The new ‘special relationship’: between London and New York

Michael Bloomberg

24 May 2008

Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York, unveils his new partnership with Boris, and their plans to forge a transatlantic alliance between the two greatest cities on earth to promote state-of-the-art public policy, cultural links and economic prosperity

When I first took the oath of office on the steps of City Hall, I could see smoke still rising out of the World Trade Center site, just a few blocks away. It was three months after the attacks of 9/11, and in that time, New York City had lost 100,000 jobs, the city’s economy had sunk into recession, and our unemployment rate was up to 8.2 per cent.

There was great uncertainty about the future, and great concern that, as bad as things were, the worst was yet to come. Instead, we turned the city’s $5 billion budget deficit into a $5 billion surplus; our unemployment rate is now lower than the national average, while our life expectancy has grown higher than the national average; we have cut crime by more than 20 per cent — to its lowest level in more than 40 years — and we’ve raised high school graduation rates by 20 per cent.

Notwithstanding this success, we continue to face the usual list of urban problems, just as London does. Traditionally, in both the US and the UK, cities looked to the national government to solve these problems. No more. We have learned that devolution of power coupled with local innovation can be an enormously effective force for progress. More and more, cities around the world have become incubators of innovation, and it is the mayor’s role to ensure that the city — like any successful company — is always looking outward at the world, always keeping an eye on the best new ideas.

In New York, for instance, when we were working to develop our long-term agenda for environmental sustainability, we stole the best ideas from Bogota to Berlin to Tokyo — and we worked to adapt and improve upon them. While much attention has been paid to how we also sought to adopt a London-style congestion pricing plan, we have studied many other areas of London’s experience, especially the rise of Canary Wharf, which has provided a model for our efforts to revitalise Manhattan’s Far West Side, currently home to train yards and warehouses.

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Martin Morrow

May 22nd, 2008 6:02pm Report this comment

Methinks Bloomberg has an inflated opinion of himself.
He has traded away much of the structure and policy put in place by his worthy predecessor. His moralizing is worse than Nu Labour's and he thinks, because he has made a lot of money, that he knows best.
He doesn't.
New York will pay dearly for his egotism.

Water

May 22nd, 2008 6:25pm Report this comment

"no two cities combine such staggeringly rich and diverse economic and cultural opportunities as New York and London." Now this is certainly true and it will be interesting to see what comes out of this relationship.

peter adler

May 24th, 2008 8:42am Report this comment

Hi Martin Morrow,
I would suggest you give us some arguments for your invectives. Do you live in NYC? Please give us some first-hand info!

Robera McLaren

May 24th, 2008 5:24pm Report this comment

Well that's Boris off to a good start isn't it. First stop, brown nose the Yankee Doodle Dandies. Or is it a case of 'Birds of a feather...?'
Isn't it about time for someone to point out to the US that they are the Fat Owl of the Remove?
Shame about Boris really. Should have stuck to the HIGNFY job while it was going.

Sandeep M

May 24th, 2008 5:43pm Report this comment

Firstly, I thought Mr. Bloomberg made some excellent points about the future of New York and London as cities, and how this future depends on increasing their collaboration, sharing the best ideas and making it easier for their citizens to travel and share cultural experiences across the "pond".

Mr. Bloomberg speaks, thinks and writes likes a professional not a politician and that is why he is so refreshing to read. His emphasis on accountability, transparency, public input and clear communication in government is something that all politicians could learn from.

GK

May 27th, 2008 3:41pm Report this comment

the two greatest cities in the world: Not according to the Fuehrer. He was always referring
to Paris and Vienna as world class cities. Berlin, he would say, was a big city but not a world class city (hence, he wanted to make it using Speer, but war intervened). London in the '70s looked like Bulgaria and only Arabs seemed to have money to keep casinos going.
In the '80s things started to change and I was told by an economics professor that London was the biggest finance centre of the world. But surely, the
Fuehrer had architectural issues
in mind when he was making the comparison.

peter adler

May 28th, 2008 11:21pm Report this comment

Robera McL and Martin M can form a club - "We who dislike Boris Johnson and Michael Bloomberg, but have no arguments just a lot of vacuous nasty words".

James Robinson

May 30th, 2008 10:03pm Report this comment

Bloomberg sounds about fifty times cleverer than anyone in the depressing camp known as New Labour. Sounds like a smashing ally and mentor for Boris. Let's just hope that big oaf Brown bumbles off back to nowhereville from whence he came before he bankrupts the country. Boris and Cameron - what a welcome change that will be!

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