The top 25 Global cities of the future
By 2050, approximately two-thirds of the world’s population will live in cities, up from just over half
right now.
In order to accommodate the masses, it’s important for urban centers
to rev up their preparations for the future — through infrastructure
improvements, technological innovation, policy-making, environmental
protections, and other forward-looking strategies.
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A new report from AT
Kearney, a global business-consulting firm, ranks 128 cities based on their
projected levels of importance and competitiveness in the future. The ranking
combines cities’ scores across various data points, including environmental
performance, patents per capita, the number of business incubators and Fortune
500 companies, and quality of life.
In order to suss out the top cities of the future, AT Kearney
calculated scores in four categories: personal well-being, economics,
innovation, and governance.
These are the cities to keep an eye on in the coming years.
25. Los Angeles, United States
24. Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver edged one spot up the list from No. 24 in 2016. That’s
because of its rise in tech entrepreneurship and the legal medical marijuana
industry. In 2016, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also announced an agreement to invest
CA$900 million in the city’s transit infrastructure, which is likely to improve
its scores in the years ahead.
23. Tokyo,
Japan
Tokyo has the largest population of college graduates. But its human
capital wasn’t enough to keep the Japanese capital from sliding four spots this
year. In 2016, the governor of Tokyo resigned because of a spending
scandal. Yoichi Masuzoe is the second leader of Tokyo’s municipal government to
leave office because of a financial scandal in recent years.
22. Düsseldorf,
Germany
Düsseldorf lands at No. 22 on the ranking, rising eight spots
from 2016. The seventh most populous city in Germany is known for its fashion
industry and art scene. One company on the Fortune Global 500, food and drug
store conglomerate Metro, calls Düsseldorf home.
21. Copenhagen,
Denmark
Rising three spots from No. 24 last year, Copenhagen has been called an urban cyclist’s
paradise. Since the 1960s, the capital of Denmark has reduced car traffic and
parking centers by making space on the roads for bicyclists and pedestrians. The
environmentally friendly city also hosts a number of conferences on climate
change and renewable energy.
20. Toronto,
Canada
Entrepreneurship in Toronto has increased over the past year, and some financial experts suggest that
the city is poised to become a new tech hub. The city is also often cited as an
environmental leader — a law enacted in 2010 requires all new
buildings, except individual homes, to have green roofs. The fourth largest city
in North America fell from No. 18 in 2016.
19. Washington,
DC
The US capital cracked the top 25 global cities list for the first
time in 2017, rising eight spots. AT Kearney named leaders in five different
dimensions, including business activity and human capital, and Washington, DC,
took the top spot in political engagement — unsurprisingly.
18. Berlin,
Germany
Berlin, which slumped four spots from No. 18 in 2016, is known for
its eco-friendly policies. The rate at which the German capital is improving its
environmental performance has slowed in recent years, though it will most likely
remain a global leader in sustainability. Germany plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions
by 80% to 95% by 2050.
17. Atlanta,
United States
In 2016, Atlanta saw increases in all three data sets that determine
a city’s potential for innovation: patents per capita, private investments, and
university-sponsored incubators. Those improvements stalled over the past year,
causing it to drop 11 spots from No. 6 in 2016.
16.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam has seen increases in private and foreign direct
investment in recent years. Though the capital of the Netherlands fell eight
spots from No. 8 in 2016, AT Kearney named the city a leader in freedom of
expression. This constitutional right has been under the spotlight since
2014, when the Amsterdam court decided to prosecute a politician who
openly criticized Islam.
15. Chicago,
United States
Like Los Angeles and Toronto, Chicago has the potential to become a
future tech hub. The third most populous city in the US has seen increases in
private investments and entrepreneurship in recent years. Chicago hosts a
whopping 12 Fortune Global 500 companies, including Boeing, United Continental,
the Kraft Heinz Company, and the troubled retailer Sears.
14. Geneva,
Switzerland
Geneva leads the pack in several metrics, including number
of broadband subscribers and access to television news. The headquarters of
Europe’s United Nations is home to a variety of prominent international
organizations, including the Red Cross and the World Trade
Organization.
It climbed two spots from No. 16 in 2016.
13. Sydney,
Australia
In 2016, Sydney showed the fastest rate of improvement in its
environmental performance over the past five years of all the cities studied —
tied only with Melbourne. That effort has turned the city into a global leader
in that area. It slipped just one spot from No. 12 in 2016, and was named a
leader once again in environmental performance and quality of bureaucracy.
12. Zurich,
Switzerland
According to the report, Zurich is on track to be a future leader in
the governance category, as is Geneva. That’s partly because its bureaucracy
functions well compared to other cities.
AT Kearney also named Zurich, the most populous city in Switzerland,
a leader in the number of broadband subscribers. However, the city slumped two
spots from No. 10 in 2016.
11. Singapore
Singapore rocketed six spots up from No. 17 in 2016. AT
Kearney named it a leader in a metric that measures the quality of its
bureaucracy, in part because government officers
are paid well and there is little tolerance for abuse of power as compared with
other Asian cities studied.
10. Moscow,
Russia
Moscow catapulted onto the top 25 global cities list in 2017, rising
25 spots from the year prior. The Russian capital saw improvements in economics
as a result of growth in foreign direct investment. Moscow also registered
comparative gains in the quality of its bureaucracy —recruiting women to political
parties in recent years — though Russian President Vladimir Putin has
concentrated power and ruled through executive authority since coming
to office.
9. Stockholm,
Sweden
In 2016, Sweden’s capital city saw improvements in every indicator
of innovation. This year, AT Kearney named Stockholm, the most populous
city in the Nordic countries, a leader in freedom of expression. The city
is home to an advocacy organization, the Stockholm Center for Freedom, that promotes the rule of law and fundamental
rights.
8. Houston,
United States
For the second year in a row, Houston was named a world leader in
GDP per capita, which is an important factor in the report’s calculations of
personal well-being. The Texas city has also seen a rise in the number of
patents filed per capita, an indicator of growth in entrepreneurship.
7. Munich,
Germany
Munich may be known for its annual Oktoberfest celebration, but the
German city is also a major tech hub in Europe.
That’s because of its strengths in research and development and innovative
networking systems. In 2015, Munich was home to nearly 100,000 startups.
6. Melbourne,
Australia
For the second year in a row, AT Kearney gave Melbourne the title of
world leader in personal well-being. That means Melbourne, the second largest
city in Australia, is improving a combination of infrastructure, GDP per capita,
and foreign direct investment faster than any other city on the planet. It also
ranked highly in increases of environmental performance.
5. Boston,
United States
According to AT Kearney’s calculations, entrepreneurship has
flourished in Boston in recent years, though the city fell two spots from No. 3
in 2016. The historic city has a longstanding focus on biotech and some of the
the world’s best universities, including Harvard and MIT.
4. London,
England
London held steady at No. 4 over the past year, thanks in part to
its access to cultural experiences and workforce talent. London earned the top
spot in six metrics used in the report’s calculations, including number of top
global services firms, number of news agency bureaus, sporting events,
international travelers, and international student population.
3. Paris,
France
Paris emerged as a challenger for major US cities in future
importance and competitiveness, jumping 10 spots up from No. 13 in 2016. The
French capital is increasing the number of business incubators it hosts and has
had substantial growth in private investment from venture capital and private
equity firms — both foreign and domestic.
2. New
York City, United States
Between 2016 and 2017, New York City held steady at No. 2 on this
list. Considered a world center of fashion, finance, media, and technology, the
city posted high scores in business activity, political engagement, and human
capital. New York City also leads the pack in capital markets and
local institutions with global reach.
1. San
Francisco, United States
This is the seventh year that AT Kearney has released this type of
ranking. San Francisco, the tech capital of the world, consistently tops the
list because of its strength in innovation.
San Francisco, located north of the Silicon Valley tech hub, is best
positioned to attract and retain global capital, people, and ideas in the coming
years, according to the report. The city saw increases in the number of patents
per capita and business incubators launched.
But the concentration of power and wealth has its downside: San
Francisco often ranks as the most expensive real estate market in America, with
many long-timers forced out as techies move in.
Via BusinessInsider
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