Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

The Civic Crowdfunding project, launched by the Administration, allowed Milan to defeat the over 100 competing cities from 27 nations

Milan, June 20 2019 – The Lombardy capital is the winner of the Wellbeing City 2019 title, the prestigious international recognition that rewards the public administrations of cities that place well-being at the center of their policies and urban planning. Milan defeated the competing cities thanks to the Civic Crowdfunding project launched by the Administration and awarded by the international jury as the best initiative aimed at improving urban well-being.

The Civic Crowdfunding project was developed in 2016 and allowed the implementation of 16 different projects born from the will of Milanese citizens and focused on their needs, including for example the transformation of an abandoned space into a community garden and the creation of a cinema inside a hospital. Milan was the first Italian municipal administration to use Civic Crowdfunding as a tool to co-finance projects and involve citizens in the administration's decision-making choices.

Over 100 cities from 27 nations competed for the first edition of the Wellbeing City award during the awards ceremony, which took place last night in Montreal, Canada. Judging the cities and their projects will be a jury of experts including Arianna Huffington, Aisa Kirabo Kacyira and Daniel Libeskind. Four cities won in the different competing categories: Santa Monica, USA (Community); Pune, India (Economy and Opportunities); Kigali, Rwanda (Public Health); and Lisbon, Portugal (sustainable environment); the award won by Milan places it as an "overall winner" city, winner in all categories.

The motivation for Milan's victory in the words of John Rossant, founder and president of NewCities: "To truly thrive, cities must become ecosystems for well-being through planning, policies and initiatives. The expert jury was pleased to see this ecosystem in action in the city of Milan through the innovative Civic Crowdfunding project and I hope that other cities can look to this financing approach that puts citizens and their well-being at the center of the decision-making process"

The Wellbeing City Award is developed by NewCities in collaboration with the Novartis Foundation, the Novartis US Foundation and in collaboration with the City of Montreal, Toyota Mobility Foundation, Transdev and the US Green Building Council.