Bloomberg’s 10th annual CityLab is coming to DC

This fall, DC will be the place to be if you’re a city mayor interested in data, AI, climate and their intersections. 

Bloomberg Philanthropies will host the 10th annual Bloomberg CityLab from Oct. 18 to Oct. 20 in partnership with the Aspen Institute. The summit will feature 500 mayors, policymakers and urban and civic experts from around the world discussing the most pressing topics cities face today. The Monday announcement comes just a few months Mayor Muriel Bowser was named to Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance. 

International mayors and participating city leaders set to attend will be arriving from the Phillippines, Sierra Leone, Mexico, Canada, Uruguay, Chile, Iceland and beyond. Domestically, the event will include Mayor Bowser as well as city leaders from Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Birmingham, Alabama; Huntington, West Virginia; Kansas City, Kansas; Knoxville, Tennessee; San Francisco, California; and other cities throughout the country and world. 

“Now is the time to unleash our creativity — to think big and be bold, and this summit gives us the opportunity to come together and set the stage for the future of our cities,” Mayor Bowser said in a written statement. “There is no better place to do this work and strategize than here in D.C. — the city where people come to change the world.”

“The tenth CityLab is where local leaders and innovators can share strategies, learn from one another, and help spread more of the ideas that can change the world, starting in their own communities,” added Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City and founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies, in the same statement.

During the event, panels and discussions will cover generative AI in the public sector, infrastructure funding, economic equity, increased accessibility and housing. Talks will also cover the intersection of technology and climate change. The event will feature panels, one-on-one interviews, breakout sessions, artistic performances and trips around DC. 

The annual event selects a different location each year; last year’s festivities were held in Amsterdam. Here are some of the speakers people can expect

Speakers include: 

• Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg and Bloomberg Philanthropies and former mayor of New York City, New York
• Vishaan Chakrabarti, founder and creative director of the firm Practice for Architecture and Urbanism 
• Dacher Keltner, author of “Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life” The New Science of Awe
• Scott Kratz, senior VP of 11th Street Bridge Park
• Mitch Landrieu, White House senior advisor and infrastructure coordinator, former mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana
• Anthony Smith, executive director of Cities United
• Matthew Thompson, editor of The New York Times’ Headway project

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