JANS – Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba announced Bloomberg Philanthropies has selected the City of Jackson as one of 25 U.S. cities to join its Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities initiative. The three-year initiative is designed to leverage historic levels of federal funding to incubate and implement transformative local solutions to build low-carbon, resilient, and economically-thriving communities. The $200 million initiative will provide deep support to selected cities, including Jackson, to pursue transformative solutions in the buildings and transportation sectors through partnerships with PolicyLink, Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University and the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

The City of Jackson will receive a Bloomberg Philanthropies-funded innovation team (i-team) with up to three dedicated staff with expertise in data analysis, insight development, human-centered design, systems thinking, and project management to bolster city capacity in driving progress on climate mitigation and promoting equitable outcomes. The city will also receive multi-year, in-depth, customized policy and technical assistance in collaboration with community-based organizations to mobilize public, private, and philanthropic investments.

Bloomberg Philanthropies chose Jackson based on its leadership and ambition to build resilient, equitable communities. Despite facing significant vulnerabilities and extreme temperature fluctuations, the city has persisted in advancing community prosperity and economic development amid the climate crisis. 

“The City of Jackson is proud to participate in the Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities initiative to create and sustain a city committed to the crises of climate change and racial wealth inequity,” said Mayor Lumumba. “We are directly aware of the effects of climate change in Jackson. Extreme fluctuations in temperatures have had a major impact on our infrastructure, and it has disproportionately affected historically-disadvantaged communities. We stand with Bloomberg in pursuit of smart policies and solutions to these issues.”