City of Altamonte Springs Partners with Mastercard to Launch Global Network for Urban Co-Development

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - Nov. 13, 2018 - PRLog -- The City of Altamonte Springs is proud to become a founding member of City Possible, a new model of public-private partnerships that creates a global network for urban co-development. As part of the program, Mastercard connects cities with world leaders, businesses and academic professionals to identify common challenges. This collaborative effort helps foster creative solutions for communities across the world.

"The City recognizes that working with cutting-edge private sector partners creates an impressive team. Mastercard understands that the best solutions for communities require the public and private sectors meshing together with purpose," Altamonte Springs City Manager Frank Martz said. "We are honored to become a global founding member of this groundbreaking program."

City Possible launched this global initiative with 16 members: Altamonte Springs, FL; Athens, Greece; Aurora, IL; Baltimore, MD; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Dublin, Ireland; Helsinki, Finland; Honolulu, HI; Kansas City, MO; Melbourne, Australia; Prague, Czech Republic; San Diego, CA; as well as the Sydney, Australia-area communities of Campbelltown,
Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool and Wollondilly Shire.

As a key component of City Possible, Mastercard is partnering with the Technology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard University (TECH) which will host a series of programs to foster a regular learning exchange among global city leaders. The first convening will take place this week at Smart City Expo in Barcelona and focus on urban planning, mobility services and data insights.

"The superpower of cities is their freedom to collaborate – allowing them to build on each other's progress," said Miguel Gamiño, who heads up global city partnerships for Mastercard. "By bringing together city leaders from across the globe, City Possible promotes the sharing of ideas and best practices – aimed at advancing more connected and inclusive urban communities. What unites all our public, private and academic partners is their commitment to make technology work for all people, and finding scalable solutions for universal needs."

Once key challenges shared by cities across the globe have been identified, City Possible will provide a framework for co-creating, testing and scaling solutions – connecting cities with private sector players that are equally committed to people-centered design such as Microsoft, HERE Technologies and IDEMIA.

"I am proud to embark on this new venture as we explore smart, sustainable alternatives," said Mayor Pat Bates. "We look forward to working with global leaders as we take our services and programs to the next level, develop advanced solutions and create a modernized experience for our community."

About the City of Altamonte Springs

Altamonte Springs is a city born of innovation, fiscal responsibility and progressive ideas. The City is completely debt free and maintains one of the lowest tax rates in Florida. City leadership, staff, residents and local businesses share a vision of making Altamonte Springs the best place in Florida to live, work, raise a family, earn a degree, seek medical care, build a business and more. Few locations in the state offer the robust services Altamonte Springs provides at such a low cost. From forward-thinking projects and proactive initiatives to an evolving business climate and environmentally-friendly projects, Altamonte Springs has set an example for other municipalities by striving to work beyond the typical constraints of local government.

The City has a perfect blend of community spirit and bustling activities that help create a wholesome environment for residents and visitors alike. Residential tree-lined streets and beautiful, natural parks reflect the charming and unique character of what locals call home. Not to mention, the City's robust events program is the most exciting in the region; all generously funded by the area's corporate sponsors. Hosting more than one million visitors each year, Altamonte Springs' programs infuse into the community a sense of excitement and entertainment, while enriching its diverse social fabric.

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