Belfast has been named a winner in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge 2025 – 2026, securing $1 million (approximately £750,000) to overhaul how the city's network of alleyways is managed and improved.

Selected from over 630 applications worldwide, Belfast joins an elite cohort of 24 cities across 20 countries chosen for their innovative approaches to urban challenges.

The funding will support Belfast City Council in redesigning a core service by putting residents at the centre of the process. The project aims to move away from reactive maintenance toward a sustainable, scalable model where the council and local neighbourhoods work as partners to steward their immediate surroundings.

The successful bid follows an intensive development phase that utilised creative engagement tools, including face-to-face sessions and a conversational AI agent shaped like a wheelie bin. This outreach confirmed a strong desire among residents to have a greater say in how shared spaces close to their homes are used and cared for, while recognising that every community need is unique.

Belfast's proposal focuses on creating bespoke solutions rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. The new model will introduce local resource hubs and encourage the use of recycled materials for environmental improvements. It also incorporates new digital and data tools to track progress alongside small grants designed to empower resident-led action and green interventions. The programme will be tested initially in specific areas to refine approaches to waste management, environmental stewardship, and local decision-making. High-profile examples of successful resident action, such as Foxglove Alley in the Stranmillis area—where residents Shane McLaughlin and Olivia McIntyre worked to regenerate their local space—serve as inspiration for what the citywide model could achieve.

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tracy Kelly, said that the achievement is a significant endorsement of the city's ambition to deliver services differently. She noted that because every neighbourhood is different, the funding provides a blank canvas to work with residents, listen to their ideas, and support solutions that make sense at a local level.

Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and former Mayor of New York City, praised the winning cities for their proactive problem-solving. He noted that the Mayors Challenge is designed to help bold, creative ideas come to life and eventually spread to other urban centres around the world.

The learning gathered during the testing phase will inform a long-term, citywide strategy, encouraging residents across all parts of Belfast to work together to improve their neighbourhoods and take ownership of their shared environment.

If you live near an alleyway and would like it to be considered as part of the Bloomberg-funded project, visit the Alleyways page on the council website for more information.

To learn more about the 50 finalist proposals, visit the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayor's Challenge website.