Brussels: We are the best…almost
Yes, you read that right… well, almost. Brussels is still a long way off its goal, but we’re getting there. Ranking is still a risky business, and its value is all relative, but what will be remembered here is the 35-place jump made by Brussels between the 2019 and the 2020 rankings.
Schroders Global Cities Index has just been published and Brussels is in 49th position, up from 84th in the previous ranking.
Let’s be honest, the criteria have changed
Over 400 cities are ranked according to four indicators. Transport and environment have been added to the two basic indicators, economy and innovation. Economy includes factors such as population growth, GDP, median household income and retail sales.
Because of its average size, Brussels undoubtedly benefits from the introduction of the transport and environment criteria. However, above all, it’s the innovation factor that gave us a boost, thanks to the QS World University Rankings which ranks the two Brussels universities, VUB and ULB, in the top 260 worldwide, with a spot in the top 100 best universities in Europe for VUB.
Other Belgian cities include Antwerp, Ghent, which has a place in the rankings thanks to its university, and Liège.
Let’s hope that next year, we’ll jump another 35 places and will be in the top 10 behind this year’s top three, Los Angeles, London and Hong Kong.