London and Los Angeles have signed an agreement to become ‘Innovator Cities’ – enabling greater collaboration to tackle some of the biggest transportation issues facing cities around the world.
This agreement will enable the cities to work together to develop innovation challenges, identifying where similar problems exist and making sure that solutions developed in either city can work elsewhere in the world.
The agreement would also give companies the opportunity to take part in ‘start-up exchanges’, which would allow a start-ups to pitch their ideas in both London and LA.
London and Los Angeles then hope to expand the ‘Innovator Cities’ network to more cities.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “London and Los Angeles are two of the world’s boldest and most innovative cities, so it makes perfect sense for us to join forces with the aim of addressing some of the biggest transport challenges facing us today.
“Working together enables us to share best practice, promote new ideas and find pioneering solutions that could be replicated in other cities around the globe.”
The approach will be first trialled through the London FreightLab Innovation Challenge, which launched last month and calls for people in the UK to develop ideas that make freight in London safer, cleaner and more efficient.
Through the new agreement, the winning entries could be given the opportunity to pitch their solution to the Mayor’s Office for the City of Los Angeles, for the opportunity to go and test their idea in another global city.
Los Angeles Mayor, Eric Garcetti, said: “Los Angeles is a global hub for transportation innovation — and we are ready to test-drive new ideas, inventions, and innovations on our streets and in our neighbourhoods right now.
“Our partnership with London is about putting the best concepts in the world onto our local roads and railways, taking steps together to help us reduce traffic, cut carbon emissions, and build resilient cities for the future.”
Want to learn more about how cities are tackling the biggest transportation issues, including congestion, air pollution and road danger? CiTTi Exhibition takes place on the 3rd and 4th of June at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena. Register your interest to attend at www.cittiexhibition.co.uk
