Living in Romania: Brașov, Cluj-Napoca and Oradea are the most attractive cities, new index says
<p>A new index developed by the Institute for Visionary Cities reveals that Brașov is considered the most attractive city in Romania. Cluj-Napoca ranks second, followed by Oradea (3), Sibiu (4), and Timișoara (5).</p>
<p>The top 10 most attractive cities for living are completed by Constanța (6), Bucharest (7), Iași (8), Alba Iulia (9), and Piatra Neamț (10).</p>
<p>The two main indicators analyzed are: the city as a desirable place to move, which reflects people's subjective and emotional perceptions, and the quality of life in the city, which offers an overall evaluation of a city's reputation, including the opinions of both residents and non-residents. The final attractiveness score for each city was calculated as the average of the moving intention score and the quality of life.</p>
<p>The study accompanying the index analyzes the perceptions of residents and non-residents of the 41 county capitals in Romania. The index evaluates the attractiveness of cities at the intersection of two key dimensions: the intention to move and the perception of quality of life in cities, measured through an online survey conducted by AHA Moments between April and May 2024, on a representative sample of 1,200 respondents nationwide. </p>
<p>The analysis also evaluated 11 factors that influence a city's attractiveness for relocation/living. Leisure opportunities proved to be of the highest relative importance in explaining attractiveness, surpassing even traditional factors such as well-paid jobs or basic infrastructure. </p>
<p>“This result aligns with the conclusions of the Urban Performance Index, based on objective data, which we launched in June, highlighting that entertainment has the highest relative importance in a city’s performance. In the new Urban Attractiveness Index, based on public perceptions, the same trend was confirmed: leisure options have the highest relative importance in the perception of a city’s attractiveness,” said Florian Filat, Executive Director of the Institute for Visionary Cities and coordinator of the Urban Attractiveness Index and the Urban Performance Index. </p>
<p>Second in the hierarchy of factors is the city's basic infrastructure, followed by its capacity to encourage creativity and innovation.</p>
<p>“The importance of leisure options and infrastructure highlights that urban attractiveness is explained by aspects that directly and immediately influence people’s daily lives. From well-maintained roads and essential utilities to easy access to recreational facilities, these elements have a significant impact on how the city is perceived,” Florian Filat added. </p>
<p>The study shows a strong correlation between the intention to move to a city and how people perceive the quality of life in that city, confirming that cities perceived as having a high quality of life are usually the most attractive relocation destinations. </p>
<p>“We can say that leisure and entertainment are not just peripheral aspects but central pillars of a successful city. Moreover, the residents of Romanian cities seem to place greater emphasis on higher needs, indicating a trend of evaluating quality of life from a broader perspective that goes beyond economic stability and includes emotional and social satisfaction,” said Felix Tătaru, president of the Institute for Visionary Cities.</p>
<p><em><a href="mailto:radu@romania-insider.com">radu@romania-insider.com</a></em></p>
<p><em>(Photo source: Sorin Colac | <a href="https://www.dreamstime.com/">Dreamstime.com</a>)</em></p>