Taipei City placed sixth out of 113 metropolises in the inaugural Prosperity and Inclusion City Seal and Awards index published Nov. 21.
Taiwan’s capital was the highest ranked city in Asia, finishing ahead of famous locations such as Oslo, seventh; Geneva, 10th; Washington, D.C., 11th; Amsterdam, 17th; Paris, 32nd; London, 33rd; New York, 38th; and Tokyo, 39th. Zurich, Vienna and Copenhagen topped the rankings, in that order.
Co-conducted by Switzerland-based D&L Partners SA and the governments of Spain’s Biscay province and Bilbao, the index evaluated cities based on prosperity, social inclusion and spatial inclusion by surveying international experts and business leaders from a range of private and public organizations. Taipei scored highly for affordability of housing, environmental quality and access to healthcare.
At the awards ceremony in Bilbao, Taipei City Government spokesperson Chou Tai-chu said TCG was delighted with the result. The event was a great opportunity to meet with representatives from other cities and learn more about their governance experiences, he added.
According to PICSA, Taipei has long been recognized as a leader in the global information and high-tech industries. The city also stands out for its implementation of circular economy solutions and outstanding contributions to sustainable development, the organizers said.
Formed as part of a project commissioned in 2017 by the autonomous government of Spain’s Basque region, the PICSA index aims to provide a productivity metric that accurately reflects social and economic inclusion in order to identify policies and practices that work for citizens. (YCH-E)
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