Preliminary findings in a new index unveiled at the World Cities Summit yesterday - the Global Liveable Cities Index, has propelled Singapore as the most liveable city in Asia, coming up third behind Switzerland's Geneva and Zurich.
The study, which started in 2008, is published by Singapore's Centre for Liveable Cities using five categories and 135 indicators to assess 64 cities around the world. Visit site
Singapore was ranked top five in four of the five categories, taking the first spot in the domestic security and stability category that evaluates crime rate and civil unrest.
She also made second runner-up for good governance and leadership, and came in fifth for both categories of economic vibrancy and competitiveness, and quality of life and diversity.
However, things did not look so rosy when Singapore was evaluated on eco-friendliness and sustainability - a category which reviewed pollution and environmental initiatives.
Lead researcher of the index, Dr Tan Khee Giap from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, said that Singapore's poor performance in this category is a result of the exclusion of data on water management.
"We did very well on water management, but this data is not available to most cities. Data which is Singapore but not available in most of the 64 cities we studied will not be used," said Dr Tan.
A discussion about the index's framework will be held during a workshop at the summit today. The Centre for Liveable Cities said that although the computation of the index needs more discussion and fine-tuning, the index takes a balanced approach to evaluating cities, making its focus stand out from other current ranking systems.
"In terms of looking at liveability from a more holistic and balanced framework, I think there are probably very few, if any, such set of indicators around," said Mr Andrew Tan, director for Centre for Liveable Cities.
Managing Director of Rikvin Corporate Services, Mr James Nuben, said that these findings will increase foreign investors and companies' interest in expanding business growth by making a presence in Singapore.
Mr Nuben said, "A well-ranked city in surveys such as the Global Liveable Cities index will draw attention to the high quality of living offered by the city. This, in turn, will be a critical factor for foreign companies and individuals when it comes to making a decision to either establish a company or work in the Asia Pacific region."
Rikvin Corporate Services specialises in Singapore company formation and staff relocation services, including work visa applications for foreigners.
The study will take two more years to complete and publish its full findings, and may repeat its survey annually.
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