Asia Pacific’s global footprint is led by some of the region’s most interconnected, vibrant and resilient world cities. By 2030, 11 of the biggest 25 cities in the world (by output) will reside in the region, and Asia Pacific cities will account for 46 of the top 50 cities with the largest changes in household wealth between 2010 and 2030. By 2030, Jakarta, along with China’s cities of Suzhou and Chongqing, will replace Seoul and Japan’s Osaka and Nagoya among the biggest Asia Pacific cities by economic output.

Many of these cities are highly populated, and are sizeable global financial centres, key manufacturing and transport hubs, tourist hotspots, or innovation powerhouses. With about three-quarters of the world’s population projected to be living in cities by 2050, many more Asia Pacific cities will rank among top urban economic success stories. Which cities, then, have the right DNA to prosper over the long term?

Picking the right cities with their own u