Search Results for: cities

The power of cities continues to shift east as Asia set to outstrip Europe and North America by 2035

by • Cities, News

A new report from Oxford Economics suggests although New York, Tokyo, London and LA will stay as the world’s major urban superpowers in the near future, China’s cities’ GDP will double in the coming two decades while Shanghai (pictured) and Beijing have already outstripped Paris in terms of economic activity. The 780 global urban centres covered in the report account for well over half of all worldwide economic activity, are home to a third of the world’s population and will be home to an extra 500 million people by 2035. In just over a decade the combined economic activity of Asian cities will exceed those in Europe and North America. Some smaller European cities will fall out of the top 100 cities worldwide, including several capitals. These are Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen and Vienna as well as Barcelona, Frankfurt and Hamburg.

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Smart cities could lead to cost savings of $5 trillion for firms and governments, report claims

Smart cities could lead to cost savings of $5 trillion for firms and governments, report claims

by • Cities, News, Technology

Smart city technologies could save businesses, governments and citizens globally over US$5 trillion annually by 2022 according to a new whitepaper from ABI Research (registration required). The new white paper analyses the scope for cost savings and efficiency as a driver for smart city deployments, smart technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT). According to the report, titled ‘Smart Cities and Cost Savings,’ the use and deployment of IoT and smart technologies will be pivotal to the future success of smart cities, but only if players collaborate to embrace a holistic approach. With higher concentrations of people and enterprises in cities as a result of urbanisation, smart city and IoT technology, along with new sharing and service economy paradigms, will be key for cities to optimise the use of existing assets, maximise efficiencies, obtain economies of scale and ultimately create a more sustainable environment. Automation, artificial intelligence, along with sensors, data-sharing and analytics, will all be critical in helping cities save costs.

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New quarterly report highlights latest UK cities trends

New quarterly report highlights latest UK cities trends

by • Cities, News, Public Sector, Technology

A new quarterly report that claims to analyse the latest trends taking place in cities across the UK has been published by Future Cities Catapult, the Government-backed centre of expertise in urban innovation, the City Innovation Brief (automatic download) summarises key developments and changes from cities across the UK, identifying where money is being invested and what future opportunities might look like within the advanced urban services sector.

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Cities in developed world are less confident in their digital ecosystems

Cities in developed world are less confident in their digital ecosystems

by • Cities, News, Technology

According to a new study from The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), business leaders in 45 cities around the world are relatively confident that they can find the support they need for their digital transformation efforts. Many city environments come up short, however, particularly in the supply of digital talent. The study claims that firms in Bangalore, San Francisco and Mumbai display the greatest degree of confidence while executives in developed world cities are some of the least confident, including those in Berlin, Tokyo and Yokohama. The study also claims that half of businesses (48 percent) have considered relocating operations to a city with a more favourable environment.

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Air quality in cities would benefit more from electric heating in buildings than from electric vehicles

Air quality in cities would benefit more from electric heating in buildings than from electric vehicles

by • Environment, Facilities management, News

There would be more immediate benefits to the air quality in UK cities by converting all their buildings to electric heating than from the much talked about government plan to halt the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040, according to consultancy WSP. A switch to electric heating would provide around a 40 reduction in emissions, a similar level to what would be achieved if all vehicles were to become electric by 2040, according to the report. It highlighted the figures following yesterday’s government announcement that petrol or diesel cars would no longer be sold from 2040. In Central London alone 38 percent of NOx emissions come from buildings using gas power, claims WSP. In 2014 WSP published a report that showed that if all transport and buildings were to become electric by 2030 in London, air pollution could be reduced by over a third, carbon emissions cut by 80 percent and noise pollution reduced significantly. Its figures come from the expected London emissions in 2020 from London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory.

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Other UK cities must rebalance London-centric commercial property market

Other UK cities must rebalance London-centric commercial property market

by • Cities, News, Property

It is up to the UK’s other cities to rebalance the country’s London focussed commercial property market according to a new report, ‘What investors want: a guide for cities’, published by the think tank Centre for Cities with support from Capita. It examines the top priorities for investors when choosing which places to invest in, and offers practical advice for cities on how to make their places as attractive as possible for investors. The report shows that just over half of all investment in Britain’s commercial property market in 2016 – worth over £43bn in total – was spent in London. This was significantly more than the South East, the second most successful region, which secured nearly £5bn of investment, equivalent to 11% of the total share across Britain.

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Largest trial of driverless vehicles takes to the streets of two cities in the UK

Largest trial of driverless vehicles takes to the streets of two cities in the UK 0

by • AI, News, Technology

The UK’s largest trial of connected and autonomous vehicle technology has been given the green light to move out onto city streets, after a UK consortium completed its final set of private test track demonstrations. Project partners Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC) are set to trial vehicles on the roads of Milton Keynes and Coventry, as Jaguar Land Rover announced the latest version of their automated, driverless vehicle technology. The three vehicle manufacturers are taking part in the £20 million UK Autodrive research and development project, jointly funded by government and industry. UK Autodrive claims to be the first project in the UK to showcase the benefits of having cars that can “talk” to each other across multiple makes of car. Three of the seven key features of connected cars (see full list below) will be trialled during the three-year programme.

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Report sets out costliest cities for mobile workforce of multinationals

Report sets out costliest cities for mobile workforce of multinationals 0

by • News

In a rapidly changing world, mobility has become a core component of companies’ global talent strategy and as a result, multinational organisations are carefully assessing the cost of packages for their international mobile workforce, claims a new report which sets out the costs of living in the world’s major cities. Mercer’s 23rd annual Cost of Living Survey finds that factors like instability of housing markets and inflation for goods and services contribute to the overall cost of doing business in today’s global environment. Mercer’s 2017 Cost of Living Survey finds Asian and European cities – particularly Hong Kong (2), Tokyo (3), Zurich (4), and Singapore (5) – top the list of most expensive cities for expatriates. The costliest city, driven by cost of goods and security, is Luanda (1), the capital of Angola. Other cities appearing in the top 10 of Mercer’s costliest cities for expatriates are Seoul (6), Geneva (7), Shanghai (8), New York City (9), and Bern (10). The world’s least expensive cities for expatriates, according to Mercer’s survey, are Tunis (209), Bishkek (208), and Skopje (206).

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Built environment sectors ignoring the potential of smart cities and big data

Built environment sectors ignoring the potential of smart cities and big data 0

by • Cities, Facilities management, News, Property

There is little or no evidence of the built environment, real estate and construction sectors engaging directly with the smart city agenda, according to a new RICS Research Trust report by University of Reading academics. The research, which examined four case studies (Bristol, Milton Keynes, Amsterdam and Taipei) found that less than a quarter of UK cities had an smart city action plan. Of those that did, the main focus in the smart city case studies is on open data. As a result, city residents are not benefitting from a clear strategy for smart cities according to the report Smart Cities, Big Data and the Built Environment: What’s Required?

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Regional office take up in UK’s major cities hits five year low

Regional office take up in UK’s major cities hits five year low 0

by • News, Property

The latest research from real estate adviser GVA claims that Q1 2017 office space take-up across the UK’s ‘Big Nine’ regional office markets was at its lowest level for five years. At 23 percent below average, activity was particularly low in the city centre market where only Cardiff recorded above average take-up. Out-of-town markets were more resilient however with Bristol, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Newcastle recording above average take-up. Professional services made up 28 percent of all take-up over 5,000 sq. ft. in the city centres during Q1, slightly higher than the usual profile, led by legal and engineering firms. Deals to universities in Cardiff and Bristol meant that the education sub-sector made up 15 percent of activity. It was a strong quarter for the Technology Media and Telecom (TMT) sector, which increased its share to 18 percent compared to an average of 13 percent, while recruitment companies were also very active (9 percent of take-up).

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Western European cities ranked high by multinationals on quality of infrastructure

Western European cities ranked high by multinationals on quality of infrastructure 0

by • Cities, Facilities management, News, Property, Workplace

City infrastructure plays a key role when multinationals decide where to establish locations abroad and send expatriate workers, claims a new report. Mercer’s 19th annual Quality of Living survey now includes a supplementary question on city infrastructure, as easy access to transportation, reliable electricity, and drinkable water are all important considerations when determining hardship allowances based on differences between a given assignee’s home and host locations. Western European cities hold most of the top ten places in the city infrastructure ranking, with Frankfurt and Munich jointly ranking 2nd worldwide, followed by Copenhagen (4) and Dusseldorf (5). London is in 6th place, and Hamburg and Zurich both rank 9th. However, in terms of quality of living which is ranked separately, Vienna (pictured) occupies first place for overall quality of living for the 8th year running, and despite increased political and financial volatility in Europe, many of its cities offer the world’s highest quality of living and remain attractive destinations for expanding business operations and sending expatriates on assignment. In the UK, London is favoured for its overall quality of living and for its city infrastructure.

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London, New York and Hong Kong are most expensive cities to rent office space

London, New York and Hong Kong are most expensive cities to rent office space 0

by • News, Property

London has been named the third most expensive city in the world for office space, behind New York and Hong Kong, according to an analysis by Kit Out My Office on office rental prices. The analysis mirrors many similar studies that identify these cities as the most expensive on the planet in which to do business. The report looked at the cost of leasing office space of 10,000 square foot and associated business costs, such as property tax, service charges, and Internet access. However, all is not doom-and-gloom for businesses looking to relocate or start-up in London. Initiatives and grants are available for businesses, such as Enterprise Investment Schemes and R&D tax credits. The report claims that alongside being named the third most expensive city for office space, the decision by the UK to leave the EU has caused an air of uncertainty and posed many questions that are still unanswered. For example, how will EU workers be treated and will there be levies for companies that trade with Europe.

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