How we measure connectivity

Cities in the scorecard were appraised across 10 transport categories: 4 ‘network inputs’ (infrastructure and policies a city has in place to promote connectivity) and 6 ‘network outputs’ (data and qualitative assessments that indicate the impact each is having on people and the environment).

The 10 categories include: public transport, bike and foot network, private vehicles policy, and data & apps (the inputs); and affordability, accessibility, sustainability, breathability, mobility, and safety (the outputs).

The categories consist of 31 separate tests or indicators of connectivity. These are a mix of quantitative data (for example, carbon emissions from transport per capita, or the number of electric vehicle charging stations per square kilometre) and qualitative assessments (such as network reliability, quality of cycle lanes, or car-sharing promotion).

Local researchers in each city collated primary information, and sourced opinions and insights from stakeholders, which were used to inform the qualitative scores. Other data sources for the individual scorecard indicators include city administration and policy documentation, transport companies, local and national statistical offices, traffic police reports, environmental agencies, local and international NGOs, and a variety of news sources.