(17 November 2015) – The Reputation Institute has just released its annual report on the reputations of the largest and most well-known cities in the world. Of the top 20 cities in the ranking, 15 are European.
Just as people have reputations, cities have reputations, too, and they have a direct impact on economic indicators such as tourist arrivals, exports, and investment. The overall reputation of a city is an emotional perception constructed through direct experience, its own communication, the perspectives of third parties and generally accepted stereotypes.
Three main dimensions explain a city’s reputation: Quality of life (Appealing Environment), Quality of institutions (Effective Administration), Level of development (Advanced Economy), Cities with a strong reputation are positively perceived in all three dimensions. Stockholm lead the Effective Administration dimension. Tokyo is the best perceived city in Advanced Economy. Rome is the city with the best performance in Appealing Environment
Sydney is the city with the best reputation, followed by Melbourne. Both are in one of the top five most reputable countries. Both cities stand out by the perceptions of their Effective Administration, Advanced Economy and Appealing Environment and are among the most livable cities in the world.
Of the top 20 cities in the ranking, 15 are European, with Stockholm in the lead. Cities in Northern Europe obtain better scores in reputation as they are well perceived in the rational dimensions but better emotional halos are reserved for those with more historical tradition.