Uncompetitive cities
Posted: March 23rd, 2012 | No Comments »According to the United Nations there are, since 2011 and for the first time in history, more people living in cities than in the countryside. This is probably nowhere more visible than in Asia and particularly in China where the urban landscape just keeps filling up with high-rise buildings.
For the Economist Intelligence Unit Chinese cities still have a long way to go to compete with New York, London and Singapore. In terms of overall competitiveness (a mix of economics, physical and human capital, finance, culture, environment, institutional effectiveness and appeal) Beijing comes in 39th, Shanghai 43rd and Shenzhen 52nd.
One nonetheless finds 11 Chinese cities among the top 15 (!) when it comes to economic strength – not so surprising given the sustained growth rate of the Chinese economy. The list is topped by Tianjin, Shenzhen and Dalian. One can find cities like Qingdao, Chengdu or Hangzhou not far away. Whether these cities will manage to improve the other dimensions of the rankings remains to be seen. There is little doubt that they will be trying though!
