Judged on three parameters, People, Planet and Profit, the Sustainable Cities Index by Design & Consultancy firm Arcadis puts Singapore on the 4th spot, globally. Singapore’s high global score can be attributed to the high levels of economic output and its Smart Nation Vision. As per the report, the nation’s core enabler is connectivity, in terms of internet speed, broadband, or mobile. 

Besides Singapore’s right digital infrastructure that will enable it to embrace digital transformation and the rise of the digital economy, the country also provides an attractive financial environment for investors. The study also lists as Singapore’s high employment rate as one of the drivers of high sustainable index. 

Hong Kong and Seoul are the only two other cities in Asia to be among the top 20 in the list. 

Here are the Global top 20 cities in order of their ranking:

1. London

2. Stockholm

3. Edinburgh

4. Singapore

5. Vienna

6. Zurich

7. Munich

8. Oslo

9. Hong Kong

10. Copenhagen

11. Frankfurt

12. Amsterdam

13. Seoul

14. New York

15. Paris

16. San Francisco

17. Hamburg

18. Berlin

19. Seattle

20. Dublin

Recently, Singapore also clinched the second spot in the ease of doing business rankings by the World Bank with a score of 85.24 and now as it competes with European cities like London and Stockholm, the nation's concern will be recovering in its weak areas and enhancing its strengths. While these reports highlight the potential of the economy and the opportunities it can create, how Singapore continues to maintain a strong market position in the world will be critical for the nation.