
Europe tops global ranking of dynamic and sustainable cities – here's why
London, New York and Paris have been named the world's most dynamic and liveable cities. This is according to a new ranking of global cities that highlights Europe's ability to balance sustainability and growth in its urban centres.
The IESE Cities in Motion index looks at 183 cities in 92 countries, and ranks them in nine key areas: human capital, social cohesion, economy, governance, environment, mobility and transportation, urban planning, international profile and technology. It's different from other indices in that it takes into account so many metrics – more than 100 – on everything from ease of starting a business to number of museums and art galleries, internet speed and commute times.
The idea is to systematically gauge what makes a city the sort of place where people want to live and work. This is important not just for the quality of life of habitual residents, but also because location is vital for attracting global talent, especially among younger generations.
The top 10 cities in the 2025 edition were London, New York, Paris, Tokyo, Berlin, Washington DC, Copenhagen, Oslo, Singapore and San Francisco.
The top three all do particularly well in human capital, which includes features like educational and cultural institutions. They also score highly on international profile, which looks at indicators of global interest, such as the number of airport passengers and hotels.
Beyond those two areas, London cements its status as a global hub of high-level innovation and development, also standing out for governance and urban planning. The UK capital is somewhat weaker in social cohesion, where it came 20th, though not nearly as bad as second-place New York, which ranked 127th out of 183 cities in this category – among the lowest of developed countries. New York does, however, stand out for its economic performance, and does very well in mobility and transportation.
Paris, meanwhile, performs well across many metrics, including urban planning as well as international profile and human capital.
We've been calculating the index for a decade now, and European cities consistently perform well. This year, five of the top 10 cities – London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen and Oslo – are European.
We adjust the index on a regular basis in order to make sure that we're measuring what's relevant. For example, this year we introduced new metrics on women's leadership, renewable energy sources and green spaces, as well as on availability of coworking spaces.
There's no single reason behind Europe's success, but there are patterns. Its large global metropolises, such as London and Paris, offer advanced technology, international communities and diversified economies in services, technology and finance. They have generally stable political systems and reasonable urban planning, along with advanced public and private transport options. However, while highly diverse, they also suffer from income inequalities.
In addition to these mega cities, Europe is home to a large number of sustainable and culturally vibrant cities of many sizes. All the Spanish cities included in the index (10 in total, including Madrid and Barcelona) are part of this cluster.
These are mature economies that prioritise sustainability over rapid growth, seeking to balance liveability and stability. They also have steady political systems, a commitment to green policies and urban planning strategies that give weight to sustainable infrastructure that enhances liveability.
They do well in social cohesion, with high levels of integration and relatively low levels of inequality. In terms of technology, they are steady adopters but they are not, for the most part, trailblazing innovators.
It's also interesting to note the performance of North American cities, which show that economic might and technological prowess don't always translate into more liveable metropolises. US cities dominate the economic dimension – eight of the top 10 in economic performance are American – but there's not a single American city in the top 10 for social cohesion or environment. They do well in our ranking – New York, Washington, San Francisco, Chicago and Boston are all in the top 20 – as would be expected of high-income cities, but their performance in different areas varies widely.
Meanwhile, developing countries continue to struggle to break into the top ranks. In Latin America, the highest-ranked city is Santiago (89th), followed by Buenos Aires (117th) and Mexico City (118th). In Africa, Cape Town (156th) is the top-ranked city. At the very bottom of the ranking are Lagos, Lahore and Karachi.
In this tenth edition, we are starting to see greater homogeneity of cities, suggesting that urban planners are learning how to confront similar social, economic and geopolitical challenges. Here are some of our recommendations for how they can improve further:
Adaptive and participatory planning: Cities should adopt an approach to planning that is both inclusive and adaptive. This means actively engaging residents, businesses and organisations in identifying priorities, and establishing mechanisms to respond to unexpected developments.
Sustainability as a core principle: A commitment to environmental sustainability and innovation in urban planning is key. Cities should pursue policies that reduce carbon emissions, such as adopting renewable energy. Their strategies must also factor in environmental impact and preparedness for extreme climate events, such as wildfires or floods.
Economic and social resilience: To address economic inequalities and a lack of social cohesion, cities should implement policies that foster economic equity, such as incentives for small businesses and job training programs that improve access to employment. They should also develop community support networks that strengthen social ties and promote the integration of vulnerable groups.
Inclusive technology: To close the digital divide, cities should develop a robust technological infrastructure that ensures connectivity across all urban areas and provides digital skills training for residents. Open data platforms that enhance transparency and encourage citizen participation can play a key role in this.
International cooperation: Cities should actively participate in international networks to foster mutual learning and best practices, and to collaborate on joint projects.
Continuous measurement: Metrics are essential, both to track progress and to benchmark against other cities with similar characteristics. While cities should develop their own performance dashboards with relevant indicators, our index can serve as an initial framework for identifying key dimensions and the most important indicators.
Este artículo fue publicado originalmente en The Conversation, un sitio de noticias sin fines de lucro dedicado a compartir ideas de expertos académicos.
Lee mas:
'Urban form' and the housing crisis: Can streets and buildings make a neighbourhood more affordable?
Urban planning is often overlooked as a career – here are some ways to change that
Spain housing crisis: slow construction is to blame, not foreign buyers
Las personas firmantes no son asalariadas, ni consultoras, ni poseen acciones, ni reciben financiación de ninguna compañía u organización que pueda obtener beneficio de este artículo, y han declarado carecer de vínculos relevantes más allá del cargo académico citado anteriormente.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Investments in UK tech sector will create hundreds of jobs, says Government
Hundreds of jobs are set to be created across the UK as part of a raft of investments in the technology sector, the Government has announced. It comes as Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle told an audience at London Tech Week that the UK must be at 'the cutting edge' of rapidly growing technologies, such as AI. The technology sector is a key area of the Government's efforts to accelerate growth in the UK economy, in a bid to support efforts to increase spending. On Tuesday, a number of 'significant investments' in the sector were announced in areas including AI and fintech, which will see some companies setting up in the UK for the first time. Liquidity, a US-based AI fintech business, revealed it will launch its European headquarters in London as part of a plan to invest an additional £1.5 billion over the next five years. Meanwhile, Capgemini said it will expand UK operations with a new London headquarters. Netcompany, a Danish IT consultancy, will also invest £2 million to expand its Leeds office and is launching a new site in Edinburgh, which will ultimately create 150 jobs. Other investments include InnovX AI, a major European start-up hub, investing £14.7 million in a new London technology site, creating 30 jobs. Mr Kyle said: 'We have all seen over the last few years, just how rapidly and profoundly technologies like AI are transforming the economy, and our society. 'Britain can – and must – be at the cutting edge of this change. 'The era of hesitancy is over: we can be the masters of our fate, and through the measures I am announcing today, we will harness the vast potential of our trillion-pound tech sector to help remake our country for the better.' The Government said on Tuesday that it was opening its Science and Technology Venture Capital Fellowship for a second cohort and round of applications, to increase the capacity of the UK financial sector to invest in start-up businesses in the sector. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'Securing valuable high-tech investment is an integral mission of this government and seeing global investors put billions in the UK economy shows the plan for change is working, with more and more companies choosing Britain. 'With tech being identified as a key growth sector in our upcoming modern industrial strategy, we're not only helping attract and secure investment, but delivering long-term, stable growth that supports skilled jobs and raises living standards across the UK.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Uber, SoftBank-Backed Wayve To Test Self-Driving Cars On Public Roads In UK
Wayve and Uber Technologies, Inc (NYSE:UBER) on Tuesday announced a first-ever plan to develop and launch public-road trials of Level 4 (L4) fully autonomous vehicles in London. This was enabled by the U.K. Secretary of State for Transport's announcement of an accelerated framework for self-driving commercial pilots. In 2024, Wayve and Uber announced a multi-year collaboration to integrate Wayve's Embodied AI into vehicles operating on the Uber platform. This next phase moves the partnership into live operational trials on U.K. roads, building toward scaled deployment in key European announcement marks the U.K. as the largest market in which Uber shares plans to pilot autonomous vehicles. The trials will combine Wayve's Embodied AI platform with Uber's global mobility network to bring autonomous vehicles to the streets of Europe at scale. Wayve and Uber will collaborate with the U.K. Government and Transport for London on the regulatory approval process before the launch. Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, said that by fast-tracking pilots of self-driving vehicles to spring 2026, it noted safety-first tests that will drive growth, create 38,000 jobs, and add 42 billion pounds to its economy. In April, Nissan Motor announced partnering with Wayve to power the next generation of its ProPilot driver-assist system, set to debut in vehicles by the 2027 fiscal year. Wayve, backed by a $1.3 billion funding led by SoftBank (OTC:SFTBF) (OTC:SFTBY), has emerged as a key player in the autonomous vehicle space. Other major investors include Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA), Microsoft Corp (MSFT), and Uber. Price Action: UBER stock is trading higher by 0.59% to $87.63 premarket at last check Tuesday. Read Next:Photo by DenPhotos via Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Uber, SoftBank-Backed Wayve To Test Self-Driving Cars On Public Roads In UK originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Eurostar to launch routes to Germany and Switzerland
Eurostar said Tuesday it would launch new direct train routes from London to Frankfurt and Geneva, as potential competitors threaten to break its three-decade monopoly on cross-channel rail travel. The new direct routes would open from the early 2030s, in addition to new services from Amsterdam and Brussels to Geneva, the international rail company said. Announced at the back of positive year-end results, Eurostar said in a statement that it would invest two billion euros (£1.6 billion) in the new services to major European cities and 50 new trains, bringing its total fleet to 67 trains. The announcement comes amid "continued demand for international rail travel across Europe", according to Eurostar, which currently operates in the UK, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. While it currently has connecting services to Cologne, the new routes will directly serve the German financial capital and global diplomatic hub Geneva. "Our new fleet will make new destinations for customers a reality -- notably direct trains between London and Germany, and between London and Switzerland for the first time. A new golden age of international sustainable travel is here," said Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave. According to the rail company, passenger numbers rose to over 19.5 million in 2024, marking a five percent increase from the previous year. It has a target of ferrying 30 million passengers annually. The Eurostar Group merges operations of Eurostar which operates in the Channel Tunnel between the UK and France, and Thalys, which runs high-speed rail services from Paris to Amsterdam and German cities. Eurostar also said it would increase daily services between London, Rotterdam and Amsterdam starting later this year. "I am pleased to welcome this exciting investment into Eurostar services, which is a huge step in promoting green travel across Europe and boosting our international rail connections," UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said. The announcements come as Eurostar's three-decade monopoly in the Channel Tunnel looks likely to end. Earlier this year, Britain's Office of Rail and Road opened access to a maintenance depot along the Paris-London route to other firms, removing a hurdle to competitors offering services. Italian railway operator Trenitalia and British billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Group have since signalled plans to open their own services on the cross-Channel line. aks/jkb/lth