Nearly two-thirds (64%) of C-suite and board members agree that the role of cities for business will only increase during the next decade. That’s just one key finding from a recent University of Oxford-Protiviti survey, in which 200 global business leaders shared their perspectives on how cities fit into their business strategy looking out to 2030 and beyond.
Most business leaders view cities as the foundation for their companies’ recovery and growth pathways. They expect first-tier, larger, influential and highly specialized urban economies to be most important for growing their enterprises in the years ahead. And most leaders see second-tier, smaller cities, or those that lack adequate urban infrastructure, as likely to struggle in their efforts to attract business.
The survey also found that while the respondents share an optimistic view of cities’ future, they have different views on major threats to urban life. For example, most C-suite and board members in North America cited the political climate, regulation and taxes as the top issues. For business leaders in Europe, data privacy and cybersecurity, as well as sustainability, led the list. And in the Asia-Pacific region, respondents noted that cybersecurity, climate change, the political climate, government regulation and taxes are all top-of-mind concerns.
For more survey findings and analysis, including what business leaders see as the main drivers attracting their companies to cities over the next decade, see Protiviti-Oxford survey: Cities will be more strategically important in 2030 on VISION by Protiviti. Also, be sure to watch the video of our discussion about the survey with Dr. David Howard, Director of Studies, Dr. Nigel Mehdi, Course Director, and Dr. Vlad Mykhnenko, Associate Professor, Sustainable Urban Development. Subscribe to the VISION by Protiviti newsletter.
