Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi wins 2014 World Mayor Prize

While one certain Canadian mayor may have garnered numerous international headlines for his atrocious behaviour, another Canadian mayor has won accolades for the complete opposite reasons.

Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi has now been named the recepient of the 2014 World Mayor Prize.

The World Mayor Prize is given every two years by the City Mayors Foundation awards to a mayor who stood out because of public support, stellar achievements, and tributes from citizens.

Nenshi beat Daniël Termont of Ghent, Belgium, and Tri Rismaharini of Surabaya, Indonesia, (who came in second and third places respectively) to take the prestigious top spot.

The mayors were evaluated for honesty, leadership and vision, good management abilities, social and economic awareness, ability to provide security and to protect the environment, and the skill to cultivate good relations between communities of different cultural, racial, and social backgrounds. 

In response to the win, Naheed tweeted:

Well, that's a pretty nice (and shocking) birthday present! Thanks to all who nominated me! http://t.co/MIkbkbIOsa.

— Naheed Nenshi (@nenshi) February 2, 2015

Other Canadian mayors who previously placed in the top 10 include Surrey mayor Dianne Watts, who was named the fourth top mayor in the world in 2010, and Québéc City mayor Régis Labeaume, who also came in fourth place in 2012.

The Toronto-born Nenshi became the first Muslim mayor of a major North American city in 2010.

He has seen the city through various crises, including severe flooding in June 2013, which required approximately 75,000 people to be evacuated, and a major power outage in the downtown core.

Here's how the foundation described Nenshi:

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, the winner of the 2014 World Mayor Prize, is the most admired mayor of any large Canadian city. His vision how a city should plan for its future has attracted the attention of urban thinkers from across North America. Since taking office in 2010, he has become the most admired mayor of any large Canadian city. He is an urban visionary who doesn’t neglect the nitty-gritty of local government. For many in North America and indeed Europe, Mayor Nenshi is a role model for decisive management, inclusivity and forward planning. He has also demonstrated strong leadership during disasters like the Alberta floods of 2013 and last year’s power outage, which affected large parts of the downtown area of the city. While Mayor Nenshi rejects being labelled progressive or indeed anything else - in the World Mayor interview he said: “I really believe that this kind of categorization alienates people and keeps them from participating in the political process.” – he has not shied away from challenging conservative views from some members of Alberta’s provincial government. 
 
In 2010 Naheed Nenshi became the first Muslim mayor of a major North American city after his ‘Purple Revolution’ captured the imagination of voters from right across the political spectrum. Some six weeks before the 18 October 2010 elections, opinion polls only credited Naheed Nenshi with eight per cent support but extensive use of social media combined with tireless door stepping - his supporters even organised coffee parties in their homes where Nenshi explained his vision - propelled him to victory on election day. Three years later the Mayor was re-elected with almost three quarters of votes cast.

Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary, Canada
Naheed Nenshi has been mayor of Calgary since 2010. He was elected for a second three-year term in 2013. He is the first Muslim mayor of a major North
American city.
 
Mayor Nenshi was born in 1972 in Toronto. He received a degree in commerce from the University of Calgary and has a master degree in public policy from Harvard University.
 
After contesting for a city council place unsuccessfully in 2004, Naheed Nenshi sought the mayoralty in 2010. Very much an ‘outside’ candidate he prevailed with 39 per cent of votes cast. His 2010 victory was seen as a breakthrough in the use of social media in mainstream electoral contests. He was re-elected in 2013 with 73 per cent of the vote.
 
He has antagonised much of conservative opinion in Calgary and provincial Alberta but has secured a strong majority support for his leadership, which has used social media extensively and emphasised the need to further diversify the city economy. Transparency and dialogue are the central principles of the mayor’s approach. In 2014 he was a signatory to a document, which takes forward the case for Charter status for Alberta’s cities.
 
Calgary is experiencing rapid increase in population and the mayor’s key priorities in his second term are managing that growth whilst enhancing job opportunities and the long-term prosperity of the city.
 
Much of his working life has been with international consultancy firms, which allowed him to travel extensively. As mayor he has continued to travel regularly, making speeches across the world. In the early 2000s he was the first tenured professor of management of non-profit enterprises in Canada, at Mount Royal University. This background is evident in the mayor’s zest for partnership with private sector bodies in service innovation and delivery.

Former governor general Adrienne Clarkson wrote about Nenshi in her book Room For All of Us: Surprising Stories of Loss and Transformation. She had told the Georgia Straight's Charlie Smith in 2011 that cities like Toronto envy having a mayor like Nenshi.

Apparently, now so does the rest of the world.