Discover the two Scottish cities ranked amongst the most inclusive in Europe, the Middle East and Africa

The top drivers for Edinburgh included a strong social inclusivity for parents and families driven by supportive paid parental leave. Picture: Lisa Ferguson.

Two Scottish cities have been named as amongst the most inclusive in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) in a new report.

The Inclusive Cities Barometer Report was compiled by global property services firm Cushman & Wakefield, which evaluated 44 EMEA cities based on 110 metrics to uncover what it said is the industry’s first dataset on inclusive cities, defined as prioritising diversity, equity and accessibility for all residents regardless of their background, identity, or socio-economic status. Rotterdam in the Netherlands came top overall.

Glasgow was identified as a “best in class example” as a “strong spatial inclusiveness performer”, applauded for its strong transport network and education and cultural offering, low property price to income ratio, and a commitment to inclusive special planning. Outlined areas of improvement included comparatively high rates of vulnerable employment, and a focus of balance of employment between financial services and manual/labour based jobs.

The top drivers for Edinburgh included a strong social inclusivity for parents and families driven by supportive paid parental leave; the University of Edinburgh and the city’s schools offering a “diverse” and culturally inclusive curriculum; and high safety and security driven by low crime rates. Among cited areas of improvement were high rates of vulnerable employment; elevated costs of housing and limited scope for city-centre housing provision; and the future development of affordable housing hindered by high tourism rates and lack of available land.

Murray Strang, managing partner, Scotland at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “We know there’s no such thing as the perfect city, but The Barometer is designed to challenge the status quo by enhancing social value at every decision-making stage within the commercial property sector. Cities contribute to around 80 per cent of global [gross domestic product], so the more information we have, the better informed we can be when planning and making decisions. It’s good to see both Glasgow and Edinburgh have positive attributes to contribute and celebrate on such an international platform.”

The report comes in the wake of a separate study ranking the best places in Scotland to start a business, with Glasgow coming second and Edinburgh seventh.