Cities With a Global Outlook: The Top 12

A team of management consulting and foreign policy professionals has released a report analyzing which cities of the world are most global in reach, looking at business activity, human capital, and information exchange. New York comes out on top.

1 minute read

October 31, 2008, 9:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


"The top cities on the index-which also include Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Los Angeles-aren't surprising, given their financial markets and sophisticated business climates. But their positions as global leaders also are bolstered by the presence of top-quality universities, world-class museums, international cuisine, and culturally diverse populations. New York, for instance, has the world's largest foreign-born citizenry and Tokyo boasts the largest number of inhabitants with university degrees.

[Paul Laudicina, managing officer and chairman of A.T. Kearney] says the index also helps to explain why businesses choose headquarters in places that can present considerable cost disadvantages. A good example is the San Francisco Bay Area, ranked 15th, where real estate prices and taxes are among the highest in the U.S. The region is made more appealing, Laudicina says, by high quality of life, the prevalence of multidisciplinary academic and scientific research, and other cultural dimensions.

The index reveals another trend, too. Cities in emerging economies, such as Beijing, Moscow, Shanghai, and Dubai, eventually may dislodge the old guard. China's industrial explosion and Russia's recent oil and gas boom have pulled in tourists, foreign investment, and internal migrants looking for the fruits of prosperity."

Wednesday, October 29, 2008 in Business Week

portrait of professional woman

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 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 Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Archway made of bikes in Knoxville, Tennessee over Tennessee River.

Knoxville Dedicates $1M to New Greenway

The proposed greenway would run along North Broadway and connect to 125 miles of existing trails.

1 hour ago - WATE

25mph speed limit sign with digital "Your Speed" sign below it.

Philadelphia Launches ‘Speed Slots’ Traffic Calming Pilot

The project focuses on a 1.4-mile stretch of Lincoln Drive where cars frequently drive above the posted speed limit.

3 hours ago - WHYY

UPS delivery cargo bike with covered front seat in New York City

NYC Delivery ‘Microhubs’ Aim to Cut Down on Truck Pollution

The hubs are designed to provide parking for large delivery trucks, which can pass on their cargo to bikes or other zero-emission vehicles.

5 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive