City Observatory

Explore our City Observatory to gain a deeper understanding of how cities balance economic competitiveness, livability, and reputation while contributing to global well-being and urban sustainability. Our city profiles provide detailed summaries of various rankings, studies, and indices that measure and monitor economic and sustainability performance, city brand strength, talent attractiveness, and global reputation.

Disclaimer: The information presented here is intended to provide a general overview and facilitate comparison between different cities. While we strive to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the data, we cannot be held responsible for any typographical errors or inaccuracies. The data is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. Please verify any information before relying on it for decision-making purposes.

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City Profiles - Performance & Potential

How do cities around the world perform in terms of economic competitiveness, livability, sustainability, innovation? How attractive are they for talent, investors and as places to live? How do they compare in terms of brand strength and reputation?

These are the questions we ask - and answer - in our city profiles: summaries of rankings, studies and indices measuring and monitoring city performance, brand strength and reputation.

Cities profiled so far:

Aarhus – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Explore how Aarhus performs in rankings of economic competitiveness, city brand strength and reputation, livability and urban sustainability.

Abu Dhabi – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Explore how Abu Dhabi performs in rankings of economic competitiveness, city brand strength and reputation, livability and urban sustainability.

Addis Ababa – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

How Addis Ababa fares in economic competitiveness and sustainability, city brand strength and reputation, according to leading rankings.

Amsterdam – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Explore Amsterdam's economic performance, sustainability, city brand strength, livability and reputation according to leading rankings.

Athens – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Auckland – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Bangkok – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Barcelona – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Basel – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Beijing – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Berlin – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Bern – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Bogotá – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Boston – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Brisbane – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Brussels – City Perfromance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Budapest – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Buenos Aires – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Cape Town – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Chicago – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Copenhagen – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Dubai – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Dublin – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Düsseldorf – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Frankfurt – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Geneva – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Ghent – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Hamburg – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Helsinki – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Hong Kong – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Houston – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Istanbul City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Jakarta – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Kuala Lumpur – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Las Vegas – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Lisbon – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

London – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Los Angeles – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Madrid – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Medellín – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Melbourne – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Mexico City – Economic Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Miami – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Milan – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Montevideo – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Moscow – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Munich – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Nairobi – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Nantes – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

New Delhi – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

New York City – Economic Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Osaka – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Oslo – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Paris – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Perth – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Prague – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Rome – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

San Diego – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

San Francisco – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

São Paulo – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Seattle – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Seoul – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Shanghai – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Shenzhen – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Stockholm – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Sydney – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Taipei – Sustainability Performance, City Brand Strength and Reputation

Tel Aviv – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Tokyo – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Toronto – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Toulouse – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Utrecht – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Vancouver – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Vienna – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Warsaw – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Washington D.C. – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Wellington – Urban Sustainability, City Brand Strength and Reputation

Zürich – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

City Showcases

In our city showcases we take a closer look at a specific city and its “brand” - what makes it attractive and unique, its image and visions, strengths and challenges.

Latest City Showcases

Behind the Scenes - Interviews with City Brand Impact Makers

Over the years we have had the fortune to speak with many city managers, urban developers, marketing specialists and placemakers. Find out about city branding research and practice: the strategies and visions, the challenges and latest trends affecting the development and management of strong city brands.

Our latest interviews with city brand makers so far (view all here):

City Branding - Strategy Insights & Examples

Our case studies explore real-world examples of successful urban strategies and initiatives. These in-depth analyses provide valuable insights for city planners, policymakers, and researchers looking to understand the factors driving success in urban environments and apply them to their own cities.

Interviews

Marc Meeuwis on Shaping the Brand of Tilburg, the City of Makers

Marc Meeuwis shares insights on Tilburg’s city brand strategy, emphasizing creativity, community, and the city’s identity as a hub for makers and innovation.
Place Branding Examples

A City Brand Assessment of Warsaw, Poland

In this guest contribution, Michał Basiński of Synergia Lublin shares insights into the company's analysis of Warsaw's strengths and weaknesses as a city brand: the first step of any successful place brand management strategy.

Onur Eryüce on How City Diplomacy is Helping Izmir Build its Global Influence and Soft Power

Consol Vancells Casanovas on Barcelona City Branding, Co-Creation and Storytelling

Ank Hendriks on How Utrecht Uses City Branding to Promote Healthy Urban Living

Peter Kjeldbjerg on How Struer Became The City of Sound

Let's Connect

You'd like to know more about our city observatory - the showcases, expert interviews, or benchmarking? Contact us!

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ABOUT TPBO

At The Place Brand Observer, we showcase impactful place brand stories and their link to sustainable development. Bridging research and practice, we highlight influential figures shaping the global identity and reputation of cities, regions, and countries. Our focus is on revealing their diverse success stories, insights and experiences.

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