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Best reputation: Vancouver earns yet another award as lone Canadian city on top 10 list

Best reputation: Vancouver earns yet another award as lone Canadian city on top 10 list

Okay, this is just getting a bit absurd – Vancouver is the fifth most reputable city in the world? Does Vancouver even have any room left on its overflowing trophy shelf next to its third most livable city award from The Economist and first most livable in North America by British consultancy firm Mercer?

It’s no secret though, Vancouver is a stellar city and one of the most championed in Canada.

While the city has cleaned up in the awards department as a highly livable city on account of its favourable weather, high quality of life, political and social environment and medical/health considerations, the fifth place ranking on the Reputation Institute’s list bears more substance than the popularity contest it seems to be at first blush.

The study digs in, looking at three major categories – Appealing Environment, Effective Government and Advanced Economy – each with its own series of attributes ranging from on-the-nose elements like adequate transport and financial stability to subtler elements including headquarters of leading companies and well-known personalities.

“City reputations can be measured in a similar way to those of people or companies,” says the Reputation Institute in the report, which surveyed over 19,000 consumers from G8 countries. “Overall reputation of a city is an emotional perception constructed through direct experience, own communication, third parties’ perspectives and generally accepted stereotypes.”

It isn’t the first time the city has made the list. Vancouver placed seventh last year, first in 2012 and tenth in 2011. It didn’t make the list in 2013, with Toronto instead earning second spot (it seems Vancouver forgot to slip passes to the Canucks game to the judges that year).

But jokes aside, Vancouver’s repeated inclusion on the list reflects on the quality of life in Canada as a whole note the report’s authors.

“The reputation of a city is greatly determined by the country’s reputation and has a strong relation with its familiarity,” they write.

Canada’s favoured city is in good company, with Sydney and Melbourne holding down first and second respectively followed by Stockholm and Vienna. Toronto and Montreal were the only other Canadian cities on the list of 101, placing 26 and 28 accordingly.

As for the purpose of having a good reputation (other than balancing that trophy shelf), the Reputation Institute argues that it directly relates to supportive behaviour that boosts the economy in that country from increased tourist interest and foreign direct investment to attracting foreign knowledge and talent.

“The Asian cities in the study achieve the higher reputation growth, although most of them still have weak scores,” says the report.

Part of this is the boost China has seen of its reputation over the past couple of years. Shanghai and Hong Kong reaped the rewards, climbing 10.1 per cent and 9.3 per cent respectively. But the real standouts were Karachi and Seoul which climbed 14 and 15.1 per cent respectively in terms of reputation. Mumbai and New Delhi deserve honourable mention after losing ground last year only to rise 11.2 and 9.3 per cent in 2015.

As for the cities on the losing side of the equation, Tehran held 100 and Baghdad sat at 101 amidst years of political turmoil and strife.