Liveability Framework: Part 9 – Case Studies from Cities Around the World

Introduction

Liveability in urban environments is not a static concept.  It is a continuously evolving construct that changes with each city’s development phase and is shaped by emerging individual perceptions and aspirations on urban lived experiences, as well as dynamic external forces.  Responding to current and emerging challenges, the Liveability Framework (LF) serves as a practical but non-prescriptive reference for city leaders, policymakers and planners to plan liveable and sustainable cities of the future.

Liveability Framework. Image from the Centre for Liveable Cities

While the LF had been developed based on Singapore’s urban development experience, many of the principles may resonate with cities around the world. By and large, most cities aspire towards common desired liveability outcomes, and aim to deploy integrated master planning and development approaches, strive towards dynamic urban governance and to leverage collaborative ecosystems to achieve them.

Laureate cities of the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize – a biennial international award that honours outstanding achievements and contributions towards the creation of liveable, vibrant and sustainable urban communities around the world – have been highly regarded for their exemplary urban initiatives. They include Bilbao (2010), New York City (2012), Suzhou (2014), Medellin (2016), Seoul (2018), Vienna (2020) and Mexico City (2024). Despite their contextual differences, varying developmental pathways and governance structures, these cities’ successful programmes to improve to urban liveability have corroborated to a large extent with the LF principles. Following from Part 8 of this series which had covered the first three laureate cities, this article focuses on the innovative urban solutions from the later four.   

Medellín

View of Metrocable crossing the Medellín river. Image courtesy of Staticshakedown, Wikimedia Commons

Since the late 20^th century, Medellín has undergone notable transformation, gaining praise for its innovative urban development initiatives. Despite is industrial growth, it was plagued by drug-related violence, which led to the city spearheading a variety of initiative and policies to ensure a better quality of life for its residents.

One of which was Medellín's MetroCable system, the world’s pioneer cable car mass transit system, which transformed the city's connectivity by linking remote hillside neighbourhoods to the central metro system. This innovative transit solution enhanced residents' daily lives, stimulated economic growth, and reduced environmental impact. The project went beyond mere transportation infrastructure as the city strategically built social amenities around the cable car infrastructure, including recreational spaces and sporting venues near the support towers. The initiative also encouraged residents to engage in positive activities through establishing new academic institutions, library parks, and reading spaces at metro stations, supporting a “win-win” scenario towards meeting both social and economic objectives.  Additionally, MetroCable's success relied on firstly implementing complementary public projects that enhanced urban areas, alleviate poverty and reduce car dependency; and secondly having minimal displacement through strategic station placement. The initiative exemplified how integrated planning and systems thinking and dynamic urban governance approach helped to achieve urban liveability outcomes.

Despite these achievements, Medellín faces ongoing challenges from population growth and urban expansion, placing increasing pressure on its transport network. In response, the city continues to enhance mobility through various initiatives, including the development of cycling infrastructure to provide sustainable transportation alternatives.

Seoul

The busy streets of Seoul. Image courtesy of Unsplash.

Seoul has shown how commitment to citizen engagement and problem-solving decisions can transform its densely built environment and improve quality of life for residents. The city has been harnessing data for systemic innovation in transport planning through the Seoul's Transport Operation and Information Service (TOPIS) since 2004. It serves as a smart city management hub that uses data analytics to optimise transportation planning. This intelligent system integrates transport management, emergency response, and security operations while employing advanced technology to regulate traffic flow and travel demand cost-effectively.

The city's commitment to citizen engagement is exemplified through initiatives like Seoul Plan 2030, the city's first community-driven master plan which contributed to Seoul being named the 2018 Prize laureate. Through a dedicated Citizen Participatory Group, residents helped shape Seoul's vision and development strategies. Additionally, the city's Participatory Budget System empowers citizens to influence the allocation of up to 5% of annual municipal funds, demonstrating Seoul's dedication to inclusive urban governance.

However, housing continues to be an ongoing challenge. Despite introducing various cooling measures and increasing public housing provision, the city struggles with housing affordability and availability due to its high population density. To address this, the government continues to implement innovative solutions, such as converting 6.9 million m² of underutilised state land into public housing and offices, while also tackling issues like social segregation, youth housing accessibility, and ageing housing stock.

Vienna

Vienna along the Danube River. Image courtesy of Unsplash.

Vienna, renowned for its rich cultural heritage and classical music legacy, has successfully balanced its historical character with modern urban development. The city boasts an efficient public transportation network and abundance of public spaces that serve as vibrant hubs for social interaction and recreation.

Social housing has been a key focus in Vienna's urban policy, with significant investments in affordable homes since the interwar and post-war periods. In recent decades, the city has expanded its focus to intensifying efforts in climate action and smart city initiatives. Given frequent flooding of the Danube River, in 1969 Vienna embarked on a plan to excavate a 21-km-long flood control channel known as the New Danube. Completed in 1988, the artificial channel can help to absorb excessive water flows during floods. The excavated soil created Danube Island, which along with the New Danube, has become a popular recreational destination featuring water sports, parks, and events. This project illustrates how foresight and long-term planning can address climate resilience with community needs, and this led to Vienna’s recognition as the 2020 Prize laureate.

Additionally, the city's commitment to sustainability is strengthened through involving the community and nurturing collective stewardship.  For more than a decade, residents have helped finance four wind turbines and 28 solar power plants, receiving annual dividends from these collectively owned facilities. This approach is also fundamental to Vienna’s urban planning through programmes like Gratzloase (neighbourhood oasis), which allows citizens to apply for funding to revitalise their neighbourhood spaces.

While Vienna has been successful in ensuring a high quality of life for its residents, it faces new challenges from recent population growth. The city must carefully balance its commitments to social housing and green space preservation while pursuing its ambitious goals of climate resilience and carbon neutrality to maintain its high quality of life.

Mexico City

Aerial View of Mexico City, Photo courtesy of Unsplash

While celebrated for its dynamic cultural heritage, Mexico City has faced significant urban challenges as its population doubled between 1980 and 2010, leading to urban sprawl, social fragmentation and environmental issues. The city responded through strategic infrastructure investments to drive urban transformation.

In 2021, the city launched a new cable car line to connect lower-income areas with city amenities, while its Ecobici bike-sharing programme and dedicated cycling lanes promote sustainable transport. Additionally, the city has tackled digital inequality by creating over 31,000 free Wi-Fi hotspots, earning it recognition as the world's most connected city in 2021.

The city also prioritised green spaces as catalysts for social resilience. For instance, the Parque Lineal Gran Canal, which constituted the conversion of an abandoned sewerage drain into a linear park, was completed in 2021, and it helped to bridge previously disconnected neighbourhoods and facilitate local regeneration.

The government further recognised the importance of building a community that will collectively steward the city’s infrastructure and spaces. In 2019, the city launched PILARES (Points of Innovation, Freedom, Art, Education and Knowledge), which established community centres in underserved areas to empower marginalised communities and strengthen community bonds.

Mexico City's transformation demonstrates its proactive and integrated response to urbanisation challenges. Balancing infrastructure development with social and environmental needs, the city showed a commitment to inclusive growth and sustainability – achievements that led to its recognition as the 2024 Prize laureate. Mexico City's journey as a megacity involves ongoing social, economic, environmental, and governance challenges. However, through its commitment to improving quality of life and having a long-term vision, the city is positioning itself as an inspiring model of urban innovation and inclusivity.

Conclusion

The above Laureate cities have shown how putting in place sound urban systems can help achieve a competitive economy, a sustainable environment and high quality of life outcomes. Many of the outcomes and system principles outlined in the LF have been demonstrated by these cities. Despite differing development contexts, the value of cross-learning to engender inspiring breakthroughs should be recognised as key in the ongoing quest for urban liveability.

For more information on the case studies on the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Laureate cities, please refer to Chapter 5: Case Studies from Around the World, here.

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