Citizen Today: Cities for Citizens

Overview

Ernst & Young reports on the findings of its year-long examination into the biggest challenges facing urban communities around the globe.

While all cities are different, there is no doubt that ours is an increasingly urban world. Shifting economic power from West to East and North to South has increased both the number and the sophistication of urban centres in emerging markets. Globalisation, too, has meant that cities are more interconnected than ever before as capital and people move freely between them. As a result, the competition for talent and capital between cities worldwide is surging - only those centres that adapt quickly to these changing trends and demographics will prosper.

Ernst & Young's global Government & Public Sector team has interviewed more than 70 city leaders from around the world, including mayors, chief executives and their implementation teams. We have investigated what drives city leaders, how they see their city developing and how they are shaping their cities to be fit for the future. In this edition of Citizen Today, we consider our findings.

We look at how cities have a deepening commitment to sustainability, recognising the many benefits that a "green" economy can bring. We examine the growth of new financial centres and the prospects for economic growth and jobs across the European Union. The challenge of ensuring Paris' transport system is fit for the 21st century also comes under our microscope.

We investigate the civic stories of London, Los Angeles and Bogotá; three cities of differing histories and size, but with shared ambitions and hopes for the future. And in our regular "Hot off the press" pages, we highlight recent thought leadership from Ernst & Young.