Research Guides: Global Cities: GUS 0831: Find City Comparison Metrics and Reports

Global City Comparison Metrics and Reports

There are many efforts by NGOs, thinktanks, consultancies, and others to devise metrics measuring globalization and make direct comparisons of global cities for the purposes of ranking, identifying gaps, recommending policy, and more. Wikipedia's "Global City" and "Most liveable cities" articles have a lists of links to some of these, and others are linked below.

Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC)
Loughborough University think tank that studies the relationships between world cities in the context of globalization. They rank cities based on connectivity and global economic integration.
Global Liveability Index 2022 (PDF)
Economist Intellligence Unit's Global Liveability Rankings quantifies the challenges presented to an individual’s lifestyle and quality of life in 173 cities.
Global Power City Index
The Mori Memorial Foundation Institute for Urban Strategies' Global Power City Index (GPCI) evaluates and ranks the major cities of the world according to their “magnetism,” or their comprehensive power to attract people, capital, and enterprises from around the world.
Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) Report
Comprehensive annual benchmarking report that measures how countries and cities grow their human resources. The GTCI ranks countries and major cities on their ability to develop, attract and retain talent
Kearney Global Cities Report
Report by a global consulting firm that summarizes two annual rankings: Global Cities Index (GCI), a metric based on business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement. Global Cities Outlook (GCO), a indicator of a city's potential based on personal well-being, economics, innovation, and governance. See their archive for past Global Cities Reports.
UN Habitat World Cities Report
Regular United Nations report on urban development. For past editions of the Report, and other UN reports about global cities, search the UN iLibrary.
World Happiness Report: Cities and Happiness
The theme and contents of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network's World Happiness Report change from year to year, but the 2020 report included a chapter on cities ranked by happiness.

NGO and Thinktank Sources

Harvard Kennedy School Think Tank Search
Think Tank Search searches the websites of institutions that generate public policy research, analysis, and activity. These sites are affiliated with universities, governments, advocacy groups, foundations, and non-governmental organizations.
Metropolis
The website of the metropolitan section of World Organization of United Cities and Local Governments. Use the website search to look for news articles, reports, studies, and issue briefs on your city.

OECD iLibrary This link opens in a new window
OECD iLibrary (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) provides access to statistical data, books, journals and working papers on subjects such as: Agriculture and Food, Development, Education, Energy, Environment, Finance and Investment, Social Issues, Transport and more. Search for your city name, or the word "cities" to see reports with city-level coverage.
Policy Commons This link opens in a new window
Note: This is the free version of Policy Commons.
Policy Commons offers access to over a million policy documents from thousands of IGOs, NGOs, research centers and think tanks.

UN Sustainable Development Goal 11
United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 11 is "Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable." The UN SDG website for Goal 11 has links to related publications, descriptions of targets and indicators. Under Progress and Information, the SDG annual progress reports will have a section Goal 11.

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