Photo of Hong Kong sunrise. Source: Kam Ming Chow
The GOOD City Index believes "a city’s heartbeat is best measured in “possibility”—the pervading sense that though a place may be far from perfect, its citizens are taking a bold stake in its future through a mixture of creativity, hustle, and civic engagement."
The results of the 2014 index have been published, featuring spots around the world that embody this sense of possibility, defined according to several measures: being a hub for progress (i.e. fixing things that are broken); civic engagement; street life and activity in local public spaces; thriving in a challenging or defining moment; a sense of connectivity among residents; green life, a measure of sustainable living; diversity; and work/life balance, something not always easy to establish in the fast-paced modern world.
Cities in the Chinese Diaspora that made the ranking include Hong Kong, which tops the list; Singapore, Taipei, and Shanghai. I'm going to wager that hawker centres in Singapore and Taipei's night markets boosted rankings in the Street Life category for those cities. Could it be that the Umbrella Movement, with its utterly civil protests for universal suffrage, put Hong Kong over the top?
— Kevin Hsu
— Kevin Hsu