De Blasio Opens World Cities Summit Forum As NYC Hosts Event For First Time
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday opened the annual World Cities Summit Mayors Forum.
The event gathers mayors and other urban leaders from around the globe for a two-day conference. They will share ideas and best practices for more livable and sustainable cities.
The focuses of the forum include housing and economic development, transportation and mobility, sustainability and resiliency, and education and competitiveness.
De Blasio said in opening remarks Tuesday at the Grand Hyatt, 109 E. 42nd St., that city governments are the perfect laboratory for urban policy experimentation.
He said mayors need to innovate and create, especially because federal governments increasingly are refusing to fund cities' needs.
The conference is another opportunity for de Blasio to take steps onto the world stage. Just two years ago, he was serving as the city's public advocate and was little known outside New York City.
But de Blasio has now begun making the national circuit as a spokesman for progressive issues – to the frustration of some New Yorkers.
This is the first time New York has hosted the event, which is in its sixth year.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)