Best Cities In Europe To Locate A Business

Cushman & Wakefield Healey & Baker publishes its annual list and 36-page report of top European cities for business expansion. Leading the list are London and Paris.

1 minute read

November 10, 2005, 1:00 PM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


Cushman & Wakefield Healey & Baker has conducted this survey on Europe's major business cities each year since 1990. Senior Executives from 501 European companies gave their views on Europe's leading business cities.

Among the most findings:

  • In the overall rating of best cities for business the top cities of London and Paris continue to lead by some margin.
  • Barcelona overtakes Amsterdam into 5th place and Madrid also closes up to form a leading group of seven cities.
  • The other cities to move up this year are: Berlin (9th to 8th), Lisbon (16th to 14th), Düsseldorf (18th to 16th), Budapest (23rd to 21st), Glasgow (24th to 22nd), Copenhagen (26th to 25th), Helsinki (28th to 27th) and Oslo (30th to 29th).
  • Valencia and Bucharest head the list of other cities threatening to break into the top 30.
  • Almost a quarter (23%) of companies sampled had relocated or outsourced operations to another country in the last three years.
  • Warsaw remains the city that can expect the biggest influx of companies over the next five years, with 41 of our sampled companies expecting to locate there. If this happens, Warsaw would move up to 6th position in terms of international company representation.
  • Worldwide, Shanghai remains the clear favourite â€" 41 of our companies expect to expand there.
  • Wednesday, November 9, 2005 in Cushman & Wakefield

    Young Professional

    I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

    I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

    Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

    Get top-rated, practical training for planners

    "Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

    Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

    A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

    October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

    A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

    California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

    If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

    October 28, 2026 - Grist

    Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

    Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

    Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

    October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

    The Chicago Avenue Bridge when it was open, a dark red bridge in front of downtown.

    Chicago Avenue bridge construction delays enrages city leaders

    The bridge has been closed since 2025. The city originally aimed to re-open it in December, and now expects to finish construction in 2027.

    November 1 - Block Club Chicago

    People walk to a bus in Queens

    NYC bus network redesign speeds up Queens buses

    Rush routes have seen a 4.6% speed increase after the redesign.

    November 1 - Mass Transit

    A rendering of the California high speed rail Fresno station. Two escalators leading into the station are visible.

    California High-Speed Rail Authority picks trainset manufacturer

    The California High-Speed Rail Authority aims to start servicing passengers by 2033.

    November 1 - Railway News