So much for emerging continents. The most competitive cities, according to the analysis “The Global City Competitiveness Index”, created by the Economist Intelligence Unit commissioned by the Citigroup bank, they are still those of North America and Western Europe.
According to the research center of the weekly The Economist, in fact, among the 30 cities that represent the benchmark of global competitiveness, 24 are in the United States or in the most industrialized part of the Old Continent, demonstrating, according to the director of EIU Leo Abruzzese, that “the economic dynamism is elsewhere, but Europe and the United States have a historical background which gives them a great competitive edge".
In first place in the general classification, which analyzes all 120 urban centers according to their "recognized ability to attract capital, businesses, talent and tourists", is placed, without too many surprises, New York, followed by London and Singapore. At the foot of the podium, on equal terms, here are Paris and Hong Kong. To complete the top ten there are then in order Tokyo, Zurich, Washington, Chicago and Boston. Therefore, the United States plays the lion's share, which with San Francisco (13th), Los Angeles (29th) and Houston (23rd), place ten cities in the top thirty.
However, Asia dominates the special economic strength ranking, the cities with the most "economic power": 15 among the top 20, of which twelve are Chinese. In the lead are Tianjin, Shenzhen and Dalian, then Singapore, Bangalore and Ahmedabad (India), Hanoi (Vietnam) and so on.
Returning to the general classification, they are confirmed the large centers of the other emerging continents have not yet lived up to expectations for investors, South America and Africa. The best is Buenos Aires, 60th, just before São Paulo (62), Johannesburg (67) and Santiago de Chile (68). South Africa places two other cities in the top 100, Cape Town in 73rd place and Durban in 94th, while Cairo (113), Nairobi (115) and Alexandria (116) are still far away. The Middle East also disappoints, which according to the competitiveness parameters identified by the Economist Intelligence Unit does not go beyond the 40th place of Dubai, just better than Abu Dhabi 41st, Doha 47th and Tel Aviv 59th.
It's Italy? Bring two cities to the rankings: Milan and Rome, both stable at 47th and 50th place. Neither of the two figures among the top 60 for economic power, but the real surprise is that the capital has obtained a better score than the Lombard capital in terms of “physical capitals” (it's 23rd, Milan 26th) and above all that there is an ex aequo in the ranking of “financial maturity” (both 33rd), led equally by a handful of cities including Zurich and Frankfurt, and in that of the"institutional efficiency", with the two big tricolors sharing a not very brilliant 59th place.
Same to you it is surprising to see Milan prevail in the ranking of social and cultural characteristics in the presence of Rome: the Lombards obtain a flattering 21st place, just behind cities like Paris and Amsterdam and ahead of Stockholm, Munich, Budapest and precisely Rome, 28th.
Anyway, how “global appeal” in the duel challenge the capital wins: in the special classification, literally dominated hands down by London and Paris, the Eternal City is only 25th, much better than Milan (42nd) but worse than cities like Seoul, Boston, Toronto, Zurich, Copenhagen and Istanbul.
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