M&G Real Estate has released its 2018 Urban Connectivity Report, which ranks Europe’s cities based on their physical and digital infrastructure, as they strive to attract continued investment on a global platform.
The report ranks Paris and Berlin in first and second position, respectively, for the second year running, because of their superior urban transport infrastructure relative to other cities. Germany’s continued drive to improve its connectivity has cemented its place at the top of the league with eight cities in the top 20. Notably two of these German hubs, Cologne and Düsseldorf saw the greatest leap in scores ranking among the 64 cities, rising 23 places each.
The M&G Real Estate European Connectivity Ranking grades 64 European cities based on their capacity to improve physical and digital urban connectivity in the face of the growing density pressures that Europe’s cities face. It reveals continued improvements in both physical and digital infrastructure, with a 6 percent increase in total weighted connectivity scores since the first edition.
“This year’s report once again shows that Germany is the overall winner by the sheer amount being invested in digital and physical infrastructure in cities across the country,” said Vanessa Muscara, associate director, property research, M&G Real Estate. “Not only will those living in these cities benefit from speedier commutes and broadband but our research suggests that these are key factors considered by occupiers and ultimately drive demand — along with sustainable and growing real estate returns over the long-term.”
The launch of the 2018 report coincides with a period of relatively low yields across the property market. It provides evidence of Europe’s concerted drive to improve the appeal of a location to a potential occupier community, attracting and retaining innovative businesses, and thus improving value from an investment perspective.
The report’s Top 20 European cities:
1 Paris
2 Berlin
3 Stockholm
4 Stuttgart
5 Zurich
6 Munich
7 Amsterdam
8 London
9 Hamburg
10 Helsinki
11 Bremen
12 Barcelona
13 Vienna
14 Frankfurt
15 Copenhagen
16 Düsseldorf
17 Dublin
18 Malmo
19 Lisbon
20 Hannover
