Ammon News - Amman has ranked among 50 Champion Cities list in the 2021 Global Mayors Challenge, a global innovation competition that works to identify and accelerate the most ambitious ideas developed by cities in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a press statement by the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) on Wednesday, the 50 cities will refine and develop their ideas with technical assistance from Bloomberg Philanthropies and its network of innovation and development experts, and 15 will win $1 million each, which will be announced in early 2022, to help them implement their breakthrough ideas and, ultimately, to spread their ideas to other cities around the world.

In its application to the competition, Amman proposed developing and expanding accessibility maps for urban services to support local authorities in achieving sustainable development goals, promoting strategic objectives of the various sectors, and providing future city leaders with a comprehensive vision based on evidence-based urban policies in cooperation with academia, the private sector and local initiatives.

This joint effort would enable development of comprehensive plans for any urban intervention, and the development of effective response plans during various crises, said the statement.

Chairman of the GAM Committee, Yousef Shawarbeh, said the "true" GAM’s ability is to enhance resilience, quality and sustainability of city life for all citizens by developing scientific urban manuals and perseverance in adapting technological tools to enhance level of municipal services.
631 cities from around the world submitted applications earlier this year and, from those, a committee of global experts has selected the 50 most innovative urban solutions to emerge in the wake of COVID-19 to advance in the competition.