Calgary, Canada, has the 'best mayor in the world'

The London-based City Mayors Foundation lauded the popular leader, a Muslim whose parents emigrated to Canada from Tanzania four decades ago, as “a role model for decisive management, inclusivity and forward planning”.

“His vision of how a city should plan for its future has attracted the attention of urban thinkers from across North America,” the philanthropic foundation's website said.

“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.”

The foundation singled out Nenshi's leadership during the 2013 Alberta floods and his impressive ability to rally voters in both of his mayoral campaigns.

“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,” the foundation said in praise of politician, who had just 8 percent support six weeks before the 2010 election. He won in 2013 with three-quarters of the vote. Nenshi had been able to garner a significant following through “tireless door-stepping”, a groundbreaking social media campaign and his ability to relate to city residents of all backgrounds, the foundation said. He told reporters that he was “humbled” by the nomination, which he said was also “a great surprise... a great birthday present, even". The City Mayors Foundation has been bestowing its award every two years since 2004 to “promote, encourage and facilitate good local government". In second place in the latest round was Daniël Termont, mayor of Ghent, Belgium, followed by Mayor Tri Rismaharini of Surabaya, Indonesia.