New York city wins Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize

SINGAPORE, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The city of New York won the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize this year for its transformation after the September 11 attacks over a decade ago, the prize nominating committee said.

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg accepted the award at a ceremony in Singapore on Wednesday.

The prize was awarded to the mayor and the city's Departments of Transportation, City Planning and Parks, and Recreation. The city stood out from among over 60 nominations received from around the world.

Kishore Mahbubani, chairman of the prize nominating committee, said the city of New York is an inspiring story of urban rejuvenation.

"With bold vision, strong leadership, sheer determination and excellent partnership between government and citizens, there is now a sense of new direction in the city," he said.

Bloomberg said the vision for New York has been informed by the experiences of other cities around the world, including Singapore.

"New York is a city that is open -- to all people, commerce, and ideas -- and we will continue to make our city an even more attractive place to live, work, and visit," Bloomberg said.

Jointly organized by Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Center for Liveable Cities, the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize is a biennial award named after Singapore's former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and honoring outstanding contributions towards the creation of vibrant, liveable and sustainable urban communities.