Inaugural PICSA Ceremony & Dinner
Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao
16:00 CET 21 November 2019
Over 100 city leaders and urban development experts were in attendance for discussion, dinner, and the unveiling of the Top 20 global Inclusive Prosperity cities.
Prosperity & Inclusion City Seal and Award
It’s a ranking of prosperous cities with the inclusiveness factor – not just prosperity. It’s about making the cities better for the people who live there.
The inaugural 2019 PICSA ceremony recognises the world’s Top 20 cities for Inclusive Prosperity – cities which create strong economies while enabling their citizens to share in the benefits.
About the Awards
Today’s challenge for governments is to create sustainable, dynamic economies that build prosperity and work for everyone. To achieve this goal, we need creative cities with high levels of inclusive prosperity – engines of economic activity that enable all to contribute and share in the benefits.
Now more than ever, we need to identify success stories that will help us look to the future and create more inclusive prosperity in our cities. The annual Prosperity & Inclusion City Seal and Award meets this need by recognising cities around the world that build economic success and empower all their citizens.
What is Inclusive Prosperity?
Inclusive prosperity is a measure of economic productivity that reflects how far all sectors of the population are empowered to contribute to the economy and share in its benefits. In short, it aims to show what makes cities successful – both economically and socially.
Why is Inclusive Prosperity important?
Recent economic studies have shown that sustained high levels of inequality – a lack of inclusion – can damage growth and economic stability. Beyond purely economic considerations, governments also have a responsibility to their citizens to ensure that their economies work for everyone. Therefore, inclusive prosperity is important because it creates the conditions for a socially mobile, confident and successful society.
Why do cities matter?
Cities play a special role in creating inclusive prosperity because they are the main engines of economic activity, possessing the agility and skills base to respond to market opportunities. Inclusive cities therefore nurture people’s skills, creating an environment that expands opportunities for everyone regardless of status.
How are cities ranked for the PICSA seal?
The PICSA Index aims to compare cities around the world according to their levels of inclusive prosperity. Cities are quantitatively assessed by an international jury of experts on the basis of data from three areas: economic productivity, social inclusion and spatial inclusion.
Who awards the prizes?
The PICSA (Prosperity & Inclusion City Seal and Award) is brought to you by D&L Partners in association with the Basque Regional Government of Biscay. To assess and rank 113 global cities according to their level of inclusive prosperity, we have also sought the contribution of an international jury of experts and business leaders from a range of renowned private and public organisations.
Why Bilbao?
Located at the centre of Basque Country’s steel- and iron-producing heartland, life in Bilbao once kept pace with the industrial city’s factories and mills. Today, however, Bilbao is a city with its conscience trained on the principles of inclusive prosperity: social cohesion, economic prosperity, quality healthcare, educational access, sustainable environment, and a vibrant quality of life.
Inaugural PICSA Ceremony & Dinner
Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao
16:00 CET 21 November 2019
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