The Lure Of The CITY

Singapore ranks No. 3 in a new list of top 10 magnetic cities where newcomers and residents feel they are most likely to stay.

- Chantal Sajan

Taipei in Taiwan tops the rankings, with 64 per cent of survey respondents saying they are "unlikely" to move away from their city.

In second place is Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, with 61 per cent. Singapore notched 59 per cent.

The global rankings are conducted by the research unit of Gensler, the world's largest architectural and design group.

Its Gensler City Pulse 2025 report on the Magnetic City, which attracts newcomers while retaining residents, was released in May.

It looks at urgent issues facing cities today that are locked in fierce competition, not just for investment and talent but also for the hearts of residents.

In another section of the survey, which asks respondents how satisfied they are with their city, 94 per cent of people in Shanghai, China, gave the thumbs up with "satisfied" or "very satisfied", topping the results on contentment.

Over in Mumbai, India, 92 per cent of respondents say they are "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with life in the city.

In Singapore, the figure is 77 per cent. This is higher than the global average of 73 per cent, during the period of the survey from July 18 to Nov 22, 2024.

The report finds that in this era of the magnetic city, success belongs to those urban centres that are designed not just for growth, but also for genuine human connection.

Gensler, which employs more than 6,000 professionals in 57 offices across 16 countries, has a portfolio that includes commercial buildings, urban planning, interiors and sustainability consulting.

Its Gensler Research Institute has conducted five previous City Pulse yearly surveys, since the beginning of Covid-19 in 2020.

The inaugural City Pulse study was launched in the early weeks of the pandemic to understand how lockdowns and social distancing impacted urban life.