50. More

Good policing is about social integration
and not about ‘zero tolerance’ measures
Security: In an interview with City Mayors, Latin American security expert and judicial Argentinean reformer, Carlos Arslanian, who is known for his progressive ideas for overcoming security threats in Latin American cities, described ‘zero tolerance’ and ‘tough on crime’ measures as total failures. “They’ve created a symbolic criminal law system, a criminal law system that fools citizens or utilizes the collective idea that with strong penalties we solve the problems,” he said. More

The Linear City promises humane
living spaces for our small planet
Development: The idea of the Linear City results from ten years of study and a close look will make people realize that the concept offers several solutions to the ecological and sociological problems of our times. Moreover, the Linear City aims at increasing the quality of life by bringing the countryside to the city and it does so through a realistic and affordable transition. The world is currently faced with the fact that billions of people need a place to live on a small planet governed by ecological laws. More

US education needs to prepare
for 2042 demographic time bomb
Education: Attention to education, and its importance, has been made the subject of a renewed and sharper focus following President Obama’s call for reform and the announcement of a new program of advancement. The President realizes the stakes are high. The public might be more willing to see this goal as being as important as their job prospects if he had also made clear that the education problems facing the country coincide with its demographic time bomb due to detonate by 2042. More

City Mayors reveals the nominees
for this year’s World Mayor Prize
World Mayor: City Mayors has revealed the names of mayors shortlisted for this year’s World Mayor Prize. Among the 25 candidates are four mayors from Canada and the US, four from Latin America, nine from Europe, six from Asia and two from Australasia. The candidates include city leaders from megacities such as Karachi and Mexico City as well as mayors from smaller communities such New Plymouth (New Zealand), Newark (USA) and Ulm (Germany). The Italian contestant is the mayor of Riace (Calabria), a village of some 1,800 people. More

England’s elected mayors
have performed rather well
Government: The debate surrounding the introduction of elected mayors in UK local government is one which has polarised both local government itself and the academic and policy communities the most among all others. Fewer topics elicit such vexatious argument and yet evidence-based debate is thin on the ground. What is needed is less fixation on constitutional issues and more on the difference mayors are actually making in their communities. More

Mayors from Africa, Asia
The Americas and Europe
Mayors: While urban settlements have been around for millennia, increasingly cities are beginning to acquire their own narratives and political importance, not only as places to live but also as drivers of national social values and economies with their own global networks. Though the agglomerative effects of cities as part of globalisation is widely understood and universal, city leadership models remain as diverse as ever, but with common trends on each continent: Africa, Asia, The Americas and Europe.

A man is a man with or
without legal documents
Mayors: Believing that a man is a man with or without legal documents, Domenico ‘Mimmo’ Lucano founded Città Futura (The City of the Futur)e an association in charge of granting asylum to immigrants and refugees from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, Somalia, Palestine and Lebanon in Riace, Italy, the village he has been mayor of since 2004. More

Mayor of Ulm promotes common
aims of Danube cities and regions
Mayors: Ivo Gönner, the long-serving mayor of Ulm in southern Germany, has been very influential in re-positioning the local economy of the city on the upper Danube by promoting it as a science city. He is also one of the prime movers towards more cooperation between cities, regions and countries on the Danube corridor. Recently, this has led to the establishment of the Council for the Danube Regions. Ivo Gönner Has been shortlisted for the 2010 World Mayor Prize. More

British city halls present a wide range
of neo-classical and neo-gothic styles
City Halls: The majority of British city halls of the 19th and early 20th century feature neo-classical and neo-gothic architectural designs. Bolton’s Town Hall is a fine example of 19th century neo-classical architecture, while Southampton’s Civic Centre was designed in a modern, spare classical style. In contrast, Bradford City Hall is an impressive example of Victorian neo-gothic architecture. David Jennings describes their history, features and current use. | Bolton | Southampton | Bradford |

Top level domains to become
powerful city marketing tools
Marketing: The internet has become one of the most important marketing and branding tools for cities worldwide. In an age when Google search results often determine marketing success or failure, cities must find unique selling propositions on the net to safeguard their global digital competitiveness. In this article, Dirk Krischenowski examines how future city and regional top-level domains, such as dotBerlin or dotParis, can become powerful marketing tools. More

Ahmedabad is the first city in India
to adopt a Bus Rapid Transit system
Transport: In October 2009, Ahmedabad - with a population of 4.5 million the largest city in the state of Gujarat - inaugurated the first 12 kilometres of its public transport program Janmarg. It is India's first true Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT). More

US public bus systems face
rising demand and deficits
Transport: Busses are a common, if unglamorous, feature of US cities. Each day they transport over 3.5 million people from home to work, according to the US Census Bureau. About 20 per cent more people rely on busses for their daily commute than all other forms of mass transit combined, including trains, subways, light rail, and trolleys. Busses are the workhorses of American public transportation, yet they struggle financially. More

The largest cities in the
world and their mayors
Statistics: The mayors of the world’s twenty largest cities are each responsible for more people than most national prime ministers. For example, London, ranked 20th in the world, has more residents than nations like Paraguay, Denmark, New Zealand or Ireland, and if Karachi, globally the largest city, was a country it would rank above Greece, Portugal or Hungary. The combined population of the world’s eight megacities comfortably exceeds that of Germany. More

Tokyo is number one among
the richest cities in the world
Statistics: Greater Tokyo stands unrivalled in the world. For many years to come, the Japanese capital together with its surrounding urban areas will remain the richest and largest city in the world. Research published by PricewaterhouseCopper (PWC) in March 2007 places the Japanese capital at the top of the world’s richest cities between 2005 and 2020. In its own research on the world’s largest cities between 2006 and 2020, City Mayors also ranks Tokyo number one in the world. More

Urban events, conferences
seminars and conventions
Events (International): City Mayors’ directory of urban events, conferences, seminars and conventions is aimed at city leaders, urban decision makers and those with an interest in cities worldwide. The directory provides specialists with comprehensive lists of events tailored to their areas of interest. More

Christmas Eve in an
English seaside town
Metro Mensch: And they praised the English Queen and they wished her Merry Christmas and they shouted “we are safe, we are in England.” It was the Uzbekistani who broke the silence the group had kept since leaving Calais hidden in a truck. Thirteen refugees, from across Asia, hugged, kissed and shook hands. In three hours they would be in London, some with addresses to go to, others with a little money and a great deal of hope. But the joy of the group was to be short-lived because among them was a man who made his living by delivering refugees to the authorities. More

City Mayors supports mayors who have the vision, the passion and the skills to make their cities amazing places to live, to work and to visit

Portland mayor proposes new measures to curb illegal guns

The mayor who will rule over the most violent city on earth

Mexican drug cartels target local democracy

Hamburg mayor elected with support from the opposition

Mayor defends proposed mosque near Ground Zero

Former mayors join Ontario government

The French mayor and his favourite dictators

Police officers arrested over the killing of Mexican mayor

Kyrgyzstan mayor wins stand-off with president

Abducted Mexican mayor found dead

Mexico City Mayor demands apology from Catholic Church

Spanish mayor refuses to back down over Gibraltar toll

Local elections will be first test for new South African alliance

Florence mayor fights over who owns David

Hong Kong goes green at the top

The Linear City promises humane living spaces for our small planet

Moscow mayor returns to his suffering people

Malawi rulers accused of fearing local elections

Welsh politicians call for directly elected mayors

Newark in trouble after mayor loses crucial vote

Reykjavik mayor dons a dress for gay pride

Hiroshima mayor clashes with Japan prime minister

City Mayors events: Worldwide, 24 categories, free listings

The largest cities in the world by land area, population and density

World Mayor 2010

Code of Ethics for mayors

The world's largest urban areas in 2006 and 2020

Nominations sought for World Mayor 2010

Historic Cities / Living Cities

Mayors and their political parties

The Linear City promises humane living spaces for our small planet

First cities named to benefit from environmental initiative

Top level domains to become powerful city marketing tools

Swiss and German cities dominate ranking of best cities in the world

The most expensive and richest cities in the world

How good is your Mayor?

New York, London and Paris rank first in a new index of global cities

Local government

Mayors of the world

The world's city halls

Green mega cities

Asia has become home to world's fastest growing cities

21st century cities: Home to new riches and great misery

Urban events, conferences, seminars and conventions

Global urbanisation: Threats and benefits

Historic Cities - Living Cities

Mayors from The Americas

Local government in The Americas

City Halls in The Americas

North American cities on the internet

American cities seek to discover their right size

A review of the pros and cons of increased interlocal cooperation in local government

Socio-economic changes may compel US mayors to consider power sharing

US public bus systems face rising demand and deficits

US education needs to prepare for 2042 demographic time bomb

Municipal bonds have been issued by US local government since 1812

Good policing is about social integration and not about ‘zero tolerance’ measures

Crazy alliances produce surprising results in Mexico regional elections

Marcelo Ebrard, the battle-hardened and reforming mayor of Mexico City

Latin American cities: pioneers of Bus Rapid Transit systems

Mexico City presents comprehensive plan to tackle environmental issues

Mexico’s mayors need courage to face dubious de-facto powers

Mexico City’s Metrobus system perfect for cash-strapped cities

Mayors from Europe

City Halls in Europe

Local government in Europe

Swiss and German cities dominate top 10 of 'best' cities in the world

The state of Muslims in Western European cities

London, Paris and Frankfurt remain Europe’s favourite business cities

Europe's and Britain's greenest cities

St Etienne re-invents itself as city for art and design

German and Nordic cities perform well in European economic report

European cities introduce new tram-train technology

Paris.London and Barcelona are Europe's top city brands

European Cities of Culture 1985 to 2019

Mayors from Asia

Local government in Asia

Mayors from Asia and Australia

City Halls in Asia

Changes in Asia’s fast growing cities are closely watched across the world

Ahmedabad is the first city in India to adopt a Bus Rapid Transit system

China's urban transition causes growing inequality

China is at the forefront of the greatest urban-industrial revolution of all time

Megacities must urgently address the needs of slum dwellers

Indian will need new cities

Time bomb is ticking away for India’s cities

Dubai’s local government adjusts priorities following the global crisis

Metro Mensch in Baghdad

Tokyo Metro: The world’s cleanest and most extensive subway system

Mayors from Australia

City Halls in Australia

Local government in Australia

Mayors from Asia and Australia

African mayors

Mayors from Africa

Local government in Africa

Durban looks beyond the 2010 World Cup

By 2030 Africa will change from rural to urban society

Helen Zille - My aim for South Africa: An open, opportunity-driven society

Success of future megacities will depend on cooperation between citizens and authorities

Mauritania’s urban slums offer no support to rural newcomers

African cities demand access to basic services