According to the 2014 Good City Index, Jozi is the second-most inspiring city in the world – after Hong Kong. In a study conducted by the global Good magazine, Joburg scored the highest points in all categories the publication uses to rank cities. These included categories such as being a Hub of Progress, City Engagement, Street Life, Defining Moments, Connectivity, Green Life, Diversity and Work Life Balance. The metropolitan City is one of only three African cities to feature in the magazine’s Top 20 list. The others included Nairobi in Kenya, which is perched at number five, and Dakar in Senegal is in position nine. Joburg Executive Mayor Parks Tau says: “Indeed, this is a humbling accolade. Particularly because it comes in less than a month after the 2014 MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index announced us, the City of Johannesburg, as the most popular destination city in Africa for a second consecutive year.”
By occupying the second spot on the Good City Index, Johannesburg has outclassed cities such as Mexico City (third place), New Orleans in the United States (seventh), Montreal in Canada (12th), Melbourne in Australia (14th), Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (19th) and Seoul in South Korea (20th) as far as the creation of inspiration is concerned. Paris occupies the 22nd spot, Cape Town 25th, Atlanta 30th and Warsaw 50th. Some of the things that swayed the votes of judges in Joburg’s way include the urban regeneration projects the City is undertaking, such as bike lanes in Soweto, a mixed-use development in the once-rundown area of Newtown and the Joburg Art Fair.
For queries contact:Nthatisi Modingoane, 011 407 7354 / 082 467 9228 nthatisem@joburg.org.za
