Global Culture » copenhagen

2009 hub culture’s zeitgeist

juan — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:19:00 +0000

As we struggle to find ways to survive the current crisis and look at the leaders of the world to provide guidance, the latest Hub Culture 2009 Zeitgeist Ranking will come in handy as a tour of the cities that are better positioned to sustain an acceptable quality of life while providing plenty of opportunities to rebuild for the future. A zeitgeist reflecting the drama of our times:

Washington,DC

its not really about the Obamas – its about the context of our changing expectations of government

Berlin

Berliners become an enigma – povo at home, increasingly affluent abroad

Beijing

Just ignore the noxious skyline as you watch the GDP growth rates, still hovering near 9%

Los Angeles

LA’s fashion scene has stagnated, and the city’s hold on entertainment is slipping to diffusion by web 2.0

Tokyo

the principles of kaizen (continuous improvement) are shaping a really cool new Japanese ecovibe

Sydney

The general attitude down under appears to be one of distant concern

Saö Paulo

Here, ‘crunch’ is in the quinoa, not in the financial vocabulary

Hong Kong

The city is rich enough to sit out the bust, and it can always rely on China’s neighboring Guangdong province to drive the local economy

New York

Hunger breeds innovation, because people actually have to think, plot and scheme to make a difference, and are more likely to do it on a shoestring budget.

London

With large infrastructure projects on the horizon for the Olympics, nimble currency moves and a general stiff upper lip, the mantra now is survival and sobriety

Shanghai

China is one of the last places in the world still experiencing growth, and that means that the party is still in progress here on the Huangphu River

Mumbai

Clearly the November attacks had a large impact on the mood of the city, but they can’t dent the can-do spirit of average Mumbaikars

Singapore

Private wealth and trading (two of the city’s biggest focuses) are giving ground to medical tourism, biotech and other homegrown industries taking root with support from the government

Buenos Aires

international markets and visitors that provide an international feel to the city began to dry up

Dubai

Dubai’s taste for showcases, whether luxury, architecture or design, make the remaining grand opportunities here very interesting

Paris

The current mood is about refocusing on priorities, living life more simply and thinking deep thoughts. Where better than Paris?

Toronto

Canadian globe trotters are heading back home to Canada’s most influential business city as they check out of their stints abroad.

Istanbul

Looking ahead, the story of Istanbul is about youthful opportunity.

México, D.F.

a young population works in Mexico City’s favour, creating optimism and opportunity for the future, generated by an increasingly well educated and global population.

Copenhagen

the Danish way of life, from design to food, with a focus on streamlined simplicity, makes more sense than ever.

2008 most liveable cities

juan — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:49:09 +0000

I owe a big apology to all my loyal readers for keeping you in the dark over the last 3 months. Since my last post I travelled to Mexico twice, shared the stage in San Francisco with some of the authorities on the “geoweb”, travelled to Corsica, the French Riviera, Lake Como, St. Moritz; and managed to launch PlanetEye.com where I lead the Technology team. Intense to say the least. But the most recent issue of Monocle has me burning the proverbial midnight oil and finding energy to start posting regularly again. Thanks for your comments while I was away.

The Monocle Global Quality of Life Index may one day graduate to adopt a scientific methodology that considers a larger spectrum of cities around the world, but I’m happy to settle for their current coverage and play the my-city-is-better-than-yours game, using the tidbits of quick facts they’ve compiled. For those who don’t buy the magazine here are the top 10 cities:

Copenhagen, Denmark

Good looks, brains, perfect proportions, a sunny disposition and a sense of humour are always a winning combination…

Munich, Germany

It combines a strong economy with rich cultural offerings. The city’s workforce is highly qualified; its universities world class. And if the walls start closing in you’ve got the Alps on your doorstep.

Tokyo, Japan

… a new generation of well-travelled, job-hopping twenty and thirtysomethings who are changing Tokyo, challenging stereotypes…

Zürich, Switzerland

The city’s world-class education facilities and cultural offerings, great local public transport and well-connected airport mean it can satisfy even the most demanding employees.

Helsinki, Finland

Waterside revival, civic pride and a view to Asia bode well for the city…

Vienna, Austria

Don’t be deceived by Vienna’s apparent bourgeois rectitude…

Stockholm, Sweden

… with its archipelago, pristine parks and old architecture, is pretty as a princess cake – the Swedes’ favourite birthday treat.

Vancouver, Canada

By accepting increased building density as official city policy, Vancouver believes it is leading the continent in addressing climate change.

Melbourne, Australia

its economy is humming, its arts scene is thriving, and more than 1,000 new people a week are calling the city home.

Paris, France

…it is setting benchmarks in urbanism that have officials from around the world heading to meet mayor Bertrand Delanoë.

Sydney, Honolulu, Madrid, Berlin, Barcelona, Montréal, Fukuoka, Amsterdam, Minneapolis, Kyoto, Hamburg, Singapore, Geneva, Lisbon and Portland follow the leaders.

But the ranking is just a great marketing tool. Much more interesting and relevant to the readers of this blog are the articles “Thinking cities” which collects ideas from some of the best recognized urban thinkers; and “Perfect neighbourhood”, a redux of their ideal borough dream from last year. More on this in upcoming posts.

the economist on liveability

juan — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:18:57 +0000

I’m sure is not because Monocle released their most liveable cities report just a month ago, but now is The Economist releasing their Liveability rankings with the article Where the grass is greener. While Monocle’s report came in the form of a wonderful edition, perfectly written and documented, the Economist Intelligence Unit barely delivers a table with the rankings without much analysis behind. True, Monocle used criteria such “fair balance of sunny and warm days” and “availability of drinks after hours”, but the overall delivery convinced. According to The Economist

The survey takes over 40 factors into consideration which are weighted across five different categories: Stability; Healthcare; Culture & Environment; Education; and Infrastructure. Across the survey a mixture of quantitative and qualitative data are used, which are combined to give an overall Quality of Life Index rating.

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However I wasn’t able to find such factors anywhere, not even after paying for the full report. Anyway, this are the top 10 according to them, nothing that we haven’t seen before:

Vancouver, Canada
Melbourne, Australia
Vienna, Austria
Perth, Australia
Toronto, Canada
Adelaide, Australia
Sydney, Australia
Copenhagen, Denmark
Geneva, Switzerland
Zurich, Switzerland

Still, I never get tired of ranking cities and feeling a bit proud on behalf of those cities that I’ve come to know one way or another.

Update: after corresponding with the Editor of the report at the Economist Intelligence Unit I was given access to the full report which documents their methodology. The ranking is based on 5 categories:

Stability (25%): crime, conflict
Healthcare (20%): private & public healthcare
Culture & Environment (25%): weather, freedoms, culture, food, goods
Education (10%): private & public education
Infrastructure (20%): public transportation, international connections, housing, services, telecomminications

As suspected, their analysis is far more methodic but is intended to help companies planning to expand make decisions about how to compensate workers being transferred.

The survey was conducted in June 2007 so if you’re curious about the ranking of your city, send me a note and I’ll share the data.

most liveable cities

juan — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 02:47:55 +0000

Hyper-connected to the rest of the world through an ample offering of long-haul flights, low crime rates, great education and health system, fair balance of sunny and warm days, plenty of ways to stay informed, availability of drinks after hours, good public transit, lots of green areas and a will to keep them green. This is the method behind the first Monocle Quality of Life Index.

For international flight connections it would be Paris but for an airport it would have to be Munich. On crime it would be a Japanese city – either Tokyo or Kyoto would do. Zürich and Helsinki would be our key contributors for hospitals and schools while Sydney and Honolulu offer the best weather. [...] For a good night out we’d want to be resident in Madrid, Tokyo or Barcelona and for getting home we’d opt for Munich’s public transport and Copenhagen’s bike network if we were sober enough to pedal home ourselves.

With a well documented rating behind each one of the cities in the list, it is going to be hard to argue that they’ve done their homework, but it still feels very subjective. In any case, kudos to the top 10 cities:

Munich, Germany

A winning combination of investment in infrastructure, high-quality housing, low crime, liberal politics, strong media and general feeling of Gem√ºtlichkeit make it a city that should inspire others.

Copenhagen, Denmark

There’s no shame coming second, particularly when phase two of your new metro is about to go live, your airport is a joy, you can bike safely through the city and you have so many stunning residents.

Zürich, Switzerland

for being one of the best-connected, best endowed, safest and easiest to navigate cities in the world [...] run one of the most high-frequency public transports networks in the world and boast a bathing culture that sees the trimmest bodies at Bank Julius Bar strip off at lunch for a cooling plunge in tis mountain-water-fed lake.

Tokyo, Japan

Integrated transport, breathtaking technology, great service and the best bars make this our top big city.

Vienna, Austria

famous for its rich cultural heritage, also has a progressive eco-friendly municipal government.

Helsinki, Finland

What’s lost in the winter darkness is replaced by great cultural and sporting outlets, Stockmann’s bookstore and a good music scene.

Sydney, Australia

The city has some environmental issues and an antiquated trasnport system. But then there’s the beach…

Stockholm, Sweden

An eye for detail, good street style and strong public services make this a pleasant place to build a nest.

Honolulu, United States

Bridging the oceanic gap between California and Asia, Honolulu now fits the definition of a global city – a palm-fringed metropolis with a population as diverse as its flora.

Madrid, Spain

Red tape and poor infrastructure are counterbalanced by cultural vibrancy and a 24-hour lifestyle

Melbourne, Montreal, Barcelona, Kyoto, Vancouver, Auckland, Singapore, Hamburg, Paris & Geneva follow the leaders with their own advantages in this ranking, which along the rest of the magazine does a lot to uncover great urban experiences.

I’ve posted other rankings that measure cities against each other and Monocle’s approach is certainly interesting but with the growing global awareness many of the advantages that some of these cities hold will soon be replicated and enjoyed in tandem by citizens of most global cities. Perhaps it is the article Good Hood found in the pages that follow the ranking that offers a greater insight as to what makes a true liveable city: plenty of neighborhoods with the diversity and vibrancy to keep their inhabitants satisfied with a range of local world-class services. For all other goods of life you can always aspire to your next adventure abroad.

Thanks to Slava for recommending the magazine. It is a great discovery.

c40 climate summit

juan — Sun, 13 May 2007 19:02:54 +0000

Next week the Mayors from 40 of the world’s largest cities will gather in New York to review progress, share best practices, identify collaboration opportunities and set action plans to fight climate change. The C40 Large Cities Climate Summit program will include topics such as Beating Congestion, Decentralized Energy, Efficient Water Supply, Climate Change in the context of Economic Development, Green Buildings, Waste Management & Low Carbon Economies.

In big city I had pointed out how the action of the largest cities is what really matters when dealing with global problems. 10% of the world’s population live in 100 of the largest cities alone. Through management of their infrastructure, landfills, treatment plans, legislation of local land use policies to drive development in the right direction, regulation of automobiles and their energy plants, the overall impact they can exercise is significant.

The delegates attending will represent (bold indicates among 10 largest cities in the world):

Melbourne, Sydney (Australia)
Dhaka (Bangladesh)
Curitiba, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo (Brazil)
Toronto (Canada)
Beijing, Shanghai (China)
Bogota (Colombia)
Copenhagen (Denmark)
Cairo (Egypt)
Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)
Paris (France)
Berlin (Germany)
Delhi, Mumbai (India)
Jakarta (Indonesia)
Rome (Italy)
Tokyo (Japan)
Mexico City (Mexico)
Rotterdam (Netherlands)
Lagos (Nigeria)
Karachi (Pakistan)
Lima (Peru)
Warsaw (Poland)
Moscow (Russia)
Johannesburg (South Africa)
Seoul (South Korea)
Barcelona, Madrid (Spain)
Stockholm (Sweden)
Bangkok (Thailand)
Istanbul (Turkey)
London (United Kingdom)
Austin, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland (United States)

Update: Mayor David Miller of Toronto is now chair of the C40