Taipei ranked No. 6 most inclusive, prosperous city in world

繁榮與包容城市 北市榮獲全球第六名

Taipei ranked No. 1 for 'Spatial Inclusion' in inclusive prosperity report

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei was ranked sixth overall and first for "Spatial Inclusion" in the first annual Prosperity & Inclusive City Seal and Awards (PICSA) Index Report.

The report, which was announced in Bilbao in Spain's Basque Country on Thursday (Nov. 21), listed Taipei in sixth place overall out of 113 countries. At the top of the list was Zurich, with Vienna, Copenhagen, Luxembourg, and Helsinki, rounding out the top five.

Taipei far outperformed all of its rivals in Asia, with Tokyo being the closest competitor at 39th. Singapore only managed a 46th place finish, followed by Seoul at 49th, Hong Kong at 70th, and Zhengzhou as the highest-ranking Communist Chinese city at 82nd.

Taipei took the No. 1 spot in the world in the report's Pillar 3 category — Spatial Inclusion — which takes into account the affordability of housing, environmental quality, and access to healthcare. The organization described Pillar 3 as being mainly focused on the infrastructure and services of cities.

(Taipei City Government Photo)

The report described Pillar 3 as not only being about quality of life but also access to housing and transportation to "facilitate access to jobs, etc." It added that Pillar 3 focuses on basic services, the environment, urban development, and degree of social mixing.

The PICSA report stated that Taipei received high marks because of its status as a leader in global information and high-tech industries. It was a standout for its implementation of circular economy solutions and "outstanding contributions to sustainable development," reported Taiwan Today.

According to the award website, its definition of inclusive prosperity is "a measure of economic productivity that reflects how far all sectors of the population are empowered to contribute to the economy and share in its benefits." It went on to say that the goal of the awards is to demonstrate both the economic and social factors that make cities successful.

Taipei City Government spokesperson Chou Tai-chu (center). (TCG photo)

The awards were organized by D&L Partners, an Australian accounting consulting firm, in association with the Basque Regional Government of Biscay. An international jury of experts quantitatively assessed the cities based on data from three areas: economic productivity, social inclusion, and spatial inclusion.

Within the elements of prosperity, social inclusion, and spatial inclusion are a number of factors, including GDP per capita, personal safety, access to education, internet access, housing affordability, environmental quality and access to healthcare.