2.1 Conceptualising the Liveability Framework for Cities

ACI's liveability series first began with the Global Liveable Cities Index (GLCI) with a framework constructed by Tan, Woo, and Tan (2012). Since then, the GLCI framework has been applied to several different studies and indices. This has been used to periodically update the liveability results and analyses in Tan, Woo and Aw (2014) and Tan, Woo and Tan (2014). Moreover, Tan et. al. (2019) further extended the framework to incorporate the concept of smart cities.

While studies on a global scale are cornerstones of the liveability series, ACI has also dedicated efforts on regional studies. The GLCI was applied to specifically assess the liveability conditions of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (Tan and Kaur 2016). The liveability framework, on the other hand, has contributed to the conceptual underpinning of the Urban Development Composite Index on 17 Shandong cities based on China's Five Development Concepts (Tan et al. 2018). The CLCI is another streak of studies built upon the liveability framework, with special interest in the development of liveability in Chinese cities. Tan, Nie, and Baek (2017) marked the inception of this series, and specifically emphasised that to reflect truthfully the liveability of Chinese cities needs not only hard data but also perspectives from ordinary residents.

Into its second edition, the liveable cities index for China has been further refined, with a collaborative effort from both ACI and Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS). In view of China's rising urbanisation trend, this refinement carries much deliberation by ACI and SASS to tailor the basic framework to the cultural, economic, and political characteristics in the context of Chinese economies.

As illustrated in Table 2.1, the refined framework, termed ACI—SASS CLCI framework, conceptualises liveability under the following five themes: (1) Economic Vibrancy and Competitiveness, (2) Environmental Friendliness and Sustainability, (3) Domestic Security and Stability, (4) Socio-Cultural Conditions, and (5) City Governance.

Table 2.1 The China Liveable Cities Index

Source: Asia Competitiveness Institute and Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.