Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale has been selected for an international leadership programme run by Harvard University and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Drysdale is one of 46 mayors from 15 countries in New York this week for the nine-month Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.

He is one of only two New Zealand mayors in this year’s cohort, alongside Dunedin’s Sophie Barker.

All programme costs are covered by Bloomberg Philanthropies, a charity founded by United States entrepreneur and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The initiative is designed to strengthen mayoral leadership and improve local government performance through classroom learning, virtual sessions and project-based work focused on tackling the challenges facing cities around the world.

Drysdale said Tauranga was one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing cities, and with that growth came both opportunity and complexity.

“I’m looking forward to learning from world-leading experts and connecting with mayors tackling many of the same issues we face.”

He said a key focus for Tauranga was making better use of data and research to understand housing affordability, population growth and ways to create thriving city centres.

“Getting this right is about a combination of affordable living, reducing pressure on transport networks, slowing urban sprawl, strengthening our economy and improving quality of life for current and future residents.”

As part of the programme, Drysdale and senior Tauranga City Council staff have access to leadership development, management tools and a global network of mayors and city leaders.

“The programme will provide valuable insights, practical tools and fresh perspectives that can help us deliver for our community,” Drysdale said.

“It also gives Tauranga access to an international network of city leaders and innovators whose experiences can help inform our work at home.”

He said it was a “fantastic opportunity” to bring global practices back to Tauranga as the council continued building a city where people could “live, learn, work and thrive”.

Through the initiative, he will join Bloomberg Philanthropies’ wider Government Innovation network, giving him ongoing access to mayors and municipal officials from around the world.