Urban & Innovation
Environment Index 2024
Key Idea of Urban & Innovation Environment Index
What is Quality of Life in a
Modern and Innovative City?
First of all, opportunities for self-realization & needs satisfaction and Free time to use these opportunities.
The higher the level of innovation in a city and the more balanced its spatial development, the less time residents spend on “transaction costs” and the greater their opportunities for self-realization.
Dimensions of Saving Time
Physical Accessibility of Goods, that We Need
- How balanced is the distribution of functions in residential areas?
- Does the transport system provide accessibility to urban functions?
- Is the urban environment diverse enough to meet the needs of various residents groups?
Accessibility of Services, that Simplify the Obtaining of Goods
- What is an innovative potential of a city that simplify life of a resident?
- Is there enough variety of services in the city and are they affordable?
- Нow developed are the services that simplify interaction with the city and save time?
Methodological novelty
1. Statistics Won’t Help
Many international comparative studies rely on statistical data, but they may not be suitable for our purposes: a city cannot be simply represented as a single point, and the mere presence of an object or service in a city does not guarantee its accessibility
to all residents
Challenges
The new theoretical framework implies an integrated approach to the analysis of cities and makes it difficult to develop a final rate. Working with cities beyond their administrative boundaries makes impossible to rely on their official statistics
2. High-Density Urban Areas
A modern large city is a living complex organism. Its complexity is comparable to that of biological structures. When analyzing a city, it is important to consider the territory as a whole, recognizing that its development follows a unified logic that
transcends administrative boundaries
Advantages
A new approach to assessing urban development provides an opportunity to see hidden urban problems. A more accurate reflection of the processes taking place on the territory
3. Internal Urban Diversity
Depending on lifestyle, family or economic status, citizens may need different infrastructure and these needs can change significantly over time. As a result, it is crucial to pay attention to disproportions in internal development
Solutions
Combined expert and analytical approach developed by an international team. Spatial data, satellite sensing and complex indicators are the basis of the final index
Indicators blocks
Accessibility of Services & Innovativeness of the City
Potential for Innovation
- Scientific Potential
- Innovation Support: Development of Government Public Services
- Cultural Potential
Mobility-as-a-Service
- Development of Sharing Services
- Development of Delivery Services (Goods & Food)
- Development of Taxi Services
Physical Accessibility & Diversity of the Urban Environment
Balance of Spatial Development
- Level of Polycentricity
- Functional Diversity of Suburbs
Transport Accessibility
- Connectivity of the Road Network
- Public Transport Infrastructure
Diversity of Built Environment
- Diversity of Urban Morphology Types
- Accessibility of Green Spaces
Results
Top 10 Agglomerations of 2024
Rank
Agglomeration
Grade
1.
London
A+
2.
Seoul
A+
3.
Madrid
A+
4.
Moscow
A+
5.
Paris
A+
Rank
Agglomeration
Grade
6.
Shanghai
A+
7.
Tokyo
A+
8.
Singapore
A+
9.
Osaka
A+
10.
Saint Petersburg
A
Lessons of the Top Agglomerations
At the forefront of our Index is the opportunity to learn from each other, to see the strengths of our neighbors and learn from their experience, as well as to warn them against their mistakes.
There is certainly a lot to learn from the leading cities.
There is certainly a lot to learn from the leading cities.
Seoul-Incheon
Balance lessons
It is no coincidence that the Seoul agglomeration took first place. Its leadership position is ensured by the fact that this agglomeration did not show low results according to any of the indicators used in the Index. In most cases, Seoul, if not first, is guaranteed to take a place in the top three. This is a difficult management task that requires constant monitoring by city authorities. It was the balanced attention of the authorities to different aspects of life that made it possible to achieve such results.
London
Lessons from tradition and innovation
London’s high position is ensured by the ability to combine established traditions of urban planning policy with bold innovations that allow the city not to stand still. So, for example, the city’s high position in terms of availability of taxi services is associated with traffic regulation in the city center and paid entry into this territory. All this allows us to maintain the pace of development without losing the quality of a citizen’s time.
Berlin
Lessons on compactness and comfort
It is not necessary to be the largest city in terms of population to provide its citizens with quality services. Berlin proves perfectly that compactness has its strengths and growing pains can be offset by administrative and technological achievements.
Moscow
Lessons from controlled growth
The strength of the Moscow agglomeration is maintaining spatial balance at fairly high growth rates. This is achieved through the smooth operation of such mechanisms as public transport and the polycentric development through saturation with the functions of the city’s periphery. All this creates conditions for fast and comfortable movement and equal services for citizens in all parts of the city.
Paris
Lessons in diversity and heritage
Although conservation is often pitted against development in urban environments, Paris is proving that respecting one’s heritage can pay rich dividends. In particular, due to the diversity of the environment, which increases the value of a city dweller’s time.
Shanghai
Lessons of digital transformation
As a strategy for its development, Shanghai chose the path of digitalization some time ago and has made real progress in this direction. Digital services have not only covered such standard areas of urban life in a large metropolis as the sharing economy and the delivery of goods. It is important that digital services have penetrated the public sector, creating a convenient communication interface between citizens and the government. A modern city is a complex organism and it is difficult for an individual resident to understand the intricacies of its bureaucratic schemes. Digitalization of city management allows not only saving the citizen’s time, but also significantly increasing his satisfaction with his stay.
We hope that the results of the study will allow us to look at urban development from the other side — from the side of a city dweller, a tourist, a person who is thinking about moving to another city. The time becomes invaluable resource that citizens in a modern metropolis lack. And the city’s ability to save this resource becomes the most important competitive advantage in the struggle for human capital. Our goal is to make the index a convenient and useful tool for assessing the effectiveness of urban development and the attractiveness of cities for residents.