INTERNATIONAL. In a first-of-its-kind biennial survey from Veolia Environnement, the world’s largest environmental services company, 8,600 people in 14 of the world’s largest cities have revealed very common likes and dislikes for life in the city while painting a picture of their ideal future city.
The findings of the study – the first of its magnitude and scope to examine how people actually feel about city living by contrasting multiple cities on a global basis – has notable importance because for the first time in history, 50% of the world’s population lives in cities – up from only 10% just 100 years ago. By 2025, the number is expected to increase to nearly 60%, presenting a multiplicity of challenges as cities struggle to provide essential services and a good quality of life for their residents.
Overall, the global findings show 83% of city dwellers are satisfied with their city and 75% want to continue living in their city. But these positive attitudes are tempered by contradictory feelings about city life, with residents feeling a great sense of freedom (84%) but feeling constrained by high cost-of-living and economic pressures (80%). The city is viewed as a setting where it is relatively easy to meet people (72%) but one that triggers feelings of isolation, anonymity and anxiety among a majority (53%) of people. Convenience, attachment and stress were the top three feelings respondents used to describe their relationship with their city. Mixed emotions seem to be a permanent fixture of city life around the globe.
The three US cities surveyed (New York, Los Angeles and Chicago) performed well. Chicagoans are the most satisfied (percent “very satisfied”) with their city overall (49%), followed by Sydney (44%), New York (41%), Berlin (38%), Los Angeles and Paris (35%). Satisfaction is lowest in Mexico City (19%), Beijing (18%) and Tokyo (14%).
In addition to convenience, a sense of freedom and an ease in meeting people, city dwellers appreciate cities for their sports and cultural activities, public transportation and the diversity of people. Chief among their dislikes and concerns are the costs of living, traffic jams, safety, pollution, noise, dirt and poor management of public services. What city dwellers say would improve their quality of life includes reduced cost of living (49% globally versus 59% for US cities), improved safety (27%), less pollution (25%), reduced unemployment (25%), fewer traffic jams (23%) and development of public transportation (18%).
“The survey shows how city dwellers worldwide share very common personal desires and a common concern for the future of their cities,” said Michel Gourvennec, CEO of the Veolia Environnement group in North America.
“The growth pace of large urban areas is spurring greater complexity in the management of public services and infrastructure. City dwellers want greener, cleaner cities with better affordability and greater mobility. Veolia Environnement is especially interested in helping people improve their quality of life and the survey represents another way for our clients to recognize, anticipate and plan for the complexities associated with urban living.”
More key findings
What urbanites like about the cities where they live - Worldwide, respondents cited the following when asked what they like most about the city where they live: Public transportation systems (36%), sports and cultural activities (35%), economic and cultural dynamism (30% and 29%, respectively), entertainment possibilities (26%), and diversity (23%).
Respondents cited the following when asked what they hate about the city where they live: traffic jams (48%), pollution (38%), noise (28%), dirt (26%), poor management of public services and crowds (both at 25%).
Some 66% of respondents in all 14 cities use public transportation as their primary means of transportation versus a much lower 41% in the US. Residents in Los Angeles and Chicago are more likely to use cars as their primary means of transportation (82%) versus the global average (53%). Overall, Americans are more likely to see traffic congestion as a strong dislike and are more passionate about reducing traffic congestion as a key way to improve quality of life.
Residents of Shanghai, Beijing, Chicago, Prague, Lyon and Paris are most confident about the future of their city. Around the world, however, the percent that is “very confident” is relatively low (16%) versus 49% who are “somewhat confident” about the future. Chief worries for the future include: cost of living (72%), air quality (66%), noise (65%), quality of the environment (56%) and housing (55%).
What is the ideal city?
Focus group participants around the globe described the ideal city as a combination that includes:
Sydney, Chicago and Los Angeles, best described as “easy to live” cities because of a closeness to nature (ocean and Great Lakes settings) and optimism
Tokyo’s mass transit system and convenience
Shanghai and Beijing’s economic vitality
Paris, London and New York’s cosmopolitan setting and cultural activities
New York, Chicago and Los Angeles’s population diversity
Alexandria, Berlin and Prague’s fun-loving social atmosphere and ease in meeting people
Prague and Chicago’s friendliness
Prague’s architecture
From a negative perspective, Tokyo was generally considered a “cold” city for its lack of warmth and friendliness, while the survey underscored Mexico City residents’ concern for safety and negative feelings arising from urbanisation.
How city dwellers spend their time is universal around the world. During the week, the typical city dweller sleeps 7 hours on average and devotes 7 hours to work, 2 hours to transportation, 2 hours each to administrative tasks and chores, and enjoys approximately 4 hours for personal leisure time. Similarly, residents from all cities desire more sleep (1 hour, ideally), less time in transport (1 hour), less time at work (1 hour) and 2 more hours per day for family, friends and personal leisure.
Note: Veolia Environnement established the Veolia Observatory of Urban Lifestyles to augment its knowledge of the complexities of urban life and examine people’s relationships to their cities.
The Observatory’s first study was conducted in conjunction with global market research leader Ipsos, which surveyed more than 8,600 people in Alexandria, Beijing, Berlin, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Lyon, Mexico City, New York, Paris, Prague, Shanghai, Sydney and Tokyo. Surveys were conducted online, and personal interviews were conducted in Alexandria and Prague where Internet penetration is low. Focus groups in 11 of the 14 cities supplemented quantitative survey findings.
The Veolia Observatory will conduct biennial studies probing the attitudes of urban dwellers across the globe.
More information about Veolia Observatory and The Veolia Observatory Survey of Urban Lifestyles is available at www.observatoire.veolia.com
See also www.veoliaenvironnement.com
The findings of the study – the first of its magnitude and scope to examine how people actually feel about city living by contrasting multiple cities on a global basis – has notable importance because for the first time in history, 50% of the world’s population lives in cities – up from only 10% just 100 years ago. By 2025, the number is expected to increase to nearly 60%, presenting a multiplicity of challenges as cities struggle to provide essential services and a good quality of life for their residents.
Overall, the global findings show 83% of city dwellers are satisfied with their city and 75% want to continue living in their city. But these positive attitudes are tempered by contradictory feelings about city life, with residents feeling a great sense of freedom (84%) but feeling constrained by high cost-of-living and economic pressures (80%). The city is viewed as a setting where it is relatively easy to meet people (72%) but one that triggers feelings of isolation, anonymity and anxiety among a majority (53%) of people. Convenience, attachment and stress were the top three feelings respondents used to describe their relationship with their city. Mixed emotions seem to be a permanent fixture of city life around the globe.
The three US cities surveyed (New York, Los Angeles and Chicago) performed well. Chicagoans are the most satisfied (percent “very satisfied”) with their city overall (49%), followed by Sydney (44%), New York (41%), Berlin (38%), Los Angeles and Paris (35%). Satisfaction is lowest in Mexico City (19%), Beijing (18%) and Tokyo (14%).
In addition to convenience, a sense of freedom and an ease in meeting people, city dwellers appreciate cities for their sports and cultural activities, public transportation and the diversity of people. Chief among their dislikes and concerns are the costs of living, traffic jams, safety, pollution, noise, dirt and poor management of public services. What city dwellers say would improve their quality of life includes reduced cost of living (49% globally versus 59% for US cities), improved safety (27%), less pollution (25%), reduced unemployment (25%), fewer traffic jams (23%) and development of public transportation (18%).
“The survey shows how city dwellers worldwide share very common personal desires and a common concern for the future of their cities,” said Michel Gourvennec, CEO of the Veolia Environnement group in North America.
“The growth pace of large urban areas is spurring greater complexity in the management of public services and infrastructure. City dwellers want greener, cleaner cities with better affordability and greater mobility. Veolia Environnement is especially interested in helping people improve their quality of life and the survey represents another way for our clients to recognize, anticipate and plan for the complexities associated with urban living.”
More key findings
What urbanites like about the cities where they live - Worldwide, respondents cited the following when asked what they like most about the city where they live: Public transportation systems (36%), sports and cultural activities (35%), economic and cultural dynamism (30% and 29%, respectively), entertainment possibilities (26%), and diversity (23%).
Respondents cited the following when asked what they hate about the city where they live: traffic jams (48%), pollution (38%), noise (28%), dirt (26%), poor management of public services and crowds (both at 25%).
Some 66% of respondents in all 14 cities use public transportation as their primary means of transportation versus a much lower 41% in the US. Residents in Los Angeles and Chicago are more likely to use cars as their primary means of transportation (82%) versus the global average (53%). Overall, Americans are more likely to see traffic congestion as a strong dislike and are more passionate about reducing traffic congestion as a key way to improve quality of life.
Residents of Shanghai, Beijing, Chicago, Prague, Lyon and Paris are most confident about the future of their city. Around the world, however, the percent that is “very confident” is relatively low (16%) versus 49% who are “somewhat confident” about the future. Chief worries for the future include: cost of living (72%), air quality (66%), noise (65%), quality of the environment (56%) and housing (55%).
What is the ideal city?
Focus group participants around the globe described the ideal city as a combination that includes:
Sydney, Chicago and Los Angeles, best described as “easy to live” cities because of a closeness to nature (ocean and Great Lakes settings) and optimism
Tokyo’s mass transit system and convenience
Shanghai and Beijing’s economic vitality
Paris, London and New York’s cosmopolitan setting and cultural activities
New York, Chicago and Los Angeles’s population diversity
Alexandria, Berlin and Prague’s fun-loving social atmosphere and ease in meeting people
Prague and Chicago’s friendliness
Prague’s architecture
From a negative perspective, Tokyo was generally considered a “cold” city for its lack of warmth and friendliness, while the survey underscored Mexico City residents’ concern for safety and negative feelings arising from urbanisation.
How city dwellers spend their time is universal around the world. During the week, the typical city dweller sleeps 7 hours on average and devotes 7 hours to work, 2 hours to transportation, 2 hours each to administrative tasks and chores, and enjoys approximately 4 hours for personal leisure time. Similarly, residents from all cities desire more sleep (1 hour, ideally), less time in transport (1 hour), less time at work (1 hour) and 2 more hours per day for family, friends and personal leisure.
Note: Veolia Environnement established the Veolia Observatory of Urban Lifestyles to augment its knowledge of the complexities of urban life and examine people’s relationships to their cities.
The Observatory’s first study was conducted in conjunction with global market research leader Ipsos, which surveyed more than 8,600 people in Alexandria, Beijing, Berlin, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Lyon, Mexico City, New York, Paris, Prague, Shanghai, Sydney and Tokyo. Surveys were conducted online, and personal interviews were conducted in Alexandria and Prague where Internet penetration is low. Focus groups in 11 of the 14 cities supplemented quantitative survey findings.
The Veolia Observatory will conduct biennial studies probing the attitudes of urban dwellers across the globe.
More information about Veolia Observatory and The Veolia Observatory Survey of Urban Lifestyles is available at www.observatoire.veolia.com
See also www.veoliaenvironnement.com
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