Cities are responsible for 80% of global GDP and are hubs of creativity, culture and innovation. Yet no two cities are the same. Each offers its own unique experience, employment opportunities and real estate options.
Savills World Research runs a number of city programmes to provide a better understanding of which cities perform best across different industry sectors. Some cities excel as all-rounders – New York and London spring to mind and appear in almost every analysis of top cities that we do. Others are known for their specialisms, such as Mainz as a centre of life sciences, or Atlanta as an important media hub.
Here are our latest city reports, focused on the industry sectors that are driving global real estate investment and location decisions today.
Tech Cities
Savills Tech Cities
, running since 2015, has tracked the rise of this transformative growth sector. From the outset, the programme has been about what tech talent is looking for in a place to live and work, and how that has been altering the competitiveness of cities across the globe. We’ve seen the ascension not only of San Francisco, but also of vibrant cities such as Austin, Tel Aviv and Barcelona.
The latest edition, published in December 2020, focuses on the different tiers of a Tech City and what makes them important to the sector now and in the years to come, particularly in a post-pandemic era.
Report: Tech Cities
Science Cities
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the life sciences sector to the fore. The development of vaccines in record time has made companies such as Novavax, BioNTech and Sinovac household names. Though attention has grown in recent months, the sector has been driving innovation and discovery for decades.
Our new report, launched in February 2021, identifies the top 20 science cities in the world and assesses what makes them successful places to establish and grow life science businesses. While US cities dominate, led by Boston (a global knowledge hub and funding magnet), cities in China, the UK, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, France, Singapore, Australia and Ireland are all major players.
Report: Science Cities
Media Cities
Global media cities are hubs of creativity where films, television and music are produced, edited, and consumed. The industry is changing: the Covid-19 pandemic, the rise and rise of streaming services and the increasing importance of technology are all having profound effects on how consumers and producers interact with all forms of media.
In November 2020, we analysed the top media cities around the world, with some expected and unexpected results. Established hubs Los Angeles, New York and London claimed the top three positions, but challenger markets like Atlanta, Montreal and Paris each performed well with diverse strengths.
Report: Media Cities
Prime Residential Index: World Cities
In contrast to our other programmes, here we focus solely on property market performance. The Savills World Cities Prime Residential Index tracks the performance of the prime residential markets in 30 global cities twice a year. Our latest report, launched in January 2021, highlights the resilience of the sector. On average, capital values have increased 0.8% for the cities in the index at a time when global GDP is recovering from the impact of Covid-19 and subsequent lockdowns.
Progressing through 2021, although uncertainty remains, sentiment is improving as the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccines gain traction. Average capital value growth for the cities in the index is forecast at 1.6% for 2021.
