This week sees the publication of our Annual World Cities and UK Key Cities Indexes. Although, necessarily, they adopt different criteria, both indexes aim to identify the most secure destinations for long-term investment.

So, how well do you know your World and UK Cities? Test yourself against these five questions.

Questions:

1.Can you identify the World City in the photograph above? As a clue, it has been ranked as St Bride’s Number One World City since the index was first launched in 2011. And, it has topped the rankings again this year. Out of the different ‘themes’ covered by the index, this city is ranked second for business friendliness, property fundamentals and desirability/living, third for economic stability and 11th for constitution/governance.

2.The postponed Olympic and Paralympic Games commence in Tokyo (ranked fourth in St Bride’s World Cities Index) on 23 July. Tokyo also hosted the Games in 1964. But, which ten of the other St Bride’s Top 20 World Cities have hosted a summer Olympic Games? Your choices are: Amsterdam, Atlanta, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Toronto and Washington DC? If you can give the dates as well, you should award yourself an extra bonus point!

3.Beyond the US (eight cities), Australia is the only other country to have more than one city in the Top 20 - Sydney (8th) and Melbourne (13th). In 2020, there were three countries with two cities in the top twenty – Australia, Canada and Germany. Which German and Canadian cities do you think have been relegated this year?

4.Which city is ranked No 1 in St Bride’s UK Key Cities Index? As a clue, their football team came third in the Premiership, its population is projected to increase from 525,000 to 555,000 by 2029 and it currently has 15.2 million sq. ft of offices. Also, in 2017 it was named by the EU as the top city in Europe for culture and creativity.

5.The Government is determined to ‘level-up’ and increase prosperity across the whole of the UK. How many of the Top 35 UK Key Cities are in the South East and East? Is it 7, 13, 18 or 25?

Enjoy your Sunday.

The Weekly

Answers:

1.Of course … it is London.

2.Eleven of St Bride’s Top 20 World Cities have hosted the Olympic Games -- Amsterdam (1928), Atlanta (1996), Berlin (1916, 1936), London (1908, 1948, 2012), Los Angeles (1932, 1984), Melbourne (1956), Paris (1900,1924), Seoul (1988), Stockholm (1912) and Sydney (2000). Only London has hosted the Olympics three times, although Paris and Los Angeles will match this in 2024 and 2028 respectively.

3.The two relegated cities this year were Frankfurt and Montreal. To be fair to Germany and Canada though, over the past ten years, Munich and Vancouver have also featured in the top twenty. Manchester is the UK’s second highest World City, ranked at 36.

4.You may have mistakenly thought it was Liverpool. In fact, the answer is Edinburgh. Edinburgh-based Hibernian came third in the Scottish Premiership behind Celtic and Rangers (both Glasgow). Despite its size, Liverpool failed to break into St Bride’s Top 35 UK Key Cities. Two other Scottish Cities feature in the Top 35 - Aberdeen and Glasgow (both 26=).

5. Excluding London, just over half (18/35) of the UK Key Cities are in the South East and East. There are only five Northern towns, four in the Midlands and five in the South West & Wales. The Government clearly has a job-and-a-half on its hands!