Mobility Resilience Key to Oliver Wyman Forum City Rankings

• Singapore remains number one but European cities dominate the top ten
• New index identifies which cities are best prepared for urban mobility post-COVID

The research conducted with The Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Berkeley analyzes cities across 56 metrics, including regulation, infrastructure, social impact, and the ability to adapt future technologies. This year’s index added 20 cities, bringing the total to 50.

“Many cities around the world were at a tipping point, even before COVID and while we won’t know the true impact on cities yet, the cities that ranked high are in a better position to meet future challenges,” said Guillaume Thibault, an Oliver Wyman partner and one of the creators of the index.

European Cities Dominate

Half of the top ten cities -- Amsterdam, London, Helsinki, Berlin and Paris -- are in Europe.  Most rely on mass transit, are easily walkable, and prioritize clean mobility as well as safety.  They also work with local academic institutions and are well-connected regionally and internationally with dense air and rail networks

“European cities have a great balance across all the dimensions of the index with the top cities scoring high across most of the categories,” said Professor Alexandre Bayen, director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.  “These cities have a richer portfolio of mobility options and infrastructure systems making them more resilient in the face of crisis.”

Singapore Remains Number One

Singapore remains number one partly because of its focus on forward looking traffic management, which includes road user charges with adaptive pricing, the first automated rail system as well as roadways that accommodate self-driving vehicles. With six major airports, number two ranked London, leads in international connectivity.  The city also has a wealth of leading universities which allows for innovation to flourish.

Number seven, Helsinki is noted for its superior air quality and a high market share of electric vehicles.  It also has a comprehensive transportation network featuring affordability, density as well as access to Finland’s rail network.

Berlin (number eight) is noted for its resilience. The impact of its risk preparedness and service continuity was evident early in the COVID-19 pandemic. The city has also embraced diverse, connected modes of public transit — from the U-Bahn to the ferry — as well as an integrated app which allows for multimodal route planning and ticketing across public and private operators.

The index launched at a virtual event titled “The Future of Urban Mobility” on September 29th and 30th, which included a keynote by Eleni Kounalakis, 50th Lieutenant Governor of California.  The event featured discussions among global leaders from industry, technology, academia, finance, and non-governmental organizations on ways to address the complex challenges posed by the global mobility revolution. Several upcoming Global Mobility Executive Forums are also planned. For additional details, please click here.