In an effort to understand some of the key factors in the current hotel industry, I created a data set with the top 5% most expensive hotels and mapped their locations to determine which regions had the highest density of “exclusive” hotels. As it was to be expected the usual suspects are at the top of the list: London, Tokyo, New York City, Paris, Rome. The rest of the list has a good mix of modern, beach and historic cities: Venice, Miami, Los Angeles, Milan, Moscow, Florence, Cape Town, Osaka, Morocco, Maui, Cancun, Washington, Bali, Madrid. London has over 120 exclusive hotels while Madrid counted 20. Beyond that these exclusive hotels are scattered around the world. These images provide a general view of where in the world they are: ……

While calculating these “exclusivity hubs” I came across some other interesting facts: [...]]]> Given the current economic trends in the travel industry, it is expected prices will drop in many fronts. From the analysis of the recent Competitiveness 2009 report we can even derive that some regions will have to try much harder to compensate for factors such as dependency from long-haul passengers.

In an effort to understand some of the key factors in the current hotel industry, I created a data set with the top 5% most expensive hotels and mapped their locations to determine which regions had the highest density of “exclusive” hotels. As it was to be expected the usual suspects are at the top of the list: London, Tokyo, New York City, Paris, Rome. The rest of the list has a good mix of modern, beach and historic cities: Venice, Miami, Los Angeles, Milan, Moscow, Florence, Cape Town, Osaka, Morocco, Maui, Cancun, Washington, Bali, Madrid. London has over 120 exclusive hotels while Madrid counted 20. Beyond that these exclusive hotels are scattered around the world. These images provide a general view of where in the world they are:
……

While calculating these “exclusivity hubs” I came across some other interesting facts:

• The five regions where the top 5% is far more expensive than in the rest of the world are: United Arab Emirates, Morocco, South Africa, New Zealand and Switzerland
• The currencies that will buy you more exclusivity for less are the Japanese Yen, Polish Zloty, Mexican Peso, Canadian Dollar, Indian Rupees, Chinese Yuan and Brazil Reais
• US$264/night will get you into one of these properties

It’ll be interesting to see how this group changes as the year advances and hotels fail to meet their quotas. I’m planning to release a lot more of this analysis as part of a new set of travel guides we’re producing at PlanetEye, but if you’re interested in the numbers behind please drop me a line.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hunger breeds innovation, because people actually have to think, plot and [...]]]> 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:

1. Washington,DC

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

2. Berlin

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

3. Beijing

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

4. Los Angeles

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

5. Tokyo

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

6. Sydney

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

7. Saö Paulo

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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. Buenos Aires

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

15. Dubai

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

16. Paris

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

17. Toronto

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

18. Istanbul

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

19. 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.

20. Copenhagen

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

Other cities outside of North America included in the list: Osaka, Madrid, Sydney, Amsterdam, Paris, Melbourne, Berlin, Bangkok, Barcelona, Taipei, Santiago, Dublin and Caracas.

and the rest of the list.

With the recent opening of the Art Gallery of Ontario, a controversial renovation of the Royal Ontario Museum and a brand new Centre for the Performing Arts, us Torontonians have forged our way into the top 10. But it makes you wonder how much this type of top 10 lists can fluctuate when you start adding other factors as part of the ranking such as:

The methodology to rank the cities includes 24 metrics in five dimensions:

The first is business activity: including the value of its capital markets, the number of Fortune Global 500 firms headquartered there, and the volume of the goods that pass through the city. The second dimension measures human capital, or how well the city acts as a magnet for diverse groups of people and talent. This includes the size of a city’s immigrant population, the number of international schools, and the percentage of residents with university degrees. The third dimension is information exchange—how well news and information is dispersed about and to the rest of [...]]]> In January of 2007 I posted the globalization index, a partnership between Foreign Policy magazine and A.T. Kearney. At the time the report listed the most globalized countries, led by Singapore, Switzerland and the United States. A few weeks ago I decided to once again fine tune the editorial line of this blog by dedicating more time to cover urban issues and the role of cities in the shaping of our global culture. So finding the Foreign Policy’s 2008 Global Cities Index serves to reinforce the recent spirit of this blog.

The methodology to rank the cities includes 24 metrics in five dimensions:

The first is business activity: including the value of its capital markets, the number of Fortune Global 500 firms headquartered there, and the volume of the goods that pass through the city. The second dimension measures human capital, or how well the city acts as a magnet for diverse groups of people and talent. This includes the size of a city’s immigrant population, the number of international schools, and the percentage of residents with university degrees. The third dimension is information exchange—how well news and information is dispersed about and to the rest of the world. The number of international news bureaus, the amount of international news in the leading local papers, and the number of broadband subscribers round out that dimension.

The final two areas of analysis are unusual for most rankings of globalized cities or states. The fourth is cultural experience, or the level of diverse attractions for international residents and travelers. That includes everything from how many major sporting events a city hosts to the number of performing arts venues it boasts. The final dimension— political engagement—measures the degree to which a city influences global policymaking and dialogue. How? By examining the number of embassies and consulates, major think tanks, international organizations, sister city relationships, and political conferences a city hosts.

The complete ranking breaks down the position of each city in each dimension, but here is a preview of the overall winners:
New York – London – Paris – Tokyo – Hong Kong – Los Angeles – Singapore – Chicago – Seoul – Toronto – Washington – Beijing – Brussels – Madrid – San Francisco

The index, a collaboration between Foreign Policiy, A.T. Kearney and The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, includes a few other features such as how to be a global city, the placement of the 19 megacities in the index, the massive role of Chinese cities, an unexpected relationship between most global and cleanest urban centres and more.

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:

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

It combines a strong economy with rich cultural offerings. The city’s workforce is highly [...]]]> 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:

1. Copenhagen, Denmark

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

2. 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.

3. Tokyo, Japan

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

4. 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.

5. Helsinki, Finland

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

6. Vienna, Austria

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

7. Stockholm, Sweden

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

8. Vancouver, Canada

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

9. 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.

10. 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.

When I explained how the imaginary global citizen Phileas Fogg“feels just as comfortable drinking his morning coffee at a Paris bistro as bargaining for the best fruit in a street market in Oaxaca. A true global citizen with knowledge of world affairs”, I was well aware that these activities require certain amount of cultural knowledge and the occasional tourist will always fall into the usual traps. The etiquette for coffee in Paris, according to Phyllis Flick Know that having an espresso while standing at the bar will cost you considerably less than having it at a table. [...]]]> A few days ago I had a very stimulating conversation with a group of friends, each one sharing their account of recent travel abroad. While talking about Prague and Budapest evoked great memories, it was the story about cultural shock on a trip to India that had me fascinated. Was it not for the fact that I know the couple that had this experience very well, I could’ve dismissed their approach to Indian culture as narrow-minded. But they were very articulate to explain how even with the best of attitudes participating in a foreign culture successfully can be a though challenge.

When I explained how the imaginary global citizen Phileas Fogg“feels just as comfortable drinking his morning coffee at a Paris bistro as bargaining for the best fruit in a street market in Oaxaca. A true global citizen with knowledge of world affairs”, I was well aware that these activities require certain amount of cultural knowledge and the occasional tourist will always fall into the usual traps. The etiquette for coffee in Paris, according to Phyllis Flick

Know that having an espresso while standing at the bar will cost you considerably less than having it at a table. Sitting on the terrace will cost you the most; think of it as renting a piece of prime real estate for an hour or so. If the table has a placemat and silverware it is designated only for those customers who are eating; if the table is bare you are welcome to sit and have only a drink.

While I’m no expert on bargaining for the best fruit, I remember vividly the experience of walking into the food aisle of Benito Juárez Market in Oaxaca only to be overwhelmed by the loud invitations of every merchant in the area to join their already crowded space for lunch. It took me a while to figure out that the correct protocol was to buy something from each merchant: the tortillas from one, the meat from another, the drinks and the seat at a table from the last one in the aisle. The unbelievable amount of noise soon turned into a purposeful serenade of commands that you had to be attentive to in order to accomplish the simple task of having lunch there. I can see how a tourist, not familiar with the culture or not versed in the language would feel completely abused and manipulated. Walking into that space without warning may shock visitors as it seems to overflow with unnecessary chatter.

A few days ago I had a déjà vu while riding the subway to work. A group of teenagers, likely on a school trip, hopped in and as soon as they did the level of noise quickly raised to a point where most people already there seemed noticeably uncomfortable. Unlike conversations among other groups, theirs tend to happen in many simultaneous threads and their volume raises to compete for the attention of their distracted buddies. There was no structure, but after listening to them I was certain that all individuals within the group had accomplished their communication goal. To the unfortunate man that happened to be standing in the middle of the group during the ride I’m sure the experience was as close to a cultural shock as walking into Oaxaca’s market with no knowledge of Spanish.

At this point I’m reminded of my post a billion spaces in which I link to sources that suggest that teenagers are the most frequent users of such sites as MySpace that have become famous for the incredibly unproductive conversation that takes place within. I can’t help but realize that the noisy conversation taking place within the virtual realm only mimics the seemingly chaotic approach they use in real life when in large groups. And then I wonder if this may be some sort of axiom: any group of people that uses such intense methods of verbal communication will excel at methods put in place by modern tools such as blogs, chat groups and instant messaging. Furthermore, in my role as a global citizen I feel compelled to transfer one cultural mechanism into another context where it may flourish.

This kind of cultural transfer is exactly what Rising Voices attempts to do, as explained by the post Blessed unrest and Rising Voices by my now friend and utmost global citizen David Sasaki. Daring to find ways to transfer the tools of one culture into another. If as William Gibson says “the future is here, is just unevenly distributed”, the Rising Voices team is perhaps one of the very few organizations doing something about this gap.

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, [...]]]> 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:

1. Munich, Germany

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

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Tokyo, Japan

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

5. Vienna, Austria

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

6. 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.

7. Sydney, Australia

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

8. Stockholm, Sweden

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

9. 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.

10. 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.

The short list of cities invited to participate in the network were chosen for their forward looking approach to supporting the development of the information and technology industries:

Thanks to Dave for the heads up.

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 [...]]]> 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