Rome and New York are looking for new ways to work together as their mayors exchange ideas on housing, public services, culture and the challenges facing major metropolitan areas.
Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri met New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at City Hall on September 19 during the 2026 Urban 20 Mayors Summit, a 3-day gathering designed to bring urban priorities into the broader G20 discussion. This year, New York and Los Angeles are co-chairs of the U20.
Housing was central to the meeting. Gualtieri and Mamdani compared their cities’ approaches to affordability and agreed to connect their staffs directly to continue exchanging experiences. Mamdani expressed particular interest in Rome’s 15-minute-city model and its co-housing experiments, while Gualtieri discussed New York’s housing construction plans.
The conversation also covered energy costs, climate resilience, integration, public services and potential cultural initiatives. Rome’s Municipio I and Manhattan already have a cooperation agreement, providing an existing foundation that the 2 cities could expand.
The meeting also contained a symbolic reminder of the long relationship between Rome and New York. Gualtieri gave Mamdani a photograph of Fiorello La Guardia, New York’s Italian American mayor from 1934 to 1945. The photograph recalled La Guardia’s visit to Rome in July 1946, when he received the Lupa Capitolina.
Gualtieri also invited Mamdani to visit Rome. The New York mayor is currently limiting travel to concentrate on his work at home, but the invitation remains open.
The U20 summit brings together mayors and representatives from cities including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan, Turin, Paris, Barcelona and Amsterdam.
For Rome and New York, the meeting represents more than participation in an international summit. By sharing practical experiences and exploring new cultural cooperation, 2 very different global cities are strengthening a transatlantic relationship with deep historical roots and new opportunities for the future.
