Everyone talks about it, but everyone also understands it a bit differently. Nevertheless, the quality of living of a city also determines its competitiveness.

Quality of living is a catchword that is being used in many contexts. Particularly experts in advertising and marketing love this term–understandably so, because in times in which hardly anybody really vitally needs something—and the choices are so multifaceted in every respect, the promise to offer more quality of living and to increase one’s mental and physical well-being seems an unbeatable weapon. More quality of living for the customer and thus more turnover for the producer or the service provider—that is the concise idea.

Quality of living as a competitive advantage
Now, it is not only products and services that compete with one another, but also, cities. They compete for investors and companies willing to settle there. For these companies it is first and foremost the “hard facts” that count, whereas the so-called soft location factors, including also the issue of quality of living, are only the “icing on the cake”. However, the demographic change with an increasingly aging society and a declining population creates a new competitive situation: the city that knows not only how to keep primarily young people, but to attract them as well, has achieved a considerable locational advantage.

But that is not yet all: the times in which competition between towns limited itself only to big cities in a country are long gone. In the age of globalization and a worldwide digital intercommunication, not only the German metropolises such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich compete with one another but must also pit themselves against Paris, London, Madrid and Milan and all other metropolises in Europe and the rest of the world. A city that wants an international enterprise to settle must have a lot to offer when it comes to quality of living. The less a location has to offer to the people who are supposed to live and work there, the more the company has to convince its employees, i.e. compensate financially for the potential disadvantages.

Photo: Even those who have never been in Oslo know that Aker Brygge is the city’s upscale shopping street. With the reuse and conversion of existing buildings and well thought-out additions of new buildings, an inner-city area has been created here where people like to linger all year round.

International quality of living rating              
From this perspective, the consulting firm Mercer Human Resource establishes an annual ranking of 215 cities all over the world. The study is based on 39 criteria for assessing the quality of living from the expatriates’ point of view. These criteria include political, social, economic and environmental factors and analyze health care, cultural and educational issues, the public transport system and safety aspects, as well as recreation amenities.

The result of the study may be surprising to those who would have expected cities such as London, Paris and New York at least among the top ten locations, three cities that are generally considered as “hip” but only rank in at positions 33, 39 and 46, respectively. The city with the highest quality of living is Zurich that—in defiance of all efforts towards a more modern image—is still considered to be rather parochial. Zurich is followed by Geneva, Vancouver and Vienna. Also the order of the German cities might seem surprising because Düsseldorf (6) and Frankfurt (7) rank above Munich (8) and Berlin (16), and Nuremburg (23) ranks above Hamburg (26). Of the Scandinavian cities, Copenhagen (11) ranks highest, followed by Stockholm (19), Helsinki (29) and Oslo (31).

Some might have the feeling they do not want to go along with this list but Mercer evaluated—by their own account— the “quality of living” and not the “quality of life”—a subtle difference. That certain something that gives a city its appeal and that increases the quality of life for some is a subjectively felt characteristic which cannot be measured objectively. However, this certain indefinable something that makes some cities so exciting and inspiring can lose the city points in the quality of living ranking.

Photo: Unused industrial space, among others, is well suited for urban renewal. A prime example of this is Hammarby Sjöstad in Stockholm: Here, a modern, lively city quarter was developed, whose attractiveness is increased through its waterfront location.

Thus already, the first difficulty of the definition as to what “quality of living in cities” means, and what contributes to it, becomes visible. Nevertheless, there are some prerequisites that must be met so that a city or an urban quarter has at least some quality of living, and then a quality of life can develop from that. The DIFA Deutsche Immobilien Fonds AG in Hamburg advertised a Europe-wide award “Living Quality in Urban Quarters”. The winner will be announced at EXPO REAL in Munich. 31 projects from ten European countries ranging from Finland to Italy and from Great Britain to Austria have been nominated. One criterion that is a prerequisite for participation—and is top on the requirements list—is a functional mix: the interblending of living, working and recreation.

For a long time, a division of functions was propagated in the cities—an absolutely sensible decision during times in which production plants and other commercial enterprises caused noise and emissions. But the result, however, was “bedroom communities” in the middle of nowhere that had, at best, a tiny bit of green around them. By the same token, there were and still are areas in a city in which industry and trade predominantly settled, but in whose surroundings nobody wanted to live. The city centers, however, where people went shopping, were teeming with life during opening hours. But since hardly anybody lived there, they were almost deserted after hours.

Revival of the ideal European city
Meanwhile, it has been decided to revitalize city centers everywhere. They should not only consist of buildings for retail and offices, but also more and more of housing space, turning them into a place where “there is always something going on after hours“ by establishing an adequate offering of restaurants and recreational amenities. In a nutshell: it is the revival of the ideal European city whose main feature is the functional mix.

The mix of functions is certainly a basic prerequisite. But it does not inevitably make people feel at ease in a city or an urban quarter. Another prerequisite is a social and cultural diversity. Particularly social diversity is a decisive factor. It might cause some friction, but an integration of different social groups makes a city or an urban quarter come alive and provides the kind of cultural diversity that everyone feels positive about. Social diversity does not only mean avoiding socially deprived areas—areas where everyone who can, leaves and only those who have no other alternative, stay—it also means that the old and the young, families with children and singles, yuppies and blue collar workers, locals and immigrants come together naturally and get to know and respect one another.

Re-conquering public space                                                                                                            
In order for that to happen, though, public space is required which is designed to make people feel at ease. It does not mean a narrow sidewalk next to a four-lane street nor congested traffic around a square whose sides leave just enough space for pedestrians. It does not mean the more or less dilapidated green spaces that can— at best—be used as a dog toilet. Many cities and urban quarters need to reinvent themselves also in this respect since the concept of car-friendly cities that was fashionable for such a long time literally drove the people to the outskirts and contributed to the “inhospitality” of cities.

The architect and urban planner Jan Gehl, head of the Department of Urban Design of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, illustrates in books and presentations, not only using the example of his home town, just how much city life is throbbing again in streets and squares after re-conquering public spaces and after minimizing car traffic. “Re-conquering” public space and a high level of complacency in the streets and squares after having been redesigned with greenery and elegant “city furnishings“ do not only make people linger around longer— it also pays. Pleasurable rambling about the city also tempts people to go to street cafés and restaurants. By the same token, the customer traffic increases and, verifiably, also the volume of sales.

Photo: Reduced-traffic zones in the inner cities, such as here in Chemnitz, entice passers-by to take a leisurely stroll. An economically positive consequence of this is that people linger in the city centre longer and more often and business and gastronomic locales are frequented more often.

Promote identificationn                 
It is also one aspect of the individuals’ quality of living that they can identify with their city or quarter. The change that many cities are currently going through and that also sustainably modifies many neighborhoods gives rise to a certain degree of skepticism in some people, particularly when they were not involved in the decisionmaking. In the end, it is they who will have to live with the results and it is they who know best where there is a need for improvement.

In the meantime, many cities and investors have come to understand that the involvement of residents in the planning process has a positive effect on the implementation of a major project. At the beginning, there was often major concern that later complaints might delay a project and therefore cost more money, which made an involvement of citizens deemed to be advisable. But meanwhile, they have come to the realization that people who identify with their environment will also use it in a different manner and will see to it that its appeal remains preserved.

There is more than just a linguistic connection between the terms identification and identity. The identity of a city certainly has many facets, which also have to do with how one deals with the traditional urban structures and historic buildings. They are as part of the history of the individual as of the whole city, they are a familiar environment. Of course, not all old buildings can be preserved. In some cases, pulling down a building can finally remove an eyesore.

But whatever new development is planned should always involve the tradition of a city as much as possible and create new architectural qualities at the same time. Uniform housing projects are just as boring as those glass facades of office buildings, currently so fashionable, will be in the long run.

Admittedly, every city–small or large–faces difficult tasks when renewing itself and tight budgets do not make this task any easier. But, as standstill can be fatal in economy, it can also be fatal in cities. They have always changed since their very existence and they must continue to do so if they do not want to sink into insignificance. Designing them as attractively as possible for their inhabitants and everyone who stays there for a short or a longer period of time will pay out in cash in the long run. For only with a certain quality of living will the quality of life of the people increase and turn the city into a popular location for all.

The Topic at EXPO REAL 2006 Tuesday, 24 October 2006 PLANNING & PARTNERSHIPS FORUM Hall C2 10.00 am – 1.00 pm DIFA Forum 2006: Reinventing European Cities For detailed information click here.