Latest Menino Survey of Mayors from Boston
University Initiative on Cities, supported by Citi Community
Development and The Rockefeller Foundation, also Addresses
Opportunity Zones, Climate Change, and the Future of Work
According to Boston University’s 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors –
the only national representative survey of American mayors – city
executives believe our nation’s crumbling infrastructure is the
most important issue presidential candidates should be talking
about on the campaign trail. In an open-ended question, 45 percent
of mayors said infrastructure was the issue related to cities they
hoped was discussed during the election, a response with so much
consensus that the next top answer was housing affordability with
only 15 percent.
Perhaps signaling growing concerns about the impacts of climate
change on their cities, 25 percent of mayors cited water,
wastewater, and stormwater projects, more than any other type of
infrastructure project, when asked what type of “large”
infrastructure project they would prioritize if they were given an
unrestricted grant. This is a 40 percent increase since the
question was last asked in 2015.
“Mayors are absolutely right that few issues matter more for our
country’s future than investing in essential infrastructure –
whether it’s roads and bridges, housing, mass transit, water
systems, or any of the other structures that are too often taken
for granted,” said Edward Skyler, Executive Vice President,
Global Public Affairs at Citi and former Deputy Mayor of New York
City. “Neglecting the infrastructure needs of our growing
cities can deepen inequality. Our bank works with mayors across the
country to invest in key projects that help our cities grow in more
equitable ways.”
Many important types of infrastructure projects are related to
transportation, specifically roads and mass transit, as well as
bicycle and pedestrian friendliness. Overall, over three quarters
of mayors believe their cities are “too oriented towards cars,”
with over a third “strongly” agreeing with that statement.
Likewise, nearly half of all mayors believe travel for bicyclists,
persons with disabilities, and pedestrians is not safe in their
cities, while over 90% believe the same for car drivers and mass
transit riders. Nearly three quarters of mayors believe cities
should make their roads more accessible to bicycles even if it
means sacrificing driving lanes or parking, with just under a third
“strongly” agreeing with that statement.
While mayors are clearly concerned about the safety of
vulnerable road users, their preferred policies are not always
consistent with transportation safety best practices in speed
limits, parking, and cycling. Large majorities of mayors believe
that their speed limits are set at the right levels and enforced
adequately. Similarly substantial proportions express favorable
views of their cities’ current parking levels and pricing. Over
three-quarters of mayors endorse painted bicycle lanes as safe
alternatives to physically separated lanes—contrary to statistical
analyses of bicycle accident data.
Mayors worry about cars contributing to climate change.
Two-thirds of mayors believe vehicles are the biggest source of
greenhouse gas emissions from their city, and the same percentage
believe it’s important to improve their city’s electric vehicle
infrastructure, even if it means less parking for non-electric
vehicles. But mayors disagree along party lines on whether cities
should play a strong role in reducing the effects of climate
change, even if it means sacrificing revenues and/or expending
financial resources. While 92 percent of Democrats believe this (55
percent “strongly”), only one quarter of Republicans do. Overall,
70 percent of mayors agree.
“This Survey provides unrivaled insight into the priorities and
thinking of America’s urban leaders—especially at a time when they
have been given responsibility for an extraordinary range of
pressing problems,” said Graham Wilson, Professor and Director
of the Boston University Initiative on Cities.
The survey also asked mayors about their attitudes and
expectations for opportunity zones in their cities, which were
created by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to give tax benefits to
those who invest in designated areas of need. Nearly three-quarters
of America’s mayors are happy with the opportunity zones selected
in their cities, despite criticism by some that the program will
ultimately benefit wealthy developers over communities in need. Six
in 10 mayors believe the program will have a large and positive
impact on their city’s economy, while less than a quarter say it
will lead to gentrification and residential displacement.
“As mayors, we understand the importance of using every tool
available to make our cities more vibrant, livable, and sustainable
places. The Opportunity Zones program is one tool that promises us
a chance to direct untapped sources of capital towards the places
that need it most," said Mayor Greg Fischer. "As we work
together on our shared mayoral priorities, I want to thank my peers
for recognizing Louisville’s work. As Vice President of the U.S.
Conference of Mayors, I welcome our continued collaboration to
build a more equitable country together. I'd also like to thank
Boston University for their partnership and hard work to conduct
these interviews of 119 mayors with academic rigor. The Menino
Survey will undoubtedly help to inform mayors’ work as we move
forward in 2020.”
The 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors was released today by the
Boston University Initiative on Cities at an event at the National
League of Cities’ City-County Leadership Center in Washington, DC.
The survey, named after the late Mayor of Boston Thomas Menino and
supported by Citi Community Development and The Rockefeller
Foundation, is an annual project to understand the most pressing
needs and policy priorities of America’s mayors from large and
mid-size (over 75,000 residents) cities. In total, 119 mayors from
38 states were interviewed throughout the summer of 2019, providing
a representative sample of mayors and cities nationally.
“We have a long history of working to advance economic stability
and mobility in U.S. cities, and Boston University has been a great
partner in providing the qualitative and quantitative data needed
to help The Rockefeller Foundation and other investors more
effectively focus our resources on people and communities in urban
centers across the United States,” said Otis Rolley, Acting
Senior Vice President of U.S. Equity & Economic Opportunity at
The Rockefeller Foundation.
The full report from the survey, including results on
opportunity zones and the future of work, can be found here.
About the Initiative on Cities
The Boston University Initiative on Cities catalyzes the social,
natural, computational and health sciences to conduct research in,
on and with cities in pursuit of sustainable and inclusive urban
transformation. Founded by a proven urban leader, the late Mayor of
Boston Thomas Menino, and a highly regarded academic, Professor
Graham Wilson, the Initiative serves as a bridge between academic
research and the real-life practice of city governance. Additional
information may be found at www.bu.edu/ioc and at
www.surveyofmayors.com.
About Citi
Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million
customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and
jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments
and institutions with a broad range of financial products and
services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and
investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and
wealth management.
Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com |
Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi| Blog:
http://blog.citigroup.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi |
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi
About The Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation advances new frontiers of science,
data, and innovation to solve global challenges related to health,
food, power, and economic mobility. As a science-driven
philanthropy focused on building collaborative relationships with
partners and grantees, The Rockefeller Foundation seeks to inspire
and foster large-scale human impact that promotes the well-being of
humanity throughout the world by identifying and accelerating
breakthrough solutions, ideas, and conversations. For more
information, sign up for our newsletter at
rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter
@RockefellerFdn.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200121005775/en/
Media Contacts: Stacy Fox, sfox@bu.edu and (617) 358-8086
Stephanie Hyon, stephanie.hyon@citi.com and (212) 816-3397 Ashley
Chang, achang@rockfound.org and (212) 852-8451
Citigroup (NYSE:C)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
Citigroup (NYSE:C)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024