From the Empire City to the Eternal City, Mayor Eric Adams is desperately searching for solutions to address NYC’s ongoing migrant and affordable housing crises. While a trip to Italy isn’t exactly the first idea that would come to mind, the New York politician hopes that the Italian government and way of life will provide some inspiration to guide his city in decline.
According to Adams, he aims to find “common ground” on how to deal with migrants, asylum seekers, affordable housing, the economy, and sustainability on his journey. The 110th mayor of New York City has been busy thus far by touring the Colosseum, meeting with the Pope, engaging Nobel Peace Prize laureates, and more in the handful of days since landing in Italy.
His conversation with Pope Francis was the highlight of the three-day trip, hailing the head of the Catholic Church as a “global influencer” as the two leaders discussed pertinent issues plaguing the globe. In typical fashion, the mayor was also quoted saying that “New York City is the Rome of America,” as he has with just about every other place on the planet:
The trip hasn’t all been glitz and glam though, as the mayor also visited a subway tunnel under construction to seek strategies to improve NYC’s subway system. Mayor Adams was not only impressed by the technology being leveraged at the site of the Colosseum subway line, but also by the speed at which the city is progressing on the project.
“Normally, you build a subway system in New York, you remove dirt but here… it’s almost like a real historical dig,” said Adams. “And the time, how fast they are able to do it is another thing. When it comes down to making these major renovations, here, they are able to build without all the bureaucracy.”
While these experiences are great for photo-ops, New Yorkers will be eager to see how this journey will translate into meaningful change in the Big Apple.
