The Global Urban Competitiveness Report - 2013 is an empirical study and evaluation of the sustainable competitiveness of 500 cities around the world from regional, national and other perspectives. This one-of-a-kind resource draws on a wealth of data sources, all of which are described and assessed, and involve urban economics, geography, urban studies, regional economics and many other fields. Using a sophisticated methodology and a team of 100 researchers from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the book not only ranks these cities but also presents a treasury of information with regard to the strengths and weaknesses of each city in relation to each other. Included is a full discussion on the structure, trend and determinants of global urban development, prosperity and competitiveness, and comments on the policies and initiatives that are adopted by the most competitive cities. Chapters written by eminent scholars and researchers from organisations such as the United Nations Human Settlements, World Bank and OECD analyse key problems in sustainable urban competitiveness.The research shows how global cities can improve their competitiveness and the analyses reveals that global urban competitiveness has increased overall, the highlight being emerging economy cities. The comprehensive and concise index system and valuation method, and stable and reliable data provide an accurate reflection on many aspects of a city and its competitiveness. Scholars and researchers in the areas of urban economics, planning, geography and regional economics will find the information invaluable, as will local authorities, decision-makers and economic planners in cities throughout the world.
Contents: 1. Conceptual Framework and Analytical Methods 2. Global Urban Sustainable Competitiveness Index 3. Global Urban Sustainable Competitiveness: A Comprehensive Analysis 4. Global Urban Sustainable Competitiveness: A Regional Analysis 5. Global Urban Sustainable Competitiveness and Urban GDP Per Capita 6. Global Urban Sustainable Competitiveness and Urban Population Size 7. Global Urban Sustainable Competitiveness: Characteristics of Functional Centers 8. The Specialized Differences: One Key Vector in Urban Competitiveness 9. Social and Technological Innovations in the Competitiveness of Cities 10. Green Cities: Examples of Governing for Green Growth from OECD Countries 11. Institutions and Urban Competitiveness - A Doing Business Perspective 12. The Challenge of World City Network Pattern Changes on the World City Network Analysis 13. Population Aging and Urban Competitiveness 14. Driving Factors of Urban Prosperity: An Empirical Analysis of Global Cities 15. Patterns of the Global Cities: Present and Future 16. The State of Sustainable Competitiveness of 500 Cities Index
