New York and San Francisco Earn Top Spots in A.T. Kearney's 2018 Global Cities Report

The report also examines the rise of Chinese cities, whose improvement in the report has outpaced nearly all other global regions.

CHICAGO, May 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- New York and San Francisco have retained their status as the world's most competitive and influential cities, according to the newly released Global Cities 2018 report from A.T. Kearney. This year's report combines the Global Cities Index and Global Cities Outlook to help multinational businesses assess the best places for expansion, investment, and recruiting new talent. The Index and Outlook studies complement one another and provide a look into both the current performance of the world's top cities and the potential of upcoming urban powerhouses. The report also highlights the success of China's super cities, which are increasingly drawing talent and corporate investment from around the globe.

"As we've seen with Amazon's second headquarters search in the US, competition between cities is real and the stakes are exceptionally high," said Mike Hales, A.T. Kearney partner and co-leader of the study. "Many cities fail to identify the advantages of investing in the right areas to attract investment and talent until it is too late. We hope this report helps companies identify places that offer current opportunities as well as future potential, and gives cities a basis for more proactive strategies toward urban development and transformation."

2018 Global Cities Index

The 2018 Index finds New York City to be the world's most powerful and influential city for the second year in a row. The Global Cities Index provides insights into the performance and reach of the world's most influential cities. It is based on 27 metrics spanning five dimensions: business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement. New York cemented its top spot this year by showing strong improvements in business activity, while also leading the global scores in human capital. "As companies experience strategic shifts in their businesses, Index insights can be crucial inputs into decisions on where and how to operate to win the war for growth and sustain performance with the right talent mix," said Nicole Dessibourg-Freer, co-author of the report and a consultant with A.T. Kearney.

2018 Global Cities Outlook

For the fourth consecutive year, San Francisco holds on to the top position in the Global Outlook rankings. Driven by the high-growth companies in Silicon Valley, San Francisco continues to excel in innovation. The Global Cities Outlook identifies emerging cities that can rival established leaders based on 13 metrics across four dimensions: personal well-being, economics, innovation, and governance.

"It's ecosystems with the strongest commitment to innovation and development that are emerging as the world's best cities," said Erik Peterson, partner with A.T. Kearney and managing director of the firm's Global Business Policy Council. "Now more than ever, it's vital for cities to attract investment that drives growth. The cities highlighted in our report have discovered the right mix of ingredients to do so."

Learning from the Success of Chinese Super Cities

The annual scores of the seven Chinese cities highlighted 10 years ago in the original Global Cities Index have grown by an average 1.8 percent annually, outpacing all other regions in the report except Africa. A.T. Kearney digs into why these cities are so successful and the lessons others can learn from their urban transformation efforts.

"We've been tracking several Chinese cities over the past decade and have seen how coordinated local, regional, and national strategies and a holistic development approach have led to significant improvements," said Andrés Mendoza Peña, A.T. Kearney partner and co-author of the study. "The urban infrastructure in China is creating a really exciting business environment where tech start-ups can flourish. We're also seeing more and more top talent attracted by the wealth of cultural and educational opportunities in China."

Click here to view A.T. Kearney's full 2018 Global Cities report.

2018 A.T. Kearney Global Cities Index and Global Cities Outlook Methodologies

The Global Cities Index examines the current performance of cities based on 27 metrics spanning five critical dimensions: business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement. It provides insights into the current global reach, performance, and level of development of the world's largest cities. It also allows for the comparison of diverse cities and for the identification of core strengths and distinctive differences.

The Global Cities Outlook evaluates a city's future potential based on the rate of change for 13 leading metrics across four dimensions: personal well-being, economics, innovation, and governance. These metrics help evaluate long-term investment and success by assessing elements such as environmental performance, infrastructure, and innovation capacity. In this way, the Outlook brings a forward-looking perspective to city-level policies and practices that shape future competitiveness, identifying growing cities that are likely to be the most prominent global cities of the future.

About A.T. Kearney

A.T. Kearney is a leading global management consulting firm with offices in more than 40 countries. Since 1926, we have been trusted advisors to the world's foremost organizations. A.T. Kearney is a partner-owned firm, committed to helping clients achieve immediate impact and growing advantage on their most mission-critical issues. For more information, visit www.atkearney.com.

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