1、Worlds Best Cities Report 2024The 100 Global Cities Shaping Tomorrow:The definitive power rankingsWORLDSBESTCITIES.COMEmpowering PResonance creates transformative strategies,brands and campaigns that empower destinations,cities and communities to realize their full potential.DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT

2、ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT URBAN DEVELOPMENTWorlds Best Cities Report20243Chris FairPresident&CEO Resonance Consultancy Welcome to the Worlds Best Cities in 2024As leading advisors in destination,economic and urban development for almost two decades,our team at Resonance has conducted extensive research o

3、n the rise of cities,the key trends propelling their growth and the factors that shape our perception of urban centers as desirable places to live,visit and invest.We are excited to apply our trusted ranking methodology to global cities with metropolitan populations of 1 million+,for the ninth conse

4、cutive year.Over that time,weve been cited by hundreds of trusted global experts and media outlets,with Bloomberg calling our city rankings“the most comprehensive study of its kind;it identifies cities that are most desirable for locals,visitors,and businesspeople alike,rather than simply looking at

5、 livability or tourism appeal.”A review of global city performance has never been more important.As our cities leave the pandemic behind,they walk forward with lessons forged in lockdowns and outdoor safe spaces fresh on their minds.Our urban centers and their citizens,current and future,are complet

6、ely rethinking what they consider desirable in a place to live,work or play.But in that tumult,we at Resonance are seeing growing alignment and patterns in the way citizens,corporations and travelers choose cities to visit,live or invest in today.From shockingly high(and persistent)downtown office v

7、acancies,to record urban heat in dozens of metropolises this past summer,cities will never be the same again.And neither will our Best Cities rankings.This year,weve regrouped our previous six categories(Place,Promotion,Product,etc.)into three larger pillars that we utilize in our work with clientsL

8、ivability,Lovability,and Prosperityto define each citys relative Place Power Score.Our rankings are still built from 24 subcategories that we analyze to measure the performance of each city:globally,like in this report,but also in U.S.and European sub-rankings that can be found at WorldsBestC.The cr

9、iteria we select to rank these cities are limited to those that have historically shown positive correlations with attracting employment,investment and/or visitors.Yes,those include“livability”stalwarts like walkability and outdoor green spaces,but also increasingly coveted talent magnets and prospe

10、rity drivers like nightlife,restaurants and posts on Instagram.These factors shape a citys“lovability,”and our research indicates that they tend to drive investment and local prosperity more than,say,local school quality or a citys safety,which are more influential in choosing what neighborhood to l

11、ive in within a city.As we emerge from the depths of the pandemic,theres never been a bigger opportunity for cities to act on their ambitions and to do right by their citizenscurrent and future.The data we collect to produce these rankings all year and across multiple regions will continue to track

12、and monitor this pivotal transformation every step of the way,identifying the Best Cities to live in,work in and visit,now and in the years to come.If you would like to learn how your city,region or community can leverage our deep insights and analysis to attract more visitors,talent and investment

13、and improve the livability,lovability and prosperity of your city please let us know.Wed love to talk about how to empower your place together.Resonance Consultancy is building the most comprehensive global and regional city rankings on the planet.Heres why this matters now more than ever as the wor

14、ld accelerates into a new post-pandemic reality.20244Cover Image:Seoul,ranked#10Contents050855Our Methodology:How we ranked the worlds best cities in 2024The worlds Top 100 cities,in detailRanking cities Place Power Score,by categoryWorlds Best Cities Report20245Our MethodologyHow we ranked the worl

15、ds best cities in 2024Every year,Resonance analyzes 270+global cities(principal cities of metropolitan areas with populations of more than one million)to determine the Top 100 by using a combination of core statistics and qualitative evaluations and recommendations by locals and visitors in digital

16、channels such as Tripadvisor,Google,Facebook and Instagram.While many factors shape our perception of cities as desirable places to live,work or visit,the Best Cities rankings focus on factors that demonstrate moderate to strong correlations with attracting talent,visitors and/or businesses to urban

17、 areas based on our extensive analysis of a wide range of data sources.While factors such as time to commute to work,crime or housing affordability do indeed shape our perception of cities when it comes to choosing a location to live within a city,our analysis shows that these factors have little to

18、 no relationship with the performance of an urban area overall when it comes to attracting talent,tourism or investment at least not in the short term.So what are the current factors influencing the performance of cities in attracting visitors,talent and/or companies?Based on our extensive analysis,

19、its an eclectic mix that ranges from the number of Fortune 500 companies and airport connectivity,to the number of nightlife and outdoor recreation experiences,to the volume of check-ins on Facebook and mentions on Instagram.These factors can change and evolve over time,and we have continually updat

20、ed our methodology to reflect these shifts.Case in point:we have added factors like Walk Score and Biking to this years index and removed inputs like Weather and Safety to more accurately represent the latest verified drivers of talent,investment and tourism to a city.This year,weve regrouped our pr

21、evious six categories(Place,Promotion,Product,Programming,People,Prosperity)into three larger pillars that we utilize in our work with clientsLivability,Lovability and Prosperityto define each citys relative Place Power Score.Worlds Best Cities Report20246Our methodology is a combination of core sta

22、tistics from 400 global cities and user-generated ratings and reviews.Resonance interprets this data through the lens of three key factorsLivability,Lovability and Prosperityto define each citys Place Power Score.Place Power ScoreLivabilityLovabilityProsperityWorlds Best Cities Report20247 Livabilit

23、yOur most layered overarching category quantifies a citys physical sense of place.To score a city within our Livability category,we evaluate the perceived quality of its natural and built environments.This includes how walkable and bike-friendly it is to how many quality parks,sights,neighborhoods a

24、nd landmarks are recommended online by locals and visitors.We also look at key infrastructure and institutions such as the ranking of the citys best university and the relative connectivity of its airport to other citiesfactors that not only attract talent,but companies as well.Walk Score A citys wa

25、lkability score on Walk Score(W)Biking A citys number of mapped bike routes per 1000,000 residents(Bikemap)Sights&Landmarks Number of quality points of interest,neighborhoods and landmarks recommended by locals and visitors(T)Parks&Recreation Number of quality parks and outdoor activities recommende

26、d by locals and visitors(T)Airport Connectivity Number of direct destinations served by the citys airports(FlightsF)Museums Number of quality museums and arts institutions recommended by locals and visitors(T)Higher Education Score of the top local university(QS Rankings)LovabilityLovability speaks

27、to the relative vibrancy and quality of place of a city relative to its competitive set.Our research has shown for some time that the more vibrant the city is in terms of its culture,sports,dining and nightlife,the more visitors,young professionals and large corporations it attracts.A citys lovabili

28、ty also inspires residents,businesses and visitors to promote a city to the world more than city marketers or chambers of commerce can ever hope to achieve.Resonance ranks a citys performance in each of these areas based on the number of stories,references and recommendations shared online about tha

29、t city in key user-generated digital channels.Culture Number of quality performing arts and cultural experiences recommended by locals and visitors(T)Nightlife Number of quality nightlife experiences recommended by locals and visitors(T)Restaurants Number of quality restaurants and culinary experien

30、ces recommended by locals and visitors(T)Shopping Number of quality shopping experiences recommended by locals and visitors(T)Attractions Number of quality family-friendly activities recommended by locals and visitors(T)Facebook Check-ins Number of Facebook check-ins(F)Google Search Number of Google

31、 search results(G)Tripadvisor Reviews Number of Tripadvisor reviews(T)Instagram Hashtags Number of Instagram hashtags(I)Google Trends Popularity on Google Trends in the past 12 months(Trends.G)ProsperityHuman capital is becoming a citys most valuable resource when it comes to generating wealth and p

32、rosperity,and,for many cities,it is increasingly in short supply.To evaluate the relative strength of human capital from one city to the next,Resonance measures both the educational attainment level of the citys population and the percentage of people participating in the labor force.We not only inc

33、lude obvious indicators of prosperity such as GDP per capita,but also the poverty rate to evaluate how well that wealth is distributed among a citys population.Wealth and prosperity are also shaped by core statistics like business infrastructure(such as convention centers)and the presence or absence

34、 of large,recognizable corporationsdespite the fact that start-ups and innovation increasingly drive a citys development and economic growth.(We measure those,too.)Educational Attainment Percentage of the population with a bachelors degree or higher(OECD/UNESCO Institute of Statistics/U.S.Census,Ame

35、rican Community Survey 2021)Labor Force Participation Percentage of the economys active workforce(World Bank/OECD/Statistics Canada/U.S.Census,American Community Survey 2021)GDP per Capita Value of goods and services produced per resident in the economy(McKinsey Global Institute)Poverty Rate Percent

36、age of the population living below the national poverty line(World Bank/Eurostat/UNICEF/OECD)Fortune Global 500 Companies Number of Fortune Global 500 corporate headquarters(F of Start-ups Number of registered start-ups in a city(StartupBlink)Convention Center Size Size of the largest convention cen

37、ter in a city()Worlds Best Cities Report20248The worlds Top 100 cities,in detailThe worlds urban centers are the engines of their regional and national economies and,importantly,the global economy.For centuries,theyve been badges of human ingenuity.Yes,theyve been hobbled this decade,exposing the lo

38、ng-ignored foundational and institutional problems that manifested on their streets and in their hospitals.But theyre also leadinglike they always havethe recovery and future-defining next stages of innovation,livability and sustainability.Given the new rules of post-pandemic migration,the rise of r

39、emote work and the never-ending search for housing affordability,more cities are catching the imagination of global talent more frequently,with urban wealth and vibrancy created in more places than ever before.This means new centers of economic potentialnot just in reinvigorated secondary and tertia

40、ry cities(think Gothenburg and Bilbao)but also suburbs that offer better affordability and space while still allowing vital physical connections to large principal cities that are foundational to regional prosperity.And with government initiatives that prioritize reshoring and energy and food securi

41、ty multiplying with every passing quarter,it is citiesfrom Austin to Zrichthat are forging the resilient,future-focused economies we need.After way too long in isolation,citizens of the worlds cities are gathering again,once more colliding and creating the culture,wealth and energy that define the z

42、eitgeist and path forward for their country,continent and the planet.The 100 cities that we profile over the next 50 pages are,in each of their distinct ways,at the heart of this renewal for the balance of this decade and beyond.Worlds Best Cities Report2024901 LondonUnited KingdomLondon still reign

43、s over all global cities.Despite crippling COVID lockdowns and economic devastation.Despite Brexit.Despite a war in Europe.The city is more indomitable and part of the global discourse than ever.From the Queens death,to last autumns chaotic drama at 10 Downing Street that finally calmed down with Ri

44、shi Sunak becoming prime minister,only to take heavy local election losses this spring,London is rarely quiet these days.No wonder that,through all this tumult,the eyes of the world were fixed here more than on any other citysave for maybe Kyivreminding everyone that London is spectacular and its be

45、en a really long while since they visited.Not that the citys promotion engine was waning.London tops both our overall Livability and Lovability indices,leading all global cities in the Instagram Hashtags,Facebook Check-ins and Tripadvisor Reviews subcategories that in part comprise the latter.Batter

46、sea Power Station resonates once again after a decade-long renovation.Indeed the city is almost back to pre-pandemic capacity,if the Tube is any indication.The London Underground Night Tube reopened more than a year ago,with the citys other lines mostly up and running as they were before COVID.There

47、 are even new metro stops as part of the transformational Elizabeth line buildout,with trains now running directly from Reading and Heathrow to Abbey Wood and from Shenfield to Paddington.The brand-new Bond Street Elizabeth line station,at the heart of Londons West End,also opened late last year.Ret

48、urning transit aficionados wont believe the direct journeys now possible across the city.Just as well,given the need to accommodate all the tourists:London ranked third on the planet(and first in Europe)for cities with the biggest international traveler spend in 2022,with$16.07 billion,almost tied f

49、or second with Doha.(Dubai was the runaway winner.)Pedestrians are also excited by the 2025 opening of the Camden Highline,the nearly mile-long greenway just north of Central As the“capital of capitals”deftly negotiates the uncharted,perilous terrain of a post-Brexit and pandemic world,it does so at

50、op our ranking for the ninth straight year.PLACE POWER SCOREPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPOPULATIONMetro 12,434,823#1 Culture#1 Educational AttainmentLivabilityLovabilityProsperity113Worlds Best Cities Report202410London that will transform an unused train track into an elevated path similar to the famous

51、urban landmark in New York.And speaking of attracting people,the hand-wringing about the flight of talent and capital due to the pall of Brexit(and the follow-up specter of an airborne pandemic),while warranted,now seems excessive.Londons resilience has been buoyed by a sinking currency that has att

52、racted investment and,of course,previously priced-out tourists.And new residents.New wealthy residents who can now afford to check off a big item on the multi-millionaire bucket list:property in the planets most coveted city.(London also topped Resonance Consultancys Europes Best Cities earlier this

53、 year.)According to the Financial Times and estate agency Savills,2022 sales of luxury homes in the city were torrid,with 605 properties selling for 5 million($6.3 million)or more in 2022,the most since at least 2006.The party did slow in 2023,with inflation,persistent high interest rates and flat e

54、quity market performance all cited as causes(to say nothing of the potential of the Labour Party forming the next government).“The number of properties sold in prime central London in the first quarter of 2023 was 29%lower than the same period last year,according to LonRes,which tracks the citys hig

55、h-end market,”reported the FT.“At the same time,buyer demand has fallen in nearly every part of prime London since last summer,says the data company PropCast.”The highest-profile new residents span the globally super-rich,from Middle Eastern buying activity hitting a four-year high in the second hal

56、f of 2022 to the arrival of tech royalty,although aggressive tech-sector cost-cutting has brought the deep tech investment seen earlier this decade to a halt.Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri,who arrived seeking the most educated citizenry on the planetavailable at a relative discount to Silicon Valley or

57、New Yorkreturned to the U.S.earlier this year.While the city remains Metas largest global engineering base outside of the U.S.,its two offices in Londons Kings Cross neighborhood,opened in early 2022 after a three-year build(and designed by Bennetts Associates with interiors by TP Bennett based on a

58、 concept design by Gehry Partners),are pretty sparse these days.While Google is still planning to open its 11-story,969,000-square-foot London HQ in 2024 between Kings Cross station and the Kings Boulevard,the 4,000 anticipated employees wont be brought on for a while.The office slowdown across the

59、city has spotlighted the office vacancy crisis at Canary Wharf,Londons 128-acre banking district,with its 17%(and rising)vacancy rate,which is the highest in the city.As a result,owners Canary Wharf Group are planning to invest their way out by building a“Canary Wharf 3.0”in the area,focused on resi

60、dential,entertainment and a 750,000-square-foot life-sciences center,which it says will be the largest commercial lab in Europe.Despite these recent economic clouds,London is still hot globally.According to fDi Markets,the Financial Times foreign investment tracker,London has pulled in the most fore

61、ign direct investments into tech from international companies since 2018,ahead of New York,Singapore and Dubai.Tower BridgeWorlds Best Cities Report202411Of course none of this happens without the sustained facilitation of London&Partners,Londons official publicity arm and the economic development o

62、rganization that works to offer financial perks for all that relocation.Recent tax incentives have included the lowest corporate tax rate among G7 countries and a cornucopia of research and development tax credits.“Grow London,delivered by London&Partners,continues to support high growth companies f

63、rom around the world to choose London for their international expansion,connect into our communities and meet their peers,”says Janet Coyle,managing director of business growth at London&Partners.“From Andreessen Horowitz picking London for its first office outside the U.S.to the Atlanta-based carbo

64、n credit fintech platform Cloverly expanding to London to support Mayor Sadiq Khans ambitious climate goals to become a zero-carbon,zero-pollution city by 2030 and a zero-waste city by 2050,London is one of the best places to scale a business.”All those newcomers will need to fuel up,and this is the

65、 right place,especially these days,when the culinary industry is being reborn after dozens of the citys most iconic restaurants shuttered over the pandemic.The city with a Top 5 restaurant scene globally is buzzing again with big-name openings like Dubai-based izakaya-style restaurant Kinoya in Harr

66、ods.Hundreds of other rooms are soon to join this increasingly daring culinary destination servingand welcomingthe world once more.Fortunately for them,dozens of newly opened and equally daring hotels await,none more exciting than the urban reimagining of the Artotel,with its 164 art-inspired rooms

67、on the top levels of the recently reopened Battersea Power Station,a mid-1900s husk that today is stuffed with shops,restaurants,cinemas and a theater.Or the OWO Raffles in the Old War Office Building in Whitehallits the first time the neo-Baroque building,used by the Ministry of Defence until the 1

68、960s,will open to the public.The highest-profile new residents span the globally super-rich,from Middle Eastern buying activity hitting a four-year high in the second half of 2022 to the arrival of tech royalty,although aggressive tech-sector cost-cutting has brought the deep tech investment seen ea

69、rlier this decade to a halt.St.Pauls CathedralWorlds Best Cities Report20241202ParisFranceA lot of city leaders talk about learning from the pandemic,but La Ville-Lumire is actually walking the walk,going all-in on those hard lessons and their applications to molecular urban change.While the face of

70、 Pariss pandemic evolution is Mayor Anne Hidalgo and her aggressive empowerment of self-propelled mobilityfrom a city-wide speed limit of 18 miles per hour introduced in 2021 to the promise of 435 miles of bike paths across most arrondissements by 2026its the citizenrys embrace of this boldness that

71、 is changing the citys fabric for good.While the city is future-proofing itself with visionary sustainability and investment attraction(much more on that in a bit),its battling monumental social and economic challenges,perhaps unlike any other capital city.Paris has been wracked by unemployment and

72、economic calamity since 2020 and ranks#158 in our Poverty Rate subcategory,which Swimming in the Seine.tracks residents living under the national poverty line.Despite its#2 overall global ranking for 2024,the city ranks#14 in our top-line Prosperity index and the systemic inequality is a powder keg

73、in and around the city.This summer,the city(and country)exploded after the fatal,point-blank shooting of French teenager Nahel Merzouk by Florian Menesplier,a police officer,in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.Given the 17-year-olds Algerian and Moroccan descent,racism was alleged in the killing.After a

74、 week of protests across the country,which caused an estimated billion dollars in damage,city life has gotten back to normal as investigations into systemic racism in the regional police force and the murder trial proceed.Even with the unrest,this summer looks to be one of the most lucrative ever by

75、 tourism Paris attacked the pandemic not only with its doctors and health-care workers but also with its urban planners.Just in time to welcome the world for the 2024 Summer Olympics.But first,whos up for a dip in the Seine?PLACE POWER SCOREPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPOPULATIONMetro 13,115,000#1 Sights&L

76、andmarks#1 Walk Score(tie)LivabilityLovabilityProsperity2314Worlds Best Cities Report202413spend.Of course,being able to enjoy a city ranked best in the world in our Sights&Landmarks subcategory,as well as#3 in Museums(the city has well over 100),has a tendency to distract one from the perils of the

77、 modern world.Almost three years without Paris is certainly driving the voraciousness,but so is the euro being near par with the U.S.dollar of late.The city remains the most visited on the planet,with 44 million visitors last year,yet still 13%below 2019 levels.Paris was also recently crowned the wo

78、rlds most powerful urban tourist destination for 2022 by the World Travel&Tourism Council,with the citys hospitality industry worth$35.6 billion last year.And its projected to grow to$49 billion by 2032.Good thing Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport used the past three years of lower volume to invest 25

79、0 million into a renovation of Terminal 1.Reopened this year,it now has a colossal junction building and a central lobby full of the latest tech to improve the traveler experience.Rail access and infrastructure are also unprecedented.A seven-hour direct Berlin-to-Paris TGV line launches next year,wi

80、th more ambitious directs like the Venice-to-Paris Midnight Trains coming in 2025.No matter how they arrive,what Paris visitors new and returning will find is a city that has codified pedestrianism and alfresco living.To ensure that cars didnt take back control of Paris streets as pandemic urban pil

81、ot projects wanedas was the case in many other citiesMayor Hidalgo legislated that the 60,000 parking spots loaned to restaurants for outdoor seating simply remained as outdoor seating.The same went for closing off lesser-driven streets entirely for public walking and seating for local businesses in

82、 need of additional outdoor space.And nowhere is the transformation more dramatic than along the Seine,in the heart of Pariss tourist district,near Notre-Dame Cathedral and city hall itself.With the reduced car traffic,this is now Pariss town square(in a city with dozens of historic spots worthy of

83、the honor).The riverside promenade hosts thousands night after night,even after Pariss Right Bank summer event wrapped up.The Paris Plages urban beach initiative welcomes picnicking and other low-cost access to a city long criticized as pricey and exclusive.Speaking of Notre-Dame,its reopening in 20

84、24 after its devastating fire aligns with what will be a vital year for Paris,and for France,when the city also hosts the Olympic Summer Games,with many events integrated right into the revered urban fabric.And nothing would go further to demonstrate the citys efficacy in achieving a cleaner,healthi

85、er Paris than being able to host swimming events for athletes and the general public post-Games.After wild Atlantic salmon first returned to the Seine 14 years ago,the river is today home to more than 30 species of fish,like trout,perch and eel.Considering Pariss plan to hold the 2024 opening ceremo

86、nies not in a stadium but on floating outdoor stages,nursing this sacred river back to health would be incredibly poetic,even in a town that invented poetic gestures.Strolling the Fondation Louis Vuitton.Worlds Best Cities Report202414Those Paris heatwaves certainly became more tolerable this past s

87、ummer,when public swimming was allowed on select days for the first time in a century.The plan is for regular swimming spots by 2025 at the Bras Marie,Bras Grenelle and Simone de Beauvoir footbridge in Bercy.The Champs-lyses is next on the city leaderships list,set to be transformed for the Games in

88、to a massive garden,with vehicle access cut in half and millions of euros invested in pedestrian-focused amenities.The flood of new and renovated hotels in the city is also doubling down on coveted,elevated perches from which to meditate on the iconic views.The new Kimpton St Honor and Htel Rochecho

89、uart are both topped by outdoor terraces,while the just-opened and Philippe Starck-designed Too Htel that soars above the city higher than any other is crowned with a giant,3,750-square-foot glass cube with a bar and restaurant that serves up a view worthy of this enchanting cit.Local economic devel

90、opment teams are also back at full speed,especially with the obvious inequality that sends citizens out into the streets every few months.Initiatives range from subsidized rents for shops in underserved hoods(the city has purchased 650 abandoned spaces for this very purpose)to national talent attrac

91、tion with direct local benefit.In 2021,President Macron committed 30 billion to the France 2030 plan:an effort to create“high-tech champions of the future”that is expected to yield 100 French tech unicorns by the end of the decade.There are 26 today,with 20 of these in Paris and quickly establishing

92、 the city as a start-up hotbed,with the State of European Tech noting that France has seen the strongest growth in tech-focused job searches of any European country.And where do you think all that talent will pick as their new home base?Nothing would go further to demonstrate the citys efficacy in a

93、chieving a cleaner,healthier Paris than being able to host swimming events for athletes and the general public post-Games.After wild Atlantic salmon first returned to the Seine 14 years ago,the river is today home to more than 30 species of fish,like trout,perch and eel.The timeless Eiffel Tower.Wor

94、lds Best Cities Report20241503New York City United StatesNYC between 2020 and 2022 was a ghastly reminder of the vulnerability of even the colossal and seemingly all-powerful;we saw here what awaited other cities across the U.S.and globally,first in its hospitals,then in its all-hands-on-deck recove

95、ry efforts.Today,NYC is also the urban recovery writ large.Sniping haters who declared that the big,vibrant,cheek-by-jowl city experiment was finally over as the urban exodus intensified in 2020 and vacancy in the citys coveted real estate hit double digits were quickly silenced by the rebound.The m

96、id-pandemic 50%drop in real estate sales shot up to the highest-ever median rents in Manhattan two years later(currently registering at a new all-time high of the mid-$5,000s per month).Tourism,the accelerant for so many of the citys amenities,was a priority for a sustainable recovery,and city leade

97、rs are doing everything Dancing in the streets during the annual South Side United Block Party in Brooklyn.in their power to bring back not only those apprehensive New Yorkers whose hunger for regular bites of the Big Apple is finally being sated,but also the nearly 70 million people who visited in

98、2019 and spent$46 billion across its expansive quilt of Sights&Landmarks(ranked#13 globally).The city has no other choice:office occupancy remains about 50%of pre-pandemic levels,according to local numbers.For example,Bloomberg examined data from eight major Manhattan office buildings and discovered

99、 that“foot traffic is down about 52%on Fridays and 45%on Mondays compared with pre-COVID.”The domino effect is perilous:an estimated 40%drop in office market value as office towers sit partially empty could cost$5 billion in lost tax revenue(an astonishing 5%of the citys annual budget).Subway riders

100、hip is equally concerning,resulting in service cuts.The greatest city in America is urban recovery writ large,with a dizzying roster of new shows,hotels and parksand record real estate prices.But the Big Apple is always worth the price of admission,especially in these glory days.PLACE POWER SCOREPLA

101、CE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPOPULATIONMetro 19,768,458#1 Google Trends#2 CultureLovabilityLivabilityProsperity2612Worlds Best Cities Report202416Fortunately,tourism numbers have had a breathtaking return,from 33 million visitors in 2021(less than half of 2019s total)to 56 million last yearand onward to a pro

102、jected 61 million in 2023.First order of business:getting those not already here to town.The suspension of travel for more than a year expedited the long-planned transformations of New Yorks international gateways.LaGuardia Airport,Newark Liberty International Airport and John F.Kennedy Internationa

103、l Airport all have new terminals,with the new Terminal B at LaGuardia alone boasting 35 gates(to say nothing of the FAO Schwarz on site).The new Terminal C also came online last year.Newark Liberty Internationals updated Terminal A has opened with 33 new gates and construction has started on a new,c

104、ongestion-easing 2.5-mile elevated guideway train system.JFK just unveiled 130,000 square feet of new and renovated space,and the New Terminal One opens later this decade.Back on the ground,Moynihan Train Hall is a new 17-track expansion of Penn Station that,if you squint,could pass for a Northern E

105、uropean transit hub from the future.With so many expected arrivals,NYC is certainly making sure everyone has a place to stay.Almost 10,000 new or renovated hotel rooms opened in 2022 alone,including the headline-grabbing Aman New York,an“urban sanctuary”on Fifth Avenue.Also open is the year-old Ritz

106、-Carlton New York,NoMadnamed for its hoodwhich features Jose Andres Nubeluz lounge on the 50th floor and plenty of massive windows from which to watch the street action.Better yet,soak in the 360-degree city panorama on the rooftop patio.The buildout stretches across the city,with a newly opened Tho

107、mpson in Midtown,and new Renaissance Hotels properties in Harlem and Flushing.Moxy Hotels is also opening multiple locations in the Lower East Side and Williamsburg.At street level,the citys firehose turns cultural,with massive museums(ranking#6 globally)going all-in on expansions and new openings.T

108、he Louis Armstrong House Museum in Corona,Queens,is undergoing a physical and programmatic expansion for a new cultural center that includes an interactive exhibit,archival collections,a 68-seat jazz club and a store.It should be open by the time you read this.The Bronx Childrens Museum also just re

109、opened after moving to a new home in Mill Pond Park.Dia Chelsea is a new contemporary installation space,and the Frick Madison(the temporary home of the Frick Collection)has opened in the Breuer on Madison Avenuea building formerly used by the Met.Speaking of the Met,New Yorks 153-year-old cultural

110、institution(housing 1.5 million objects and hosting seven million visitors in a non-pandemic year)announced a$500-million reno of its modern and contemporary wing.Not as storied but equally New York is the new Museum of Broadway,the first permanent museum dedicated to the famed heartland of the stag

111、e,which opened in Times Square with a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of major theater productions.Also:Broadway shows are back!Two more very NYC reasons to experience the city now:2023 marked the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip hop music,founded in the Bronx on August 11,1973,when Clive

112、 Campbellbetter known as DJ Kool Hercspun records at his sisters birthday party.Dozens Little Island is drawing big crowds to Hudson River Park.Worlds Best Cities Report202417of local celebrations,exhibits and workshops will extend into 2024.Its also the 100-year anniversary of the underrated Museum

113、 of the City of New York,which celebrates and documents 750,000 objects,including photographs,prints,costumes,paintings and more,to allow NYC-philes to obsess over this place like nowhere else.For those who prefer their immersion outdoors,classics like the High Line and Central Park are joined by th

114、e citys newest green space,Little Island2.4 acres floating on the Hudson near the Meatpacking District on the site of an old pier.Like most things here,you have to see it to believe it.When its your turn to return to Americas best city,do yourself a favor and make time to see the phoenix rise from a

115、bove:there are the classics,like the Empire State Building and the Top of the Rock,but there are also spectacular new perches,like SUMMIT One Vanderbilt and its all-glass exterior elevators,called Ascent.Go up,look down and breathe out.This city is back.For those who prefer their immersion outdoors,

116、classics like the High Line and Central Park are joined by the citys newest green space,Little Island2.4 acres floating on the Hudson near the Meatpacking District on the site of an old pier.Like most things here,you have to see itto believe it.The High Line Park,ManhattanWorlds Best Cities Report20

117、241804 TokyoJapanDespite earthquakes,tsunamis and typhoons,Tokyo has long held on to its top spot as one of the most livable metropolises on the planet(quantified by its Top 3 global ranking this year).Young kids playing and walking to school unattendeda pre-pandemic mind-bender for visitors to the

118、worlds largest cityis a common sight once more after three-plus years of lockdowns and intermittent school closures.The disastrous 2021 Summer Olympics may be mercifully in the rear view,although the tens of billions spent on infrastructure to welcome the world that stayed away will saddle the regio

119、n for years.If theres a silver lining,its that the citys 2,000 hotels,inns and guest houses that opened during the pandemic(to say nothing of the dozens of shopping complexes and other tourist developments)are as ready for returning visitors as any destination on earth.The Japanese government remain

120、s steadfast,keeping its target of 60 million visitors and$136 billion in tourism revenue by 2030.Its not as delusional as it sounds:the country enjoyed record tourism for seven straight years and can now accommodate even more,with the expansion of the international terminal at Haneda,the citys main

121、airport(ranked#38 globally),and a planned 18-minute rail link from arrivals to downtown by 2031.Tokyo holds on to its#1 spot for Shopping,helped by retail icons like Ginzas luxury department stores,newly enhanced with the art-bedecked and sharply designed Ginza Six shopping center.The newly renovate

122、d Miyashita Park boasts 90 boutique shops and restaurants,plus a new hotel with a view of the famed Shibuya district,complete with volleyball courts and a skatepark sprawling over 2.5 acres.Just opened is the retail-centric office development of Toranomon Hills and the larger Azabudai Hills,which wi

123、ll accommodate more than 20,000 workers in what is envisioned as a vertical city within a city.The futuristic metropolis is tapping its ancient feudal roots by investing in street-level livability and resident well-beingin the wake of the Olympics.Tokyo street life.PLACE POWER SCOREPLACE POWER HIGHL

124、IGHTSPOPULATIONMetro 37,732,000#1 Restaurants#1 ShoppingLivabilityLovabilityProsperity3411Worlds Best Cities Report20241905SingaporeSingaporeEmerging from its origins as a free-spirited trading port,Singapore has undergone a remarkable transformation to emerge as one of Asias most modern,well-organi

125、zed and captivating urban centers.Tourists in Singapore can immerse themselves in two favored local pastimes:shopping,which ranks#11 globally,and,of course,eating.The retail choices are staggering,from haute couture to electronics,from the countless shops adorning Orchard Road to the 24-hour,six-sto

126、ry Mustafa Centre.The culinary landscape lives up to its#14 Restaurants ranking,buoyed by the popularity of the beloved spicy white pepper crab and the sweet,refreshing Singapore Sling.Capturing a photograph from the colossal rooftop infinity pool of Marina Bay Sands(poised to expand further with an

127、 additional 1,000-room hotel tower and a live entertainment arena)has become a symbolic ritual.On the opposite shoreline,Merlion Park,with its metallic,surfboard-like head,offers an even more iconic perspective.In the coming years,Singapore will focus on boosting prosperity(currently sitting pretty

128、at#2),creating more green areas and building vibrant developments for work,education and play.The existing Changi Aviation Park will be expanded with the development of Changi East Industrial Zone,and a mega port in Tuas is set to be the worlds largest fully automated terminal when completed.Closer

129、to the city,a new waterfront district is being explored just south of the airport,called the Great Southern Waterfront,which is slated to build 9,000 housing units along Singapores southern coast.Locals are also buzzing about the forthcoming NS Square,a future outdoor multipurpose venue in the Downt

130、own Core area of Marina Bay that will replace the popular Marina Bay floating platform.The Lion City whets travelers appetites with remarkable dining and shopping.The citys Changi Airport.PLACE POWER SCOREPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPOPULATIONMetro 5,983,000#9 Biking#11 ShoppingProsperityLovabilityLivabil

131、ity21417Worlds Best Cities Report20242006 DubaiUnited Arab EmiratesTo a large part of the worlds population,Dubai is“The Vegas of Arabia,”a place that takes pride in turning every notion previously held about the Middle East on its head.Famed for outlandish developments like Palm Jumeirah,home to At

132、lantis,the Palm and the made-famous-by-Tom-Cruise Burj Khalifathe tallest building in the worldthe city has,over the years,made breaking world records a national pastime:tallest,longest,fastest,largest.Think of it,and the citys probably done it.No wonder it ranks#8 in our Attractions subcategory,cra

133、mmed with never-ending malls,aquariums,indoor ski parks,dancing fountains,fantasy theme parks and Disneyfied water playgrounds that pay homage to Hollywood,Bollywood,Marvel and Legoas well as innumerable family-friendly resorts.Catering to all these visitors is no small feat,which is why Dubai will

134、soon have more hotel rooms than larger cities like London or New York,according to Zoom Property Insights.Leading the charge is Burj Al Arab,one of the citys most iconic landmarks,renowned for its(self-presented)“seven-star status.”And now,with the number of rooms in the city soaring beyond 150,000

135、and many more new hotels and resorts in the pipeline,Dubais hotel and hospitality sector is poised for greatness.This will,in turn,create more and more jobs,and boost the citys already high overall Prosperity ranking of#4.The focus now is on the citys 2040 Urban Masterplanas set out by Sheikh Mohamm

136、ed bin Rashid,vice president and ruler of Dubaiwhich calls for developing a“20-minute city”allowing residents access to 80%of their daily needs and destinations within 20 minutes by foot or bike,making the global city feel more like a home town.Lavish,luxurious and lively in equal measure,Dubai cont

137、inues its epic ascent on the world stage.Sunset in Dubai.PLACE POWER SCOREPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPOPULATIONMetro 6,404,000#2 Outdoors#5 Instagram HashtagsProsperityLovabilityLivability4535Worlds Best Cities Report20242107San FranciscoUnited StatesDespite San Franciscos meticulously documented challen

138、ges,job opportunities and infrastructure buildout pave the way as the world continues to rush in like it always has.Its#5 ranking in our overall Prosperity index is driven by high salaries that draw global workers who rank the sixth most educated on the planet.No wonder San Francisco ranks#33 for Gl

139、obal 500 Companies.In fact,the Bay Area remains the number one place for start-up innovation,powered by venture capital kept interested in the citys famed“ecosystem”for talent,for research and for universities.In Henley&Partners and New World Wealths“Worlds Wealthiest Cities Report 2023,”San Francis

140、co ranked third,tied with London and after New York and Tokyo,with 285,000 residing here in 2022.Still,the city is in a crisis not seen in decades.Population decline was the worst among large U.S.counties between July 2020 and July 2022(although its slowed recently).Equally terrifying,the citys offi

141、ce vacancy fluctuates at around 30%.Even the proudest locals wring their hands as companies leave for Austin and Florida.And then tweet about how you should,too.Undeterred,local leaders are rolling out the most daring bike and pedestrian infrastructure in America and the protected bike network now b

142、oasts 464 miles of bikeways,including 50 miles of new car-free/car-light streets in the past year alone.The aggressive pursuit of outdoor public spacesfrom downtowns new Salesforce Park,70 feet above street level atop the roof of the Salesforce Transit Center,to the half-dozen parks,tunnels and spac

143、es opened last year in the Presidio alone(including Presidio Tunnel Tops,a 14-acre park built over the Presidio Parkway highway tunnels)was a clinic in city-building opportunism that will pay dividends for decades.The golden city has been deeply wounded economically by the pandemic,the lack of affor

144、dable housing and violence unimaginable a few years ago.Soaking in the Golden Gate Bridge.PLACE POWER SCOREPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPOPULATIONMetro 4,623,264#1 Number of Start-ups#3 UniversityProsperityLivabilityLovability52028Worlds Best Cities Report20242208 BarcelonaSpainBarcelona threads the needle

145、 as one of the worlds rare cities that ranks Top 10 in both our overall Livability(#10)and Lovability(#7)indices.It has near-perfect weather year-round,more than three miles of golden sandy beaches within city limits,iconic parks,striking architecture and diverse,era-spanning neighborhoods that are

146、destinations at all hours,many fueled by the citys Top 3 nightlife ranking.Can you blame the 12 million annual tourists who flocked here pre-pandemic,more than doubling the citys population?Barcelona responded with some of the strictest vacation rental rules anywhere,aimed at controlling the effects

147、 of runaway tourismlike real estate investors who snatch up apartments only to rent them on Airbnb,depleting an already limited supply.The city also elected Mayor Ada Colau,the first woman to hold the role,on a Barcelona-for-citizens platform.Ultimately the pandemic took care of“the tourist problem,

148、”with devastating results.But even as the tide of tourists once again washes over the city,what they find is a more citizen-focused place,increasingly self-propelled and non-vehicular,with more than 150 miles of new bike lanes and daring initiatives like Eixos Verds(Green Axis),a network of quieter

149、roads that share space equally between cars,bikes and pedestrians,and are dotted with benches and community squares.The inspiration germinated from a local pilot project that,unsurprisingly,improved citizen mental health.The city is also no longer content with digital nomads,and is aggressively secu

150、ring massive foreign investment,ranging from Lufthansa Group,the largest airline group in Europe,which is opening its first southern European digital hub here any day now,to U.S.real estate developer Panattoni,which will invest$300 million to build the largest data center in the region.The defiant C

151、atalan capital is as coveted as ever.The difference post-pandemic?It has taken a breath and is welcoming the world on its own terms.The Museu Nacional dArt de Catalunya is always worth a stop.PLACE POWER SCOREPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPOPULATIONMetro 5,111,749#3 Nightlife#5 Tripadvisor ReviewsLovability

152、LivabilityProsperity71048Worlds Best Cities Report20242309AmsterdamNetherlandsMayor Halsemas administration is showing a practical stewardship of a place(and citizens)once abandoned to the tourist euro thats co-authoring a future of accountability by everyone who calls the magnetic Dutch capital hom

153、e.Take last years approach to a refugee accommodation crisis that led to hundreds of unhoused migrants,many fleeing Russias invasion of Ukraine,sleeping outside the citys overflowing resource centers:accommodate more than 1,000 on a moored cruise ship for six months,buying vital time to find other a

154、rrangements.Not surprisingly,this care for others and willingness for locals to do the work is represented by the citys Top 5 ranking in our overall Livability index.The sometimes out-of-control nightlife(ranked#10 globally)that the city was known and often marketed fordespite the attendant human tr

155、affickingwas another opportunity to right long-time local complaints,with local leaders going so far as to move the red-light district out of the famed De Wallen neighborhood to a suburban Erotic Center while banning non-residents from cannabis cafs and ditching tours that glorify the citys baser si

156、de.Things escalated this spring,when smoking pot in public was banned outright and the city launched a“stay away”campaign targeting party tourism.Restaurants and bars will be asked to close by 2 a.m.on Fridays and Saturdays and the city will not allow new visitors into the old city district after 1

157、a.m.Stepping in for vice are tours and programs focusing on the citys enviable livability and Dutch history.And getting tourists(who numbered 22 million in 2019)away from the city center and out to the#8-ranked shopping and#11-ranked museums that pepper the city.Oh,and this past summer,city council

158、also banned cruise ships from the city center as part of its clean-air efforts.The smallest city in our Top 10 is taking back its streets,led by visionary Mayor Femke Halsema(literally visionary:shes also a filmmaker),the first non-interim female mayor in Amsterdams history.Amsterdam scores Top 5 fo

159、r its biking in our ranking.PLACE POWER SCOREPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPOPULATIONMetro 2,891,907#4 Labor Force Participation#5 BikingLivabilityLovabilityProsperity52224Worlds Best Cities Report20242410 SeoulSouth KoreaIn the land of kimchi,K-pop,K-dramas and K-beauty,Seoul is at the forefront of modern

160、culture with many distinctionshome to BTS,the biggest-selling band in the world;the place that spawned Parasite,the genre-bending best-picture Oscar-winner;the city anchored by Gwangjang Market,featured on Netflix,frequented by Gordon Ramsay and a favorite of U.S.politicos.In an astonishingly short

161、span,South Koreas capital has 180ed from war-ravaged city to high-tech hub.Its e-governance system and Fourth Industrial Revolution are thriving,creating a digitally interconnected city on 5G and 6G networks.The citys ascent is boosted by our eighth-lowest Poverty Rate ranking,sixth-most Global 500

162、firms located in town,and a growing start-up ecosystem waiting its turn to disrupt the incumbents.All that innovation is sated by the 176 Michelin-rated venues that have earned Seoul a#3 ranking in our Restaurants subcategory.Start at Mukja Golmok,literally“Lets Eat Alley”;move on to the vegetable-c

163、entric temple cuisine at Dooreyoo,Michelin-starred chef Tony Yoos oasis;then head to Gwangjang Market,where you can eat everything from a soup of rice cakes and kimchi-tofu dumplings to squirmy live octopus(really).Seouls popularity as a travel destination is ascendant post-pandemic,too.In 2022,it r

164、anked as the fourth-most searched destination on Airbnb globally,and in 2023,the government is investing millions in international conferences by expediting three MICE clusters within the city.As the Korean wave continues to crest and break in distant lands,this charismatic city is creating a new pa

165、radigm for culture and commerce,which in turn has thousands flocking to its shores.Riding the Hallyu wave,Seoul has firmly established itself as a global pop culture powerhouse.The Imprint at Seouls Paradise City complex.PLACE POWER SCOREPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPOPULATIONMetro 23,016,000#8 Museums#3 R

166、estaurantsProsperityLivabilityLovability82631Worlds Best Cities Report20242512 PragueCzechia11 RomeItaly13 MadridSpainPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTS#2 Tripadvisor Reviews#4 Sights&Landmarks#3 Attractions#4 Nightlife#5 Nightlife#8 CultureThe Eternal City has always

167、 been coveted.These days,the bounty is an immersive step back in time.Few cities serve up the ability to walk Western history like Roma.Heck,Palatine Hill alone invites you into two millennias worth if youve got an hour.And thats just the stuff you can see.In recent months,construction projects have

168、 unearthed everything from a rare fourth-century golden glass depiction of Romathe goddess personifying the cityto a life-sized marble statue of a Roman emperor dressed as Hercules.“The millennial history of our city never ceases to amaze and enchant the world,”tweeted Roberto Gualtieri,mayor of Rom

169、e,after a recent find.Mix in underrated parks and greenways(Rome ranks#28 in our Outdoors subcategory)and its thousands of portals back in time(Sights&Landmarks rank#4 globally)and its easy to see how Rome remains an urban treasure,drawing record post-pandemic tourists despite historic heat waves th

170、at exceeded 107 degrees Fahrenheit in July.Declarations of love for the city have multiplied with social media channels,of course,and Rome trails only London in our global Tripadvisor Reviews subcategory.The city is reopening fast,with new restaurants like Pulejo,Don Pasquale and Roman,and propertie

171、s like the countrys first Six Senses resort.Bold reclamations focused on resident needs created a more accessible city while tourists werent looking.Pandemic lockdowns derailed tourism in Prague,and over the past year the city made long-lasting decisions to ensure that its#4-ranked Museums(ahead of

172、places like Rome and Berlin)and#3-ranked Attractions(trailing only London and Tokyo)remain accessible to the citizens who supported local when tourism didnt.Places like the apadlo embankment on the Vltava River have become open-air stages and galleries reminiscent of Paris.Nplavka,with its former ic

173、e-storage spaces ensconced in the rivers retaining walls,was reborn as a vibrant urban market and series of pop-up bars.Pragues compact,fairy-tale walkability enchants in centuries-old cobbled streets and the(publicly accessible)hilltop Prague Castle,which has emerged from lockdown alongside Salm Pa

174、lacehome to National Gallery exhibition spacesfully renovated.The Baroque Clam-Gallas Palace in Old Town is also newly reopened and eager to be admired.The citys four universities,relative affordability and#4 Nightlife ranking have inspired young talent and billions in foreign investment to pour inf

175、rom real estate developers to long-established firms like Microsoft,Cisco and Oracle doubling down on a good thing.Spains kinetic capital is applying its pandemic lessons to a people-powered,planet-saving rebirth.Madrids sustainability-driven investment in its bounteous(but long-dormant)infrastructu

176、re and public assets is a wonder to watch unfold in real time.It starts,not surprisingly,with reuse and the conviction that everything old can be new again.Take the new Santander Park,an instant citizen and visitor destination that used to be a golf course.A 47-mile urban forest network with nearly

177、half a million new trees will connect the citys existing forest masses and reuse derelict sites between roads and buildings.Upon completion,this“green wall”is projected to help absorb 175,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually and mitigate the citys worsening urban heat.The investment in the citys outd

178、oor realm will improve Madrids#65 ranking in our Outdoors subcategory,especially combined with how safe the city has become,along with its tied top spot for Walk Score globally.Madrids electric bus network trails only Berlin in Europe and new charging stations and bike lanes are everywhere.But the b

179、iggest news is this years full approval of Madrid Nuevo Norte,the largest current urban regeneration project in Europe,in the citys underused northern rail district:more than 550 acres dedicated to the Madrid of the future.POPULATIONPOPULATIONPOPULATIONMetro 4,304,000Metro 2,260,000Metro 7,005,000Wo

180、rlds Best Cities Report20242614 BerlinGermany15 Los AngelesUnited States16 ChicagoUnited StatesPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTS#5 Museums#6 Nightlife#4 Google Search#6 University#1 Walk Score#7 Airport ConnectivityNo German city embodies the countrys sentiments of t

181、olerance and cultural ambition quite like its capital.Berlin is a city where remnants of a fragile history mingle with a present in which being whatever you want simply comes with residency.Today,waves of Ukrainians fleeing Russias invasion are joining North Africans,Afghanis and dozens of other gro

182、ups seeking a new life.Its a big reason why the city ranks#23 in our Start-ups subcategory,and#29 in Labor Force Participation.Its#50 ranking for Educational Attainment among residents will only climb with ambitious new citizens.The city is as culturally devoted as it is welcoming.This is the home o

183、f Museum Island,after all,and the citys Top 5 ranking globally in our Museums subcategory will also ascend with recent and upcoming openings.Two major museums have moved into the new Humboldt Forum in the heart of the city:the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art.A dozen more will open,de

184、dicated to everything from samurai to video games.Another exciting 2023 development is the ongoing cultural and creative evolution of Berlins Tempelhof Airport,Europes largest historic monument,with the curve of the building stretching 3/4 of a mile.In 2026,the anticipated Museum of the 20th Century

185、 will launch as one of Europes finest.The planets city of stories is telling a few of its own this year.Over drinks,over dinner and on the train ride home.Centennial milestones were all the rage in 2023 Los Angeles,and the chance to experience the celebrations will stretch into 2024 and improve the

186、citys impressive#11 Attractions ranking globally.The biggie:the Hollywood Sign.In a recent study commissioned by Los Angeles Tourism,nearly 80%of respondents affirmed it as L.A.s most iconic landmark.Also celebrating a century are Warner Bros.Studios and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum,as hallowed

187、 an American ground as youll find and home to both the first Super Bowl in 1967 and multiple Olympic Games(including the upcoming 2028 Summer Games,when L.A.will become the first place in the U.S.to host the event three times).The world is curious(indicated by the#4 ranking for global Google searche

188、s,which powers a#13 finish in our overall Lovability index).The next two years are equally frenzied for the citys arts and culture scene.Both the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Natural History Museums NHM Commons open in 2024,followed by the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art,founded by philant

189、hropist and filmmaker George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson,co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments.Americas great Midwest metropolis pulses with infrastructure and affordability that eludes many other iconic global cities.Three years of pandemic decimation and spiking inflation only meant the

190、Windy City was spring-loaded for a breakout 2023,powered by a fully operational OHare International,ranked#7 globally.Meetings and conventions are also back,pouring into McCormick Place and its stunning Lake Michigan perch,ranked#38 in our Convention Center subcategory.The citys quiet productivity i

191、s humming again,leaner and more efficient than ever,with the 19th-most Global 500 headquarters on the planet.Even amid the post-pandemic headlines of emptying city cores,Chicago was named the top U.S.metro area for corporate investment for an astonishing 10th consecutive year by Site Selection,a mag

192、azine that tracks urban real estate and corporate development.The reason?“The metro area continues to attract companies and the talent those companies covet.”The local food scene(#31)is also ascendant,powered by daring new openings and recently immortalized by FX series The Bear.In 2024,all eyes wil

193、l be on South Chicagos Jackson Park.Its$500-million Obama Presidential Center opens the following year as a museum and public gathering space looking to welcome 700,000 annual visitors and generate a long-term economic impact of$3 billion.POPULATIONPOPULATIONPOPULATIONMetro 4,980,000Metro 12,997,000

194、Metro 9,510,000Worlds Best Cities Report20242717 Washington,D.C.United States18 BeijingChina19 IstanbulTrkiyePLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTS#1 Google Search#5 Educational Attainment#10 Google Search#13 University#3 Airport Connectivity#3 Instagram HashtagsAmericas

195、intriguing capital city has the worlds attentionand is working to keep it.The ubiquity of D.C.in dramas on screens small and large,combined with the shocking events of recent years,means were all thinking about Washington.Want proof?It once again topped not only all U.S.cities for searches on Google

196、 in the past year,but globally as well.Given its omnipresence,there are few cities so poised to build on their exposure.“There is currently$9.6 billion in development underway and the city has added new hotels,museums,rooftops,Michelin-rated dining and more for travelers to explore,”says Elliott Fer

197、guson,president and CEO of Destination DC.Those 2023 openings include the launch of the 274-room Royal Sonesta Capitol Hill,joining new properties like the AC Hotel Washington DC Capitol Hill Navy Yard and the Pendry Washington DC The Wharf.And speaking of The Wharf,phase two of the massive Southwes

198、t Waterfront development just opened,creating yet another destination neighborhood in a city packed with them.New and reopening museums include the 32,000-square-foot Rubell Museum DC in a historically Black public school,and the National Museum of Women in the Arts,the worlds only major art museum

199、solely dedicated to championing female artists.One of Chinas“Four Ancient Capitals,”Beijing walks a fine line between progress and politics.Enigmatic hutongs whisper tales of emperors and concubines;next to them,towering skyscrapers reflect Beijings rapid global ascent.The citys 3,000-year-old histo

200、ry comes alive across seven UNESCO World Heritage sites,punctuated by the modern Birds Nest Olympic stadium and the Guardian Art Centerthe worlds first custom-built auction house.No longer does“Peking”observe world affairs from the sidelines;todays Beijing is keen to solidify Chinas position as the

201、worlds second-largest economy.President Xi Jinping speaks of Beijings commitment to peace and democracya stark contrast to allegations of using the Beijing 2022 Olympics to“sportwash”perceptions of human rights.This may be the reason the city scores high on our Livability and Prosperity indices(#11

202、and#16,respectively)but has a long way to go on Lovability(#78)something the government is aware of,and is seemingly taking steps to address.With the Global Security and Global Development initiatives externalizing internal policiesas seen at Beijing Daxing Airports new innovation center,which facil

203、itates entry of foreign enterprises into the Chinese marketBeijing aims to create an environment that supports sovereignty,security and development,meaning the“Forbidden City”would be forbidden no more.The planets only major city straddling two continents is going all in to capitalize on its strateg

204、ic location.The ancient collision between Europe and Asia radiates in Trkiyes kinetic capital.Its why the city is among the most beguiling for its sense of place,inside and out.Its Top 10 Sights&Landmarks ranking,as well as its#18 spot in our Outdoors subcategory,will both improve after extensive re

205、novations for the Turkish Republics centennial in October 2023.The devastating February 2023 earthquakes that killed tens of thousands in the countrys southeast and in Syria(and that flooded the capital with survivors)have sounded the alarms about Istanbuls own preparation for an inevitable destruct

206、ive quake.The tragedy has cast a pall around new openings like Galataport,Istanbuls reinvigorated historic harbor.Extending a mile along the Bosporus Strait near the citys long-coveted Karaky district,the$1.7-billion project boasts the worlds first-ever underground cruise terminal.More recently,the

207、luxury Peninsula Istanbul opened in February,capping a blazing year for hotel openings that includes the seafront luxury resort JW Marriott Marmara Sea and a dozen others.The citys#10-ranked museums also get a boost from the Galataport investment,with the Istanbul Modern,the citys first contemporary

208、 art museum(designed by Renzo Piano),returning to its Karaky roots.POPULATIONPOPULATIONPOPULATIONMetro 6,359,000Metro 18,522,000Metro 15,636,000Worlds Best Cities Report20242820 DublinIreland21 ViennaAustria22 MilanItalyPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTS#6 GDP per Cap

209、ita#13 Educational Attainment#3 Biking#11 Google Search#1 Walk Score#4 BikingThe storied capital is made for flneurs and entrepreneurs.Safe,gregarious and increasingly wealthy,the Celtic Tiger has never been fiercer,ranking#6 globally in our GDP per Capita subcategory and Top 25 for Global 500 firms

210、 that call the city home.The magnetism is obvious in places like the Docklands area,known as Silicon Docks,home to big tech and digital players including Google,Meta,Amazon,eBay,Apple and Airbnb.They come for some of the worlds lowest corporate taxes and stay for homegrown economic development initi

211、atives like Irelands Local Enterprise Office,which supports international companies with mentoring,training and financial grants.Several internationally renowned universities(Trinity College Dublin,University College Dublin and Dublin City University)help the city attract start-ups looking for a sma

212、ller,more affordable capital center.U.S.software firm Workday opened its new European headquarters last year,as did Kara Connect,an employee well-being platform from Iceland.It helps to be able to offer eager young employees something to do outside of work,which Dublins famousthough increasingly cos

213、tlypub-centric nightlife(ranked#16)does,along with an abundance of concerts,shows and events(Culture ranks#21).Of course,being among the safest capitals on the planet helps,too.Where modernism was born,the future is doing just fine.Is there another city today that resonates as the global benchmark f

214、or urban livability,sustainability and equity more than the Austrian capital?Yes,it ranks Top 3 in our Walk Score and Biking subcategories,but it also excels in housing:in an era of prohibitive global urban rents,60%of the citys population resides in subsidized apartments and 25%of homes are owned b

215、y the city.And its tackling the climate emergency:last year,city leaders announced carbon neutrality by 2040,besting the Paris Agreement by a decade.Food security commitments yield over 5,000 acres of fields,vineyards and gardens within city limits.That gives Viennas current#56 spot in our Restauran

216、ts subcategory room to ascend with authentic localism,especially thriving vegetarian spots like Tian,winner of a Michelin Green Star for sustainable gastronomy in 2022.Also helping this green journey are the new,fully automated X-Wagen trains connecting the citys U-Bahn stations,with buildout happen

217、ing throughout the decade.The best part?The trains are built almost exclusively at the Siemens factory in town.Equally exciting is the massive new Aspern Seestadt urban development that insists residents walk,bike and use public transit on local streets(that arefinally!named after women).A no-nonsen

218、se devotion to the finer things makes Italys northern power a culture and fashion vanguard increasingly sought by a wealthy global class.The birthplace of Armani,Versace and dozens of other megawatt icons is no longer content with its crown as Europes fashion and design center.Or even as Italys fina

219、ncial heart.Milan is driven,as always,by its entrepreneurial hunger and is increasingly fueled by wealthy newcomers lured to the famed good life by government tax breaks(like capping income tax on money made abroad at 100,000 annually).The result is an influx of Brexit(and Russian)capital seeking a

220、home,and the flurry of luxury real estate,hotels and social clubs that such capital inspires.The Ferragamo-owned Lungarno Collection unveiled the Portrait Milano in one of Europes oldest seminaries,complete with a massive piazza.U.S.networking broker Core Club is opening in a nearby palazzo,its firs

221、t outside of San Francisco and New York City.This strategic proximity to other European capitals and alpine resorts pulling in the global elite also won the city the 2026 Olympic Winter Games and a rush of development.Residents and visitors keep fit via the citys shared#1 spot globally for Walk Scor

222、e ranking,and#4 spot in our Biking subcategory.POPULATIONPOPULATIONPOPULATIONMetro 544,000Metro 1,890,000Metro 4,962,000Worlds Best Cities Report20242923 TorontoCanada24 BostonUnited States25 Abu DhabiUnited Arab EmiratesPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTS#10 Universit

223、y#11 Global 500 Companies#1 University#8 GDP per Capita#39 Facebook Check-ins#48 Instagram HashtagsEconomic growth,fueled by immigration and global investment,has Canadas largest city poised for big things.All the buzz youre hearing about North Americas second-largest financial center doesnt even co

224、me close to doing justice to whats going on in Toronto right now.The city is the welcoming front door to a country on the hunt for new skilled immigrants.Already,half of Torontos population was born outside of Canada,and the city will blow past 7 million by the time you read this,on its way to trail

225、ing only Mexico City and New York in North American populations by the 2070s.Today,its 238 cranes more than quadruple second-place Seattles count of 51.All that construction is optimizing and streamlining an emergent global destination city,from the reopening of its century-old Massey Hall to the ma

226、ssive new Renzo Piano-designed Ontario Court of Justice that combined six older buildings under one roof.Much-needed downtown green space has been added with Love Park,featuring a heart-shaped pond and built on the site of a former Gardiner Expressway off-ramp with access to the citys lakefront.Comi

227、ng up,the St.Lawrence Centre for the Arts is getting a$400-million facelift and will be Canadas first carbon-neutral theater upon reopening in 2028.Americas oldest big city has never been more a part of the national future.A hub of higher education and home to the 14th-most educated workforce on the

228、 planet,Beantown produces a steady stream of new talent to help attract start-ups and established companies alike.Future talent gravitates to Harvard,of coursethe top-ranked university in the worldas well as to Bostons density of other world-class universities and colleges.The region bursts with lec

229、ture halls,labs and classrooms for the more than 75 institutions of higher learning,energized by the estimated 200,000 postsecondary students creating stories,ideas,solutions and technologies with global influence.No wonder the city ranks#8 globally for GDP per Capita.The buildout of Americas newest

230、(oldest)urban destination,buoyed by billions in federal stimulus funds,is also afoot.Hotel inventory is projected to grow by 5,000 new rooms by 2030,fueled by the 1,055-room Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport on the South Boston Waterfront near the Boston Convention&Exhibition Center,and the first Raf

231、fles property in North America.The citys cultural clout is also ascendant courtesy of the Fenway Sports Group and Live Nations new MGM Music Hall at Fenway,a 5,000-seat concert hall that extends the iconic ballpark.Less glitzy than Dubai but equally ambitious in its influence,this is the new cultura

232、l capital of the UAE.Sandstone walls tell tales of Arabian nights,the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque sings a symphony of white marble and Islamic motifs,the enigmatic Louvre Abu Dhabi rises proudly on Saadiyat Islandall against the backdrop of opulent hotels,megamalls and ATMs that quite literally dispen

233、se bars of gold.From a pearl diving port that housed mangroves and gazelles to an oil-and-gas superpower to a global arts and culture destination,Abu Dhabi has,time and again,reinvented itself in ways bigand bigger.The emirate tops our overall Prosperity index,but its Livability ranking is on the ot

234、her end of the spectrum(#236)which means theres a lot of work to do.As part of its growth roadmap for 2023,the emirate aims to invest upwards of$12 billion into culture and tourism,helping diversify the economy away from oil and drawing in more visitors.This puts Saadiyat Island in the limelightas h

235、ost to performances and exhibitions at Manarat Al Saadiyat and Berklee Abu Dhabi,and future home of the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi,the new local Guggenheim,Zayed National Museum and teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi.POPULATIONPOPULATIONPOPULATIONMetro 6,771,000Metro 4,900,000Metro 1,374,000Worlds Be

236、st Cities Report20243026 BudapestHungary27 So PauloBrazil28 RiyadhSaudi ArabiaPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTS#9 Attractions#15 Nightlife#5 Culture#6 Restaurants#1 Poverty Rate#3 GDP per CapitaThe Old World beguiles in the Hungarian capital.Budapest is a buzzy Europ

237、ean capital post-pandemic,beloved by digital nomads seeking freedom from more conservative metropolises(and coaxed here with the new White Card remote worker visa).The city,split by the expansive bend of the Danube River,delivers.On the west bank is medieval Buda,hilly and historic;on the east is Pe

238、st,modern and bohemian,with its recently revamped City Park surrounded by the bounty of its 29th-ranked Sights&Landmarks.The city celebrated the 150th anniversary of its unification this year with the reopening of the Szchenyi Chain Bridge.The year-long party and investment will improve the already

239、impressive#9 Attractions and#21 Museums rankings,which include the must-see Museum of Fine Arts along with a dozen others,from the Szamos Chocolate Museum to new music and ethnography museums.At night,Budapests Communist-era urbanity blooms as“ruin bars”a distinctly Eastern European approach to nigh

240、tlife(ranked#15 globally).Luxury has also flowered,with the new Matild Palacethe citys first Luxury Collection hotelopening inside a UNESCO landmark last year,joining newcomer Prisi Udvar Hotel and the Anantara New York Palace reopening in an ornate 1894 stunner.Known for its open-air museums and op

241、en-hearted communities,Sampa is on a roller-coaster ride toward urbanization.Lina Bo Bardis epoch-defining So Paulo Museum of Art and architect Rino Levis pyramidal FIESP Cultural Center are just two eye-catching icons of So Paulobut Brazils largest city,home to more than 23 million“Paulistanos,”dra

242、ws its cultural identity from global influences as diverse as Japan,Italy,Lebanon and France.This amalgamation creates a day-to-day that is among the most vibrant and multifaceted on earth.Over the years,So Paulo has extended its borders beyond its historical core and into middle-class neighborhoods

243、,growth thats been labeled as gentrification and is drawing attention to fault lines within Brazilian society,rooted in race,class,gender and sexuality.This is a city of the people,as evidenced by its#9 ranking in our overall Lovability index.While Livability is lower,at#27,Prosperity is a distant#1

244、61 globally.However,despite facing challenges,the Brazilian economy maintains its resilience.Notably,the first quarter witnessed robust real GDP growth,largely attributed to impressive crop yields.Inflation is on a rapid descent,which is poised to prompt interest rate reductions by Brazils central b

245、ankmeaning brighter days ahead for Sampa.The Kingdom of Saudi Arabias capital is beginning to pave the way for tourism.and into the global urban conversation.Seeing the continued success of tourism in neighboring Dubai,Abu Dhabi and Oman,and keen on moving the economy away from fossil fuels,the King

246、dom of Saudi Arabia started issuing tourist visas in April 2018 for the first time in eight years.The gateway is Saudis conservative capital,where anything qualifying as entertainment is discouraged and where a rigid focus is kept on businessmostly around extractive industriesresulting in the third-

247、highest GDP per Capita ranking globally.Not surprisingly,Riyadh also has the lowest poverty rate on the planet.Still,events like Noor Riyadh,a new outdoor lights and art festival(along with Saudis recent purchase of cultural and sports icons and franchises),offer hope of some freedom of expression.T

248、he#76-ranked airport will rise with the 2025 launch of Riyadh Air and plans for$150 billion in transportation infrastructure by 2030,as well as(potentially)a new airport in the city.This summer,King Khalid International Airport became the MENA regions first to obtain the Welcome Chinese Certificatio

249、n from the Xi regime.Still,Saudi Arabias ultraconservative leanings present a threat to the countrys plans for international tourism,as does its reputation for murdering journalists and outspoken critics.POPULATIONPOPULATIONPOPULATIONMetro 3,003,000Metro 23,086,000Metro 7,237,000Worlds Best Cities R

250、eport20243129 StockholmSweden30 MunichGermany31 MelbourneAustraliaPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTS#2 Labor Force Participation#9 Educational Attainment#7 Biking#8 Convention Center#15 University#15 Google SearchAmbitious tech and transit investment activate an enter

251、prising and educated citizenry.No other Scandinavian city serves up a sensory feast like Stockholm,blending rustic,traditional and New Nordic cuisine,geography(the city center was built on 14 islands),and salt and fresh-water outdoor swimming areas within a bounty of public green space,the cobblesto

252、nes of Gamla Stan and its 1700s architecture and daring modern design.Throw in a multicultural population(powered by the ninth-most educated citizens of any city)and an epic summer season with near-constant daylight and youve got a coveted hometown.Stockholm built the worlds largest open-fiber netwo

253、rk in the 1990s,followed a decade or so later by the launch of global hits like Skype,Spotify and Minecraftearning the city the moniker of“The Unicorn Factory.”More billion-dollar start-ups have launched here than in any place outside of Silicon Valley.A wander through the recently gentrified Sderma

254、lm neighborhood,the birthplace of many tech giants,reveals why the city ranks second globally in our Labor Force Participation subcategory this year,with educated,calm citizens creatively solving the worlds problems and chasing the payoffs that come with doing so.It ranks Top 20 in our overall Prosp

255、erity index as a result.Bavarias party capital is also a business behemotheven more so post-pandemic.Yes,theres Oktoberfest every autumn,but Germanys third-largest city works as hard as it plays,becoming one of Europes hottest destinations for new residents seeking this elusive balance.The pandemic

256、only highlighted the productivity of understated Bavarian innovation,especially given all the“temporary”initiativesfrom outdoor seating to a reimagined concrete factorythat have become permanent and made this merry city even more fun.But this is Germany after all and theres productivity to think abo

257、ut.Munich boasts the eighth-best convention center on the planetand its airport is ranked#18(soon to improve after a$550-million reno wraps up by early 2024),ensuring regional and global access to all that Bavarian ingenuity.The Technical University of Munich,which brands itself“the Entrepreneurial

258、University,”impressively ranks in the Top 25 globally.With all that citizen-focused infrastructure and entrepreneurship,Munich ranks#22 in our overall Livability index,and#40 for Prosperity,including#19 for Global 500 headquarters(made up primarily of automakers,media and manufacturing,but being qui

259、ckly joined by biotech and IT giants).Next year,Apple plans to invest an additional billion dollars into its local operations in the city.Street art and scenic trails are just the tip of the ice coffee for Australias second-largest city.The weather may not always seem promising and there may not be

260、an iconic bridge in sight,but what Melbourne lacks in weather and landmarks it more than makes up for with its foodand coffeeculture,art scene(look out for graffitied laneways like Hosier Lane)and quirky offerings like the Brighton Bathing Boxes and the tiny,adorable St.Kilda penguins.Melbourne is a

261、lso quintessentially“wine country”its home to 21 remarkable wine regions,including the prestigious Yarra Valley,the charming Mornington Peninsula and the rugged Grampians.The city is home to the Australian Open,which draws in hundreds of thousands of tennis enthusiasts to Melbourne Park and its aren

262、asin 2023,attendance reached a record-breaking 839,192 fans over a two-week stretch.Melbourne is held in high regard by visitors and proud locals(ranking#37 in our overall Lovability index)and is livable,too(#34)and it is also taking steps to ascend the ranks on the prosperity of its citizens(althou

263、gh#53 globally is already quite commendable).Thats where Plan Melbourne 2017-2050 comes ina response to the challenges of population growth,it drives economic prosperity and livability while protecting Melbournes environment and heritage.POPULATIONPOPULATIONPOPULATIONMetro 2,308,000Metro 3,017,000Me

264、tro 4,721,000Worlds Best Cities Report20243232 LisbonPortugal33 ZrichSwitzerland34 SeattleUnited StatesPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTS#11 Sights&Landmarks#15 Tripadvisor Reviews#8 Labor Force Participation#11 Global 500 Companies#4 University#10 GDP per CapitaThe o

265、nce-sleepy ancient capital on the continents western edge is today one of Europes hottest destinations.Youre not imagining it:all of your friends are moving to Lisbon.But its only partially for the 2,799 annual hours of sunshinethe most of any European capital.Theres also the famed public transit,wa

266、lkability and the 125+miles of bike paths that opened last year(with more on the way)that will improve its#13 global ranking for Biking.To immerse yourself in Lisbons#16 ranking in our overall Livability index,scale any of the seven hills that provide perches to watch Atlantic sunsets,especially Cas

267、telo de So Jorge,up winding ancient alleys in one of Europes oldest neighborhoodslike,1,500 years old.Such spots rank Lisbon#19 in our Outdoors subcategory.Newcomers continue to pour in,buoying the ascendant house prices with new remote work visas(the latest requires a monthly salary of$2,750)while

268、ending overly generous foreign residencies.Temporary bans on Airbnb licenses are attempting to keep the city accessible for residents whose minimum wage is well under$1,000 per month.Still,new allures like the citys most recent Michelin-starred,Japanese-influenced Kabuki and Kanazawa keep the newcom

269、ers flowing in.Go there instead of the new Lisbon Earthquake Experience.Often ranked among the worlds most livable cities,Zrich is exactly the kind of place youd want to call home:efficient,clean,educated and safe.Switzerlands financial center(even after the failure of Credit Suisse)and largest metr

270、opolis is a magnet for foreigners who,along with multilingual Swiss nationals,enjoy one of the worlds highest standards of living.The city ranks 21st globally in our overall Prosperity index,powered by industrious citizenry that ranks#8 for Labor Force Participation and#11 for Global 500 headquarter

271、s,with major European players like Migros and UBS AG based here.The citys population is also the largest its been since the halcyon days of the early 1960s.Zrich is statistically lauded like few others these days,ranking third globallyand first in Europein Insead Business Schools latest Global City

272、Talent Competitiveness Index.ETH Zrich(or Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)ranks#17 in our University subcategory and acts as a vital and reliable pipeline for the citys and nations envied economic development advantage.All that talent is getting on corporate site selector radars,as evidenced b

273、y Microsofts opening of a new technology center at the Zrich Airport to“deliver immersive industry experiences and deep technical engagement focused on business outcomes to customers,”according to the company.Americas growing tech hub is playing the long game,focusing on inclusive prosperity and urb

274、an vibrancy to win the war for talent.You wont find Seattle among the panicky headlines chronicling the decline of U.S.west coast metropolises.Sure,the Emerald City is battling a burst housing bubble,a homelessness crisis and 20%commercial vacancy rates.But its also growing by 1%annually,fueled by t

275、alent seeking(literally)greener pastures and pulled by the influential titans of industry in town,from Amazon to Starbucks to Zillow.Heat waves in the American South will only accelerate immigration.Q1 2023 employment grew by 4%,powered by a Top 10 global GDP per Capita ranking and a talent pipeline

276、 stocked by the omnipresent UDubthe University of Washingtonone of the worlds top public research universities(ranking#4 in our University subcategory).And that talent benefits from all manner of livability here,from start-up incubation to festivals to urban waterfront restoration.With its#26 rankin

277、g for Educational Attainment,is it any wonder Seattle is Top 25 globally for both Global 500 firms that call it home and for the number or start-ups?Its 51 construction cranes top the U.S.,indicative of the big plans here and the expansion of everything from homegrown icons like Amazon and Microsoft

278、 to global brands like Korean luxury hospitality group Lotte Hotels.POPULATIONPOPULATIONPOPULATIONMetro 3,013,000Metro 1,937,000Metro 4,012,000Worlds Best Cities Report20243335 SydneyAustralia36 DohaQatar37 BrusselsBelgiumPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTS#16 Universi

279、ty#17 Outdoors#33 Airport Connectivity#54 Biking#1 Walk Score(tie)#14 Airport ConnectivitySydneysiders have a lot to be proud ofand even more to share with the world.Sydney unveils a dazzling narrative punctuated by the luminous Opera House,the iconic Harbour Bridgecolloquially known as the“coat han

280、ger”and sun-drenched beaches,from Bondi to Balmoral and beyond.Here,long,laidback summers melt into mild,mellow wintersthe perfect backdrop to explore Sydneys remarkable blend of vintage and modern,from the colonial-era sandstone buildings of The Rocks to new icons like the Sydney Tower.Todays Sydne

281、y finds itself at a pivotal juncture that looks to infuse renewed vitality into the central business district.The City of Sydney has earmarked millions to breathe life into creative precincts and public events.Simultaneously,the New South Wales government introduced its“24-Hour Economy Strategy,”ign

282、iting the resurgence of inner-city vibrancynightlife,dining and culture.The city is beloved by Sydneysiders actual and wannabeevident from its Lovability rank of#29and its focusing on giving more people even more reasons to fall in love with it.The cityscape has blossomed with hundreds of permanent

283、al fresco licenses,events like the acclaimed Laneway Festival are luring people back to the citys core and grand-scale urban renewal ventures,such as the birth of Tech Central,all promise a radiant future for Sydneys bustling heart.The next Dubai?No,this city is one-of-a-kind in every way.Qatars epi

284、c makeover from obscurity to global hot spot is a story for the ageswhat began as a fishing and pearl-diving settlement has transformed into a gleaming(and sometimes improbable)vision of the future.High-rises,hotels and malls have replaced desert terrain.Markets like Souq Waqif are now rewriting his

285、tory,and museums of every genre(including the 18-year labor of love that is the National Museum of Qatar)call out to culture vultures.All of these reflect the bold“Qatar National Vision 2030,”which aims to transform the country into a knowledge-based economy.But this sheen is dulled by reminders of

286、a harrowing human rights record,and investigations into labor conditions and restrictions on civil liberties.As a result,while Dohas Prosperity ranking is in the Top 10 globally(#9),its Livability and Lovability rankings are nowhere close.Now,in a post-FIFA era,Doha is gearing up to host a six-month

287、 expo that will welcome almost three million visitors.No other city in the Middle East is hurtling toward its audacious goals at such breakneck speed.and Doha is only just getting started.Belgiums capital and the de facto home of the European Union is a city with plenty of surprises up its tailored

288、sleeve.Understated Brussels boasts breathtaking architecture(especially for Art Nouveau aficionados).Take the Grand Placesurely among the most beautiful squares in the world.The city has invested in public spaces,like the Tour&Taxis Food Market under the glass roofs of the former Gare Maritime,and t

289、he Grand Hospice:a repurposed neoclassical complex with beautiful colonnades and an interior park.(But also in the mix are state-commissioned buildings so ugly that entire social feeds hate on them.)Despite being the EUs administrative center,one of the citys most famous landmarks is Manneken Pis,a

290、statue of a naked boy peeing into a fountaina symbol of locals contempt for authority.The wit emanates from vibrant,educated,multiethnic citizenry(Brussels ranks#27 for Educational Attainment).Get local in the Congolese Matonge quarters flea markets and street art.Or at the new Working From_ co-work

291、ing space at the Hoxton Hotel.The city is a gathering spot for conferences and summits of all kinds,which explains its Top 10 spot for Facebook Check-ins,and its Midi station is also the hub for a country with some of the worlds densest rail networks that is poised to expand inter-city and overnight

292、 connections in 2024.POPULATIONPOPULATIONPOPULATIONMetro 4,712,000Metro 1,886,000Metro 3,331,000Worlds Best Cities Report20243438 San JoseUnited States39 BangkokThailand40 WarsawPolandPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTS#1 Number of Start-ups(tie)#2 University#5 Shoppin

293、g#16 Restaurants#12 Educational Attainment#20 GDP per CapitaTalent,smarts and money are a potent mix that has insulated San Jose from economic uncertainty while empowering its citizens to be bold with recovery.As the global heart of innovation and the urban center of Silicon Valley,San Jose trails o

294、nly San Francisco in our overall Prosperity index in North America,and ranks#6 globally.Leading economically vital subcategories like Number of Start-ups(tied for#1)and Educational Attainment(#4)will have that effect.Its all astonishing,and possible because of San Joses moat:2,500 high-tech companie

295、s in and around city limits.Its why San Jose doesnt intend to lose its peopleor jobsfor any sustained period of time.Theres just too much global support to keep a good thing going.The institutional prosperity in the city is perhaps most obvious in the bounty of universities that are performance driv

296、ers all their own(including Stanford,trailing only Bostons Harvard in our University category),creating symbiotic integrations with local tech companies and offering access to funding and innovation like few others.Given the optimal conditions of a lauded,coveted school and the on-ramp it provides t

297、o jobs in the city,San Jose will continue to stock its talent pipeline for decades.The prospect of high-speed rail links to San Francisco and throughout California will mean improved access to talent.From stag-party hot spot to Russian haven,Thailands capital has flipped the script on its global per

298、ception.Everything most of us know about Bangkok has to do with exotic food,illicit massage parlors,beautiful beaches or thrift shopping.Parodied in films like The Hangover 2 and unjustly reduced to stereotypes,this“City of Angels”is a unique metropolis where spirituality and hedonism coexist.Today,

299、every corner of this city is abuzz with activitythanks to a surge in visitors from Russia,en route to Phuket.Thousands have come to the city(Thailand has notably not barred inbound flights from Russia),hoping to avoid conscription to fight in Ukraine or just fleeing Russias self-inflicted misery.All

300、 this,against Thailands own volatile political scenario,like the recent barring of Pita Limjaroenrat from running for prime minister,which led to crippling street demonstrations.That hasnt stopped the city from rising up the ranks,with a global#12 position in our overall Lovability index thanks to i

301、ts#5 ranking for Shopping and#13 spot for Attractions.The city is also catering to a growing tourist basea multi-floor cannabis complex will soon open in Chinatown,and 40-plus hotels will open across the capital by 2027.One things for surethe sensory overload that Bangkok has been known for will nev

302、er cease.Polands capital city is an ascendant economic and entrepreneurial hotbed with plenty of reasons to leave work early.Its been a decade of steady growth for Poland,today a European economic powerhouse.But Russias and Nazi Germanys Second World War invasions remain indelible,which is why Warsa

303、w has welcomed more than 250,000 Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russias latest invasion,swelling its population by almost 20%.Ukrainians who remain post-war will join a population ranked#12 globally for Educational Attainment and#20 for GDP per Capita.With that kind of talent,the city is busy with its l

304、ong-planned ambitious projectsfrom the rebuild of the 17th-century Saski Palace destroyed by the Nazis to new museums and Michelin-starred restaurants to the recently opened 1,017-foot Foster+Partners-designed Varso Tower,the EUs tallest building.Warsaw also leads the largest infrastructure project

305、in the Baltics in a century.The Rail Baltica high-speed railway should open in 2026,connecting Estonia,Latvia and Lithuania to Poland and the rest of Europe:a 540-mile link from Tallinn to Warsaw with a top speed of 145 miles per hour.Tourism is booming,too,with the citys Attractions ranking#23 and

306、a 4.4%rise in tourism contributing to its GDP in 2022 versus 2019,according to the World Travel&Tourism Council.POPULATIONPOPULATIONPOPULATIONMetro 2,025,000Metro 18,007,000Metro 3,190,000Worlds Best Cities Report20243541 CopenhagenDenmark42 TaipeiTaiwan43 AustinUnited StatesPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPL

307、ACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTS#22 University#25 Labor Force Participation#9 Restaurants#12 Shopping#6 Google Search#23 UniversityOne of Europes most buzzed-about capitals gets real.Copenhagens compact,park-filled urban grid,connected by serpentine bike lanes that end at clean,city-sancti

308、oned(finally!)urban swimming spots,earned the worlds locked-down attention during the pandemic.Its Top 25-ranked Labor Force Participation on top of all that urban bounty is also impressive.Global attention returned this year,by way of a UNESCO Capital of Architecture designation.Events are going on

309、 until 2026,at formal venues like the Danish Architecture Center,but also at places like the waterfront Opera Park,an urban green space designed for climate resilience.Copenhagens commitment to sustainability is nothing new,of course.It has long invested in its cycling infrastructure,attempting to m

310、ake 50%of all work and school commutes on bicycles by 2025,as well as helping Denmark reach overall carbon neutrality by 2050.Transit buildout is everywhere,connecting more affordable districts on the citys outskirts,most notably the much-needed Sydhavn connector next year.An international transit l

311、ink to Malm,Sweden,is also planned.But nothing will be as daring as the building of Lynetteholm,a 675-acre artificial island off the citys coast,housing 35,000 people while protecting the harbor from rising water.Or so we hope.From an urban jungle to an actual real-life jungle,Taipeis dual landscape

312、 reveals a trove of tasty treasures.Nestled on the distant western fringe of the Pacific Ocean,Taiwan perceives itself as an independent nation,yet its status as such is not acknowledged by Beijing.The birthplace of beloved boba,Mongolian BBQ and Din Tai Fungs Michelin-starred soup dumplings,Taipei

313、reveals a dynamic culinary scene across markets like Shida,traditional rechaos like Baxian Grill and gourmet restaurants like RAW and Mumeall of which help Taipeis restaurants rank#9 globally.Its also where Acer and Asus have their HQs,making it synonymous with affordable electronic goods(validating

314、 the citys#12 Shopping rank).Any visit to the city is incomplete without a wander through the Taipei Technology District.Scoring well for both Lovability and Livability in equal measure(#52),Taipei has the distinction of being the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage,and continues to

315、be an inclusive haven for people from more conservative cities.Its also committed to bringing about urban transformations in every aspect of its citizens lives through the New Taipei Citys Climate Action Plan,which focuses on greener buildings,smarter transportations,cleaner energy and more efficien

316、t natural resource allocation in its globally coveted semiconductor industries.The American dream has a new hometown.The rebellious Texas cityforged by can-do persistence cut with a university towns progressive livabilityis now a well-oiled talent-attraction machine.Talk to any entrepreneur leaving

317、Silicon Valley,NYC or Seattle and chances are theyve considered Austin.They come for the 24th-most educated citizenry on the planet thats already here,and,given that Austin ranks#6 globally in our Google Search subcategory,they are soon on their way.Since the pandemic,Austin has secured headquarters

318、 for giants like Oracle,Tesla,BAE Systems and dozens more,joining incumbents like Samsung USA,which itself is mulling a$40-billion local investment into 11 manufacturing plants here.Dozens of ambitious tech firms(especially EV and superconductor manufacturers)are moving in monthly.New high-rises lik

319、e the Waterline(the tallest building in Texas when it opens in 2026),along with Wilson Tower(the largest planned U.S.residential high-rise outside of NYC)will be just two of the biggest trophies on the citys expanding skyline.The#23-ranked University of Texas at Austin is also a talent magnet,focusi

320、ng on research and a growing skills pipeline to the symbiotic private sector.The local music scene is pretty good,too.POPULATIONPOPULATIONPOPULATIONMetro 1,929,000Metro 9,079,000Metro 2,352,000Worlds Best Cities Report20243644 OsloNorway45 OsakaJapan46 Hong KongChina:Hong Kong SARPLACE POWER HIGHLIG

321、HTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTSPLACE POWER HIGHLIGHTS#6 Labor Force Participation#8 Biking#2 Restaurants#24 Google Trends#12 Restaurants#13 OutdoorsSmart,practical and increasingly keen to share its idiosyncrasies with the world,Oslo is an economic force with swagger(as much as Norwegians swagger).No long

322、er overshadowed by Stockholm and Copenhagen,Oslo is proving itself a worthy destination all its own.Its#52 Museums ranking will improve with the recent opening of Munch,a waterfront museum dedicated to the Expressionist painter of The Scream.It,along with new districts like Srenga,comprise the recen

323、tly unveiled eastern waterfront that makes the entire harbor walkable via a six-mile trail network.Newer still is the downtown National Museum,which replaced several cultural buildings,including the National Gallery.It houses classical and contemporary art and architecture studies and it just became

324、 the largest art exhibition space in Scandinavia.Above the city,Rose Castle unveiled a permanent installation of paintings and sculptures that tell the story of Oslos resilience during the Second World War.No wonder its citizens rank#6 globally for Labor Force Participation,supported by 50-plus star

325、t-up hubs helping make Oslo one of Europes fastest-growing cities.The dozen floating saunas downtown do their part,too.Much-needed housing is aggressively being built in places like Fjord City on industrial port lands.As more prospective residents discover the drivers of Oslos#33 spot in our overall

326、 Livability index,its lore will only grow.From street-eats to side-splitting laughter,Osaka serves up a menu of entertaining delights.Japans third-largest city and an economic engine,Osaka has a long history of feeding its millions of inhabitants well,earning the city its motto:kuidaore,or“eat till

327、you drop.”Affectionately known as tenka no daidokorothe countrys kitchenOsaka is Japans street food capital,home of takoyaki and okonomiyaki(as well as the birthplace of the infamous sushi conveyor belt).But the city also tickles many a funny bone with an abundance of comedy clubs specializing in ma

328、nzai,a sillier take on the“straight man and wacky guy”comedy routine.A direct result of that beloved foodie culture and those must-see experiences is a decent showing in our Lovability and Prosperity indices,at#40 and#45 respectivelynumbers that are poised to rise in the coming years.And,recently,th

329、e government cemented Osakas place as a hub of entertainment by approving a controversial plan for the countrys first casino.To be built on the citys artificial island of Yumeshima,it will be part of a$12.8-billion resort due to be completed in 2029.And with Octobers Tourism EXPO Japan Osaka Kansai

330、set to welcome 150,000 visitors,the city aims to captivate the imagination of travelers through a kaleidoscope of sensory and savory experiences.If there ever was a place that embodies the phrase“East meets West,”Hong Kong is it.On any given day in Hong Kong,you could head to a fishing village less

331、than an hour from downtown,lie on a beach,go shopping at a kinetic mall or timeless back-alley market,wind down at a memorable restaurant and then head out to spend the evening among the endless cafs and bars.Whats not to like?Well,plenty,if you ask the locals.Hong Kong is a special administrative r

332、egion of the Peoples Republic of China that was,until recently,free to manage its own affairs.But over the past couple of decades,Beijing has chipped away at Hong Kongs freedomssparking mass protests in the process.Its what makes the city rank only#49 for its once-enviable Livability,but the pride a

333、nd passion of the locals for their home makes it all the more lovable(at#19),despite the fraught politics.Still,Hong Kong moves onwards and upwards:Swire Properties,New World Development,Kerry Properties and Hongkong Land all increased their investments,delivering as many as 119 new private housing projects as early as 2024,with a total of 40,000 units.Hong Kong International Airport has also emba