The corruption-fighting Greek, the hands-on Indonesian, and eight other game-changing mayors
The corruption-fighting Greek, the hands-on Indonesian, and eight other game-changing mayors
Globe Staff
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City mayors should have more control over global policy, suggests political theorist Benjamin Barber, since they are politicians who get bold things done. Here are 10 mayors from around the world whose bold accomplishments have improved their cities, and even their countries.
“Since there is no money to buy votes, politicians actually have to produce results.” — In a 2012 interview with German media
Thessaloniki, Greece
Population: 322,000
Mayoral highlights:
In office since November, 2010
A chain-smoking, heavily tattooed 71-year-old former communist from a wine-making family
Came to office after discovering that the sitting mayor, a conservative, had been looting the accounts
One of the first changes he made as mayor was to produce a job description for every city employee, reducing red tape and countering the culture of corruption by stressing accountability
Muhammad Yunus Nawandish
Kabul, Afghanistan
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“Because the fight against corruption and the land mafia is not so easy, I purchased a piece of land for my grave.” — In a 2012 interview with Al Jazeera
Kabul, Afghanistan
Population: 5 million
Mayoral highlights:
In office since January, 2010
Gets foreign donors to pay for everything from solar-powered streetlights and public toilets to bus networks and overpasses. They build it, he names it
Has brought high-level pothole politics to this previously ungovernable, bombed-out city
With hardly any tax revenues, he has found something useful to say to the city’s hundreds of aid agencies: “Build me something that will last 10 years.”
Annise Parker
Houston, Tex.
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“I have been very careful as mayor to prioritize the things we do to reduce our greenhouse gas in ways that also are important for the city’s bottom line.” — In a 2014 interview with The Houston Chronicle
Houston, Tex.
Population: 2.1 million
Mayoral highlights:
In office since December, 2009
First openly gay mayor of a major U.S. city, Parker, 57, married her long-time partner in January and together they have three children
Honoured for her work in implementing the Houston Green Office Challenge, a program that encourages commercial building managers and tenants to reduce energy use, water use and waste by 10 to 50 per cent
Has furthered green initiatives including expanding the city’s fleet of alternative-energy cars
Yevgeny Roizman
Yekaterinburg, Russia
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“It’s a conditional democracy. We don’t like the way it’s going, but we still remember the [Soviet Union], so we know it could be worse.” — In a January, 2014, interview with The Globe and Mail when asked if Russia is a democracy
Yekaterinburg, Russia
Population: 1.3 million
Mayoral highlights:
In office since September, 2013
Somehow defeated Vladimir Putin’s party to become mayor; one of few opposition figures in such a post
Flouting the stiff dress code of Russian officialdom, Roizman, 51, governs in jeans and a T-shirt
Known for spearheading a controversial anti-drugs program, his anti-corruption campaign turned him into a local hero and he may seek national politics
Supports a proposal to make Yekaterinburg a federal city along with Moscow and St. Petersburg, freeing it from interference from the regional government
Matteo Renzi
Florence, Italy
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“If we want to get rid of grandfather Silvio [Berlusconi] . . . we must free ourselves of a whole generation of executives of my party . . . Enough! It is the moment for scrapping.” — In a 2010 interview with La Repubblica
Florence, Italy
Population: 370,000
Mayoral highlights:
In office June, 2009-March, 2014
Known as “the scrapper,” he used his mayoral seat, where he defeated the government-backed candidate in 2009, to push for the resignation of Silvio Berlusconi-era politicians and the revival of moderate politics
He banished cars from central Florence and created a pedestrian-friendly, tourist-attracting old city
Parlayed his reputation into becoming the youngest prime minister of Italy at the age of 39 in 2014
Tri Rismaharini
Surabaya, Indonesia
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“My main challenge is how I can quickly increase the welfare of the people in Surabaya, how I can lift people above the poverty line so they have a better life and how to make Surabaya a city that is comfortable and safe for the people who live in it – not just for the rich but also for the poor, for everyone.” — Australian Broadcasting Corporation Transcripts, 5 April 2013
Surabaya, Indonesia
Population: 2.7 million
Mayoral highlights:
In office since June, 2010
The hands-on, 52-year-old former head of the Sanitation and Parks Office is not afraid to be seen cleaning gutters, sweeping streets and directing traffic
She has been on a mission to beautify Indonesia’s second largest city, rehabilitating many of the neglected parks in the city
Rismaharini was awarded Mayor of the Month for February 2014 by the City Mayors Foundation for, among other things, increasing port traffic by 200 per cent in the first two years of her administration
Won-Soon Park
Seoul, South Korea
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“I want to make a city that can run smoothly with anyone in charge, even without a mayor in place.” — 2014 interview with The Wall Street Journal
Seoul, South Korea
Population: 10.44 million
Mayoral highlights:
In office since October, 2011
A long-time civic activist, Park, 57, is one of the most followed politicians on Twitter; he launched a campaign to bring street-level culture back to his huge, thriving city
Introduced “car-free days,” pushed for electrical-generating independence through alternative sources and live air-quality management
Often works beyond the municipal level, reaching out to North Korea and launching an equality-focused charity, the Beautiful Foundation
Olaf Scholz
Hamburg, Germany
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“With the signing of these agreements, we are strengthening the societal foundation of our city: We are all Hamburg.” — At the November, 2012, signing ceremony recognizing Muslim holidays
Hamburg, Germany
Population: 1.7 million
Mayoral highlights:
In office since February, 2011
After winning a large majority (rare in Germany) Scholz, 55, declared he would make Hamburg’s status as a multicultural city of immigration into an asset
Introduced citizenship ceremonies, created higher-density housing and revived formerly neglected neighbourhoods
Known for his wider politics: Established a coalition of cities and is a high flier in Germany’s Social Democratic party
Mohamed Nur
Mogadishu, Somalia
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“Mogadishu is the city I grew up in, the place I love, and it always made me angry the way the warlords cut it into fiefdoms. The problem is that today, the people have simply got used to living in violence, dirt and fear, and they cannot imagine another life. I want to change that.” — In a 2011 interview with The Telegraph
Mogadishu, Somalia
Population: 1.35 million
Mayoral highlights:
In office November, 2009-February, 2014
Nicknamed Tarzan, this ex-Londoner went back home to run the world’s most dangerous city; he was the first real mayor in the city after 20 years of terrible violence
He focused on modest goals, clearing refuse from the streets and setting up streetlights. Five neighbourhoods now have new UN-Habitat primary schools
He planted flowers and trees, for psychological effect, though they often were stolen at night
Boris Johnson
London, U.K.
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“If we can get Londoners onto bikes, we can take the pressure off public transport, we can reduce traffic and I believe we can help people to be fitter, calmer, less hassled and to enjoy the glories of the city in a way that is different every day.” — In a December, 2013, interview with The Guardian
London, U.K.
Population: 8.17 million
Mayoral highlights:
In office since May, 2008
Shambolic, mop-haired, rumpled, stumbling, loose-lipped philanderer has become a fitting figurehead for London and an unlikely uniter
While Johnson, 49, emerged from the world of right-wing commentary and politics, he has become a champion of public transit, bike lanes, social services and multiculturalism; launched a massive bike-rental program in July, 2010, bringing 6,000 Bixi bicycles and 400 docking stations to central London
Remains very conservative on non-municipal matters and could become next national Tory leader
Interactive by CHRISTOPHER MANZA Illustrations by MURAT YUKSELIR Written by DOUG SAUNDERS Research by RICK CASH Editing by MICHAEL SNIDER and LAURA BLENKINSOP