Methodology for the City Prosperity Initiative - Perception Index

The City Prosperity Initiative-Perception Index (CPI-PI) is a tool derived and aligned to the City Prosperity Initiative- Index structure (CPI-I), per its latest version (2017), which answers to the urban Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA). This version is also known as “CPI-SDGs”.

Based on the City Prosperity Initiative- Index, the CPI-Perception Index operates complex and multidimensional concepts using the same six dimensions of prosperity and sustainability: governance, planning, economy, infrastructure, social cohesion and ecology in cities. With the intention of complementing the CPI objective measures, the CPI-PI offers a primary source, with recent and reliable information and a vision about the thoughts and feelings of the population, which qualifies the prosperity, the sustainability of the city, beyond the raw data. The CPI-PI is based on the same concept of the CPI, understanding that urban prosperity, well- being, sustainability and integrated development are multidimensional concepts that can only be measured precisely when using a composite index. This index serves as a monitoring and diagnostic tool to identify which urban areas are working well and which others are performing poorly.

The 2017 edition of the CPI-SDGs was updated and revised to fulfill a more cohesive purpose, including fewer indicators that provide a more comprehensive understanding of the city’s dynamics, many of the urban SDGs indicators, especially the eleventh, dedicated to ensure the inclusion, security, resilience and sustainability of cities. The CPI-SDGs also includes key components of the New Urban Agenda that was adopted at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), held in Quito, Ecuador, on October 2016.

If you would like to view the full document for the CPI-PI please click the link below: cpi.unhabitat.org/perceptionsurvey

City Prosperity Initiative Dimensions of Prosperity

Quality of life

The quality of life dimension measures the cities’ average achievement in ensuring general wellbeing and satisfaction of the citizens.

Equity and social inclusion

The Equity and Social inclusion dimension measures the cities’ average achievements in ensuring equitable (re)distribution of the benefits of prosperity, reduces poverty and the incidence of slums, protects the rights of minority and vulnerable groups, enhances gender equality, and ensures equal participation in the social, economic, political and cultural spheres.

Environmental sustainibility

The Environmental Sustainability dimension measures the average achievement of the cities in ensuring the protection of the urban environment and its natural assets. This should be done simultaneously while ensuring growth, pursuing energy efficiency, reducing pressure on surrounding land and natural resources and reducing environmental losses through creative and environment-enhancing solutions.

Urban governance and legislation

The Urban Governance and Legislation dimension has the purpose of demonstrating the role of good urban governance in catalysing local action towards prosperity, including the capacity to regulate the urbanization process.

Productivity

The productivity dimension measures the average achievements of the cities in terms of creating wealth and how it’s shared, or cities contribution to economic growth and development, generation of income, provision of decent jobs and equal opportunities for all.

Infrastructure development

The Infrastructure dimension measures the average achievement of the city in providing adequate infrastructure for accessing clean water, sanitation, good roads, and information and communication technology - in order to improve living standards and enhance productivity, mobility and connectivity.