Survey ranks Taipei top international city for 'staying power'

Taipei, Aug. 9 (CNA) Taipei has been named the city with the "highest staying power" in the world, according to U.S.-based design and architecture firm Gensler.

The Taiwanese capital earned the title with 64 percent of respondents saying they wanted to stay, ranking first among 65 cities across six continents in Gensler's "City Pulse 2025" survey of 33,000 people.

Rounding out the top five were Ho Chi Minh City at 61 percent, Singapore at 59 percent, Sydney at 58 percent and Berlin at 51 percent. Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Munich, São Paulo, Vancouver and Seoul.

Cities in the United States were ranked separately, with Minneapolis coming in first at 53 percent, followed by San Antonio (53 percent) and San Diego (50 percent).

"While the decision to move to a new city is often driven by practical needs -- like affordability, safety and healthcare -- choosing to stay is shaped by much more intangible factors," Gensler said in the report.

"It's not enough to build economic infrastructure alone," it added. "A city becomes home when it inspires pride, offers moments of joy, and fosters a true sense of belonging."

Josh Edbrooke, a British music fan who has lived in Taiwan for a decade, told CNA on Friday that he enjoys Taipei's music scene, where it is easy to hear independent bands and keep up with the latest music news.

"I have been to Beijing, Tokyo, and Seoul, and I found the pace of life there faster, while it is slower and more flexible in Taipei," said Tim Smith, an American national.

Taipei scored above the global average in all eight key indicators measured in the survey: economic strength (73 percent), peace and stability (78 percent), vibrancy (76 percent), climate preparedness (69 percent), improving quality of life (71 percent), investing in neighborhoods (70 percent), addressing homelessness (60 percent) and reducing crime (71 percent).

The staying power of cities closely reflected respondents' likelihood of leaving their current homes. Taipei and Ho Chi Minh City were nearly tied for the lowest average likelihood of leaving, followed by Shanghai, Singapore and Riyadh.

Gensler's analysis found that people in the Asia-Pacific region are the least likely to leave their current city, at 29 percent.

However, Taipei did not lead in resident satisfaction, ranking 14th with 80 percent of respondents saying they were "satisfied" or "very satisfied."

Shanghai topped the category at 94 percent, followed by Abu Dhabi and Mumbai (both 92 percent), Dubai (91 percent), and Delhi and Bangalore (both 90 percent). Athens recorded the lowest satisfaction rate, with 44 percent of respondents saying they were satisfied.

The survey was first conducted in spring 2020 with only four cities. It was held twice a year until 2022, before switching to an annual format in 2023. This year is the first time Taipei has been included.