Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs kicked off its first Global Mayors Forum on Sept. 15 with a conference headlined by leaders of two of the most vibrant and diverse large cities.

 

Appearing in the Low Library Rotunda, Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York and Mayor Boris Johnson of London discussed public policies to boost the economies and quality of life in their cities, and later offered their views about each other’s plan.

Both agreed that fiscal discipline is essential during an economic crisis, but they also noted that it’s just as important to move ahead on big infrastructure projects that generate jobs and revenue, such as construction of affordable housing and updating city subway systems.

“Building now,” said Bloomberg, “will put winning cards in the city’s hands when the national economy rebounds.”

Bloomberg described New York and London as friendly rivals that must work together to reverse the global financial crisis, a point Johnson emphasized with a humorous account of the “ideas and initiatives” the cities have exchanged over the years.

 

“We gave you Billy Elliot; you gave us Hairspray. We gave you mad cow disease; you gave us swine flu,” said Johnson. “You gave us the subprime disaster; we gave you a plan to spend trillions bailing out the banks.”

 

In a policy discussion that followed, moderator Julia Vitullo-Martin, director of the Center for Rethinking Development at the Manhattan Institute, which co-hosted the event, asked each mayor to comment on the other city’s competitive advantages and disadvantages. Bloomberg said London benefited from an expanding European market, whereas Johnson contended that geography worked in New York’s favor, making the city “the unrivaled financial center of a massive single market, North America.”

 

Johnson also said that New York benefited from a growing perception that it is safer than in the recent past. But he couldn’t help tweaking Bloomberg, adding, “I can’t conceal the fact from you that your murder rate is still about three times higher than in London.”

 

Even so, Bloomberg replied, New York is one of the safest big cities in America, but he lamented that the number of guns on the streets exceeds the number of people. “Which is why we’ve got to keep fighting this battle with Washington against the National Rifle Association,” he said, drawing applause from the audience.

 

After the conference, Columbia President Lee C. Bollinger described New York and London as leading cities in the search for solutions to many of the world’s most pressing problems. “Great research universities are essential to the life of both these great cities, generating the talented people and intellectual capital that drives innovation in every field of human endeavor across the globe,” said Bollinger.

 

Ester Fuchs, professor of public affairs and political science and a former policy adviser to Bloomberg, will direct the new Global Mayors Forum. “When these mayors come to Columbia and are willing to engage in a dialogue with the Columbia community, our students can better understand both the challenges and solutions to the most pressing issues we confront in the 21st century,” she said.

 

Fuchs expects to hold several more Mayors Forums this academic year, featuring mayors from the developed and the developing world.

 

Dean John Coatsworth of the School of International and Public Affairs noted the immediate impact mayors can have on the lives of residents by supporting the police, firefighters, transport and sanitation systems, parks, libraries and schools. “By engaging these leaders in our Global Mayors Forum,” he said, “we will benefit from their thoughts about the role that cities play in the generation of new policy ideas and their experiences in trying to improve urban life.”

 

In a press conference held after their discussion, Bloomberg and Johnson announced a mutual travel pact in which they will share advertising space and best practices to encourage tourism between their two cities.

 

“History is littered with examples of British people who have come to New York and experienced tragic or comical results,” said Johnson. “People who like London will want to come and have a look at New York.” And vice versa.