ObservatoryCities: Positioning & Perception

How a city presents itself to the world and how it is read by external audiences are rarely the same thing. The TPBO City Observatory examines that gap, drawing on leading indices and a decade of editorial conversations with place leaders, practitioners, and experts worldwide.

Our city profiles combine publicly available ranking data with TPBO's own analytical perspective to identify where positioning strategies are coherent, where narrative gaps exist, and where the evidence points to a stronger or weaker competitive trajectory.

In collaboration with: Brand Finance

A Selection of Cities We Have Examined

TPBO city profiles summarise how places perform across leading global rankings and indices, from brand strength and soft power to investment attractiveness and sustainability. A starting point for understanding how a city is positioned in global competition.

New York City – Economic Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Explore New York City's economic performance, sustainability, livability, brand strength and reputation, according to leading rankings and indices.

Paris – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Explore Paris, its economic competitiveness and sustainability, city brand strength, livability and reputation, according to leading rankings.

Seoul – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

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

London – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Explore London's performance in international indices and studies measuring livability, city brand strength, economic competitiveness, sustainability and innovation.

Berlin – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Explore Berlin's economic performance, its sustainability, city brand strength and reputation, according to leading rankings and indices.

Latest City Ranking Insights

IMD Smart City Index 2026: What It Means for Urban Leaders

Insights & Perspectives Editorial Team - 0
Editorial briefing on what the IMD Smart City Index report means, highlighting the move from technology to trust, credibility and structure.

Europe’s Best Cities 2026: Why Global Urban Leaders Still Dominate the Rankings

Insights & Perspectives Editorial Team - 0
Resonance’s Europe’s Best Cities 2026 ranking reveals how livability, culture and connectivity shape Europe’s most competitive cities.

World’s Best Cities 2026: What the Ranking Means for City Brands

Insights & Perspectives Editorial Team - 0
Analysis of the World’s Best Cities 2026 ranking, exploring how livability, perception, and competitiveness are reshaping global city brands.

What Latest Global Power City Index Reveals About Urban Competitiveness

Insights & Perspectives Editorial Team - 0
Editorial briefing on what the latest (2025) Global Power Cities Index means for urban competitiveness and city brand leadership.

America’s Best Cities 2025: Top 10, Trends, and Takeaways

Insights & Perspectives Editorial Team - 0
Explore key insights from Resonance’s 2025 America’s Best Cities Ranking. Discover which American cities are perceived as top-performing.

Cities to Watch

Join us as we take a closer look at a specific cities, their identity, brand and positioning - what makes them attractive and unique, their current image and future visions, strengths and challenges.

Gold Coast

City Showcases Editorial Team - 0
How Brand Gold Coast built a place brand from the inside out — a city defined not by its coastline, but by the culture its people created.

Gothenburg

City Showcases Editorial Team - 0
How Gothenburg has made sustainability the default — from fossil-free transport and certified hotels to events as civic tools. Seven-time world leader in destination sustainability.

Greater Copenhagen Region

City Showcases Editorial Team - 0
Discover how the Greater Copenhagen Region builds its global reputation on trust, quality of life, and cross-border collaboration between Denmark and southern Sweden.

Venlo

City Showcases Editorial Team - 0
Discover Venlo in the Netherlands — an entrepreneurial Euregion city with strong community spirit and cross-border energy.

Al Madinah

City Showcases Editorial Team - 0
Explore how Al Madinah city in western Saudi Arabia, unites rich Islamic heritage with a vision for livability and sustainable growth.

Behind the Scenes - Meet the Trailblazers in City Branding

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.

In the spotlight (view all here):

Interviews

Luuk Helleman on How The Hague Is Rethinking City Branding

Editorial Team - 0
Luuk Helleman on how The Hague balances international ambition, local identity and resident pride through place branding.
Interviews

Katarina Thorstensson on Gothenburg, Sustainable Destination Development, and Growing Better

Editorial Team - 0
Katarina Thorstensson of Göteborg & Co reflects on seven consecutive years at the top of the Global Destination Sustainability Index, and what it really takes to combine tourism growth with long-term responsibility.
Interviews

Todd Babiak on the Gold Coast’s Place Brand, Resident Listening and Stewardship Over Promotion

Editorial Team - 0
How Brand Gold Coast built its place brand from the inside out — Todd Babiak on resident listening, city identity, and the long game of stewardship.
Interviews

Montserrat Puig on Barcelona, Talent, and the Real Work Behind Innovation Ecosystems

Editorial Team - 0
Interview with Montserrat Puig on Barcelona, talent attraction, and the real work behind innovation ecosystems.
Interviews

Maria Hardenberger Sverka on Branding Greater Copenhagen Region

Editorial Team - 0
Maria Hardenberger Sverka of Copenhagen Capacity on branding the Greater Copenhagen Region through governance, credibility, and everyday quality of life.

Let's Connect

You'd like to know more about our city observatory - the insights and rankings, or the people and places leading the way? Get in touch!

© 2026 The Place Brand Observer, Switzerland. Making sense of how places build reputation, relevance and trust.