Resonance Consultancy released its list of the world’s top-performing cities, and both Edmonton and Calgary made the cut, as did a couple of other Canadian cities.
Calgary just made the top 50, at 49, behind Vancouver at 46, and Montreal at 48.
Edmonton ranked 86.
The report says that while Alberta is enduring some economic struggles due to the rise and fall of oil–plus the pandemic–Calgary offers a good quality of life.
“[Calgary] ranks #13 globally in our People category, including #17 for Educational Attainment and #22 for Foreign-Born Population (up two spots from last year),” the report reads.
“Its relative housing affordability will also attract new talent priced out of other large Canadian cities.”
The report says Edmonton also has a lot to boast, despite the province’s economic volatility.
“The city is still a beacon of opportunity, boasting the 40th-best GDP per Capita in the world, 39th-best Income Equality and, increasingly vital in a runaway Canadian real estate market, affordable homes relative to local incomes,” the report said of Alberta’s capital.
“A recent downtown revival has now catapulted the city into the ‘urban renewal’ conversation that has been happening in other North American industrial regions.”
The report added the University of Alberta (ranked number 58 globally), healthy immigration, and the government dollars that come with being a provincial capital have all factored into Edmonton’s ranking.
The top 10 on the list (in order) are London, Paris, New York City, Moscow, Dubai, Tokyo, Singapore, Los Angeles, Barcelona, and Madrid.
The cities are ranked in 24 different categories.
“The data collected for this year’s rankings provides a snapshot of the performance of these cities one year into the pandemic and are an early indicator of how they have each been affected by COVID-19,” said Resonance President and CEO Chris Fair, who is originally from Calgary.
“While no city has been spared from the effects of the pandemic over the past year, they have fared differently. This new World’s Best Cities ranking provides a snapshot of which cities are best positioned to recover, and even thrive, in the years ahead,” he added
