NEW YORK (AP) — Twenty cities from Chicago to Springfield, Ore., are finalists in a $9 million urban-innovation contest created by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The cities were to be announced Monday by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the billionaire politician’s personal foundation. The list is being unveiled as Bloomberg himself grapples with the unprecedented challenges that Superstorm Sandy created in New York.
The finalists came up with novel ideas for tackling issues as disparate as recycling and infant mortality. One, Houston, proposes letting residents throw everything — trash, recyclables, yard trimmings — into one bin and meld a range of technologies to sort it automatically.
The finalists were picked from more than 300 applicants. They will now compete for a $5 million grand prize and four $1 million awards.
