Benchmarking Calgary’s Competitiveness
December 2015
Table of Contents
01
02
03
Overview
Economic
Strength
Human Capital
• Executive
Summary
• Definition
• Introduction
• Methodology
• Competitiveness
Framework
• Selection of
Metrics
• Selection of Peer
Cities
06
07
Innovation and
Cost of Doing
Entrepreneurship Business
Livability
Conclusion and
Recommendations
• Definition
• Definition
• Definition
• Definition
• Benchmarking
Performance
• Benchmarking
Performance
• Benchmarking
Performance
• Benchmarking
Performance
• Benchmarking
Performance
• Economic
Power
• Population
• Research and
Development
• Single Worker
Income
• Housing
Affordability
• Businesses
• Income Tax
• LEED buildings
• Commercial
Real Estate
Rent
• Health Care
• Industrial Land
Price
• Global Access
• Economic
Growth
• Population
Growth
• Unemployment
• Labour
Participation
• Diversity
• Education
04
05
• Commercial
Property Tax
• Corporate Tax
• Crime
• Conclusion and
recommendations
1. Overview
1.1 Executive Summary (1/2)
For the past several years, cities in Alberta have led economic growth in Canada. Indeed, Calgary’s real GDP grew by 32.4 per cent from 2005 –
2014. At the same time, Calgary’s population grew by 29.4% resulting in Calgary being home to one of the youngest, most educated and diverse
populations in Canada. On a global scale, Calgary punches above it’s weight, as seen in the fact that Calgary is the second smallest of the 10
comparator cities selected for this study.
While Calgary also scores well in a number of business and quality of life rankings, the city is competing against other cities from around the world
in a number of industry sectors. While it is clear that Calgary excels in a number of areas, however, there are other areas that need focused efforts
in order to record improvement. The economic downturn that began with a slide in global oil prices in mid-2014 has placed an increased
emphasis on diversification in Calgary. Now, more than ever, Calgary needs to clearly understand how we stack up against other city regions, what
our strengths are and what we can do to improve to be even more competitive. How Calgary grows and evolves will be determined by policy
changes and action plans. The Economic Strategy for Calgary provides a framework for purposeful diversification, shared prosperity and building
strong communities. The Strategy places a spotlight on entrepreneurship and innovation and targets transportation and logistics, financial
services, energy, clean technologies, renewable energy, agri-food, creative industries and tourism as areas of opportunity.
To understand Calgary’s competitiveness is to understand, the “the condition created when government, industry and Calgarians work together to
pursue prosperity.” In a globalized world, as Calgary diversifies its economy, the city is increasingly competing with major cities around the world.
In August 2015, Calgary Economic Development (CED) engaged Monitor Deloitte to benchmark Calgary against peer cities and using metrics
supported by secondary research. The analysis and information presented will be used to develop value propositions in specific sectors, develop
general business cases and support specific investment pursuits.
4
1.1 Executive Summary (2/2)
The five main benchmarking areas of the project, as well as the results from the assessment are economic strength, human capital, innovation and
entrepreneurship, cost of doing business and livability. In forming a value proposition for the city, it is clear Calgary performs very well in the areas
economic strength and human capital. In the study Calgary ranks first in education, population growth, labour participation and industrial land
price and second in GDP per capita and GDP growth. Calgary also scores well in diversity, research and development expenditures per capita and
businesses per capita. However, Calgary ranks middle of the pack in other areas, commercial real estate rent, commercial property tax, corporate
tax, single worker income, housing affordability, crime and health care. Calgary is among the poorest in the peer group with respect to number of
LEED buildings and number of international flights. The Economic Strategy for Calgary has several actions that build on the strengths and address
the weaknesses raised in this study. Other areas will require further intervention at various levels of government.
The five main benchmarking areas of the project, as well as the results from the assessment are outlined below.
Economic Strength
Calgary has a superior
performance in the two
metrics used to assess
economic strength
Economic Power: 2nd /11
in GDP per capita (PPP)
Economic Growth: 2nd /11 in
GDP growth
Human Capital
Innovation and
Entrepreneurship
Despite having a relatively
small population, Calgary has
a superior performance in
most metrics used in the
human capital assessment
Overall, Calgary has a good
performance in the two
metrics when compared to its
peer cities in innovation and
entrepreneurship
10th
Population:
/11 in total
population
Population Growth:
1st /11 in annual population
growth rate
Unemployment: 5th /11 in
unemployment rate
Labour Participation: 1st/8 in
labour participation rate
Diversity: 3rd/9 in percentage
of immigrant population
Education: 1st /8 in highest
education achieved
Research and Development:
3rd/8 in annual research and
development expenditures
per capita
Businesses: 3rd/ 10 in number
of businesses per 100 people
Cost of Doing Business
Livability
Overall, Calgary has an
average performance in most
metrics used in the cost of
doing business assessment
Overall, Calgary has an
average performance in most
metrics when compared to its
peer cities in livability
Single Worker Income: 6th/11
in annual median single
worker income
Income Tax : 9th/11 in annual
income tax rate
Commercial Real Estate Rent:
4th/9 in commercial real estate
rent per square foot
Industrial Land Price: 1st/9 in
average industrial land price
per square foot
Commercial Property Tax :
4th/8 in commercial property
tax rate
Corporate Tax: 5th/11 in
annual corporate tax rate
Housing Affordability: 5th/9 in
housing median multiple
LEED Buildings: 8th/11 in
number of LEED buildings
Health Care: 5th/9 in number
of hospital beds per 100K
people
Crime: 4th/9 in number of
crimes per 100k people
Global Access: 6th/11 in
number of international
departure flights
5
1.2 Introduction
Calgary Economic Development (CED) is the lead regional economic development agency with the goal of advancing opportunities for smart
growth, leading to high and rising standard of living for Calgarians. CED is leading many of the initiatives from Calgary’s 10-year Economic
Strategy to “to build on our global reputation and foster purposeful diversification of our economy”.
In August 2015, Calgary Economic Development (CED) engaged Monitor Deloitte to benchmark Calgary against peer cities using metrics
supported by secondary research. This benchmarking assessment supports CED’s goal to increase foreign investor awareness that will eventually
translate into direct investment into the city. In addition, this competitiveness benchmarking assessment will serve CED as a reference to enhance
core activities and metrics to further refine Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) strategy.
As Calgary’s economy diversifies, the city will be participating in more industry sectors that will introduce further competitiveness. As a result,
Calgary will continue to compete with cities that have a high energy focus but will increasingly become a contender for cities focusing in other
industries. In this assessment, Calgary is being benchmarked against 10 peer cities in the areas of economic growth, human capital, innovation and
entrepreneurship, cost of doing business and livability. The analysis and information presented will be used to develop value propositions in
specific sectors, develop general business cases and support specific investment pursuits.
6
1.3 Methodology
Calgary Economic Development (CED) and Monitor Deloitte collectively agreed on the methodology for this study.
Through a series of meetings, the list of peer cities and metrics were refined. A team of Deloitte researchers was engaged to perform detailed
secondary research to include source of data, date of data and actual data. Only data from reputable sources was included in the analysis, mainly
from governmental institutions and statistical agencies. For some metrics, calculations and conversions were performed for a more accurate
comparison across cities. A ranking of Calgary’s performance and commentary on selected peer cities were provided for each metric.
Data was gathered
primarily from
governmental
sources
For a metric to be included
in the assessment, data
must be available for
Calgary and at least 6 peer
cities
A ranking was
generated for each
metric
Additional commentary
was provided for
selected peer cities for
each metric
7
1.4 Competitiveness Framework
The definition of what constitutes competitiveness slightly differs depending on the topic of comparison. For a company, competitiveness is
generally defined as increasing revenue, lowering costs and gaining market share. Given the broad responsibilities that a city has with its citizens
and other stakeholders, the definition for competitiveness is subject to many interpretations. Inspired on the definition provided by the Alberta
Economic Development Authority, Calgary’s competitiveness will be defined for this report as “the condition created when government, industry
and Calgarians work together to pursue prosperity.”
The definition of what constitutes prosperity for a city is best understood in terms of economic strength and standard of living (livability). Typically,
cities that are considered prosperous will be top performers in both aspects. In order to achieve both economic growth and a higher standard of
living, there are key factors that are considered as main drivers. In essence, prosperity is increased by labour effort, that is the number of effective
man-hours in an economy, or by innovation. A key factor that goes hand by hand with innovation is entrepreneurship.
In terms of Calgary’s competitiveness framework, the dynamics of competitiveness are described below.
The outcomes of prosperity
Economic Strength: Sustained economic growth in the city
Livability: Quality of life for the communities in the city
The drivers of prosperity
Cost of doing business: Cost factors that shape the business
environment
Human Capital: Intangible collective resources possessed by the
individuals in the city
Innovation and entrepreneurship: The cultural factors that
generate new and improved products and services
8
1.5 Selection of Metrics
The final list of metrics was confirmed after careful consideration of the themes in the benchmarking. Each selected metric must support the key
outcomes and drivers of prosperity. The secondary research involved the summary, collation and/or synthesis of existing and publicly available data.
If data for a particular metric was unavailable for Calgary and for at least six peer cities, then the metric was deemed insufficient for comparison and
was removed.
The following list contains all themes identified with their corresponding metrics.
Theme
Economic Strength
Human Capital
Innovation &
Entrepreneurship
Cost of Doing Business
Livability
Metrics
• GDP per capita (PPP)
• Real GDP growth rate (PPP)
• Population & population growth
• Unemployment rate
• Labour participation rate
• Highest education achieved
• Percentage of Immigrant population
• Total R&D expenditure
• Number of businesses per 100 people
• Commercial property tax rate
• Corporate tax rate
• Median single worker income
•
•
•
Housing affordability
LEED buildings
Number of hospital beds per 100k people
• Income tax rate
• Commercial real estate rent
• Average industrial land price
•
•
Number of international departure flights
Crime rate
9
1.6 Selection of Peer Cities
In a globalized world with an increasingly diversified economy, Calgary’s competitors are no longer restricted to neighbouring cities or oil and gas
economies in the United States. Investors now compare Calgary to many major cities around the world. Quality of life and prosperity rankings
often include Calgary in the top performers with cities in Europe, America and Australia. In addition, Calgary’s academic and research institutions
are increasingly competing for private funding and making alliances in innovative areas with their counterparts in major cities world wide.
The criteria for the selection of peer cities was generated at the beginning of the engagement. First, the list included cities that are considered
leaders in the areas of focus as outlined in “Building on our Energy – update to 10 year Economic Strategy”. Second, cities with a focus in the
energy sector and a view towards diversification were added to the list. Third, cities that are often compared to Calgary in terms of highly skilled
immigration were considered as well. Competitors in key economic sectors in which Calgary has had an increasing participation were also added
to the list. The list was then further refined to make sure the cities were comparable to Calgary in reported efforts to improve economic strength
and quality of life.
The final list of peer cities includes:
1.
Houston, USA
2.
Pittsburgh, USA
3.
Brisbane, Australia
4. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
5.
Vancouver, Canada
6.
Singapore, Singapore
7.
Chicago, USA
8.
Atlanta, USA
9.
Aberdeen, UK
10. Rotterdam, The Netherlands
10
2. Economic Strength
2.1 Definition
Understanding the economic strength of a city is a key step to generate a clear picture of a city’s prosperity and business opportunities.
Rankings of the world’s best places to live, work and do business are typically always backed up by an analysis of the city’s economic strength.
The key metric used to measure economic strength is Gross Domestic Product (GDP). GDP is one of the key measures used by policy-makers
financial and business institutions to evaluate the economic health of a region. Measuring GDP provides a reflection of the total economic
activity of a country, region or city. An increase is GDP is seen as a sign that the economy is doing well, while a decrease would indicate that
economy is not working at full capacity.
Two dimensions and their corresponding metrics were used to benchmark Calgary’s economic strength.
Economic power
Economic growth
GDP per capita
GDP growth
12
2.2 Benchmarking Performance
Calgary has a superior performance in the two metrics used to assess economic strength.
Economic power: Calgary ranks as one of the leaders in this area by having the second highest GDP per capita; Calgary’s GDP per capita is
significantly above the average and the median in the assessment
Economic growth: Calgary has demonstrated a significant economic growth by having the second highest GDP growth in the ranking, with a GDP
growth that is higher than average and higher than the median in the assessment
Economic power
Economic growth
2nd/11 in GDP per
2nd/11 in GDP
capita
growth
13
2.2.1 Economic Power
The economic power of a city is the key driver for growth and
prosperity. However, economic power must be analyzed by taking into
account the population of a city. For this assessment, GDP per capita
(PPP) has been used to rank the economic power of the cities being
assessed.
Of the eleven cities in this ranking, Houston has the highest GDP per
capita with 99,762 CAD. Calgary comes second with 92,086 CAD of
GDP per capita, followed by Singapore with 88,158 CAD. At the bottom
of the list we see Rio de Janeiro with 18,854 CAD per capita. Second last
in the list is Aberdeen with a GDP per capita of 52,351 CAD.
GDP per capita is calculated by dividing gross GDP by the city’s overall
population. For international comparisons, GDP is then converted to
international dollars using a Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) rate.
Purchasing power parity is a rate used to convert currency in a way
that eliminates the differences in price levels between economies to
equalize the purchasing power of a currency.
Houston, has for long been considered a leader in economic power
with an economy that is highly dependent on the oil and gas market.
However, the biomedical research and aerospace industry also
constitute significant sectors of the economy. Given the low oil-prices
of year 2015, many jobs in the energy sector have been lost.
Nevertheless, diversification in the city will be the driver for job creation
in the short term.
Calgary is currently ranked as Canada’s
richest city
-The Globe and Mail
$120,000
GDP per Capita (PPP)(CAD)
$100,000
The second leader in the list, Calgary also had job losses in the past
year due to the oil price decline. As a result, efficiency, innovation and
diversification as key drivers of growth are currently the main topics of
conversation in the industry.
GDP per capita (PPP)
$99,762
$92,086
$88,158
$77,958
$80,000
$77,608
$69,970
$60,202
$60,000
$58,449
$55,997
$52,351
$40,000
$18,854
$20,000
$0
Houston
Calgary
Singapore
Pittsburgh
Chicago
Atlanta
Rotterdam Vancouver
Brisbane
Aberdeen Rio de Janeiro
Sources: Aberdeen: Aberdeen City, Stats | All Other Cities: Brookings, Global Metro Monitor 2014 Note: Currencies converted into CAD on September 4, 2015
14
2.2.2 Economic Growth
The economic growth of a city is the key metric used to measure the
success of a city’s economic goals. Investors will pay special attention
and consideration to the economic growth of the a city in terms of GDP
growth.
Annual GDP growth is calculated as the average of year over year
percentage changes in GDP. GDP growth is considered among the most
critical indicators that are analyzed in city rankings as it indicates the
growth in economic output.
Of the 11 cities ranked, Vancouver leads the list with 3.70% of GDP per
capita growth. Second, comes Calgary with 3.10% in 2014, compared to
2013. At the bottom of the list we see Brisbane and Rio de Janeiro with
a GDP per capita decline of -0.40% and -0.20%, respectively.
Vancouver experienced a remarkable growth in 2014, as a result of
achieving gains across most economic sectors. The manufacturing
sector experienced a notable growth, particularly in the shipbuilding
industry. According to the Conference Board, Vancouver is expected to
grow by 3.1 % in 2015.
74% of Alberta’s GDP comes
from industries other than the
energy industry
- CBC news
GDP growth
4.00%
3.70%
3.50%
3.10%
3.00%
2.50%
GDP growth
2.50%
1.80%
2.00%
1.60%
1.50%
1.50%
1.00%
0.70%
0.30%
0.50%
0%
-0.20%
-0.40%
0.00%
-0.50%
-1.00%
Vancouver
Calgary
Aberdeen
Singapore
Houston
Atlanta
Chicago
Rotterdam
Pittsburgh Rio de Janeiro
Brisbane
Sources: Aberdeen: Aberdeen City, Stats | All Other Cities: Brookings, Global Metro Monitor 2014
15
3. Human Capital
3.1 Definition
The term human capital is used to refer to the intangible collective resources possessed by the individuals of a given population. These
collective resources include all the skills, talents, abilities, education, judgement, wisdom and knowledge possessed by the individuals. These
resources represent a form of wealth available to each particular city to accomplish their goals. A direct goal that is associated to the human
capital is the generation of material wealth for the economy.
A detailed view of the human capital is critical for the management of a city’s productivity goals. While natural resources play a key role in the
economic growth and stability of a city, no economic goal can be achieved without competent human capital. In addition, human capital is
becoming increasingly important as it is seen as the key factor that links innovation, growth and competitiveness in a globalized world. A
clear perspective of the present human capital characteristics can help the government of a particular region take the needed measures to
further develop its population. In the same way, multinational corporations and international investors require this information in order to
make investment decisions involving the human capital of a location as a resource or as the target market.
There are numerous data points used to assess the human capital of a city; most analysis will be focused on the particular characteristics
needed by the interested parties. For instance, IT outsourcing companies will be mostly interested on the technology skills and education of
the population. There are however, key metrics that most interested companies and individuals will look for and they have been included in
this assessment.
Six dimensions and their corresponding metrics were used to benchmark Calgary’s human capital.
Population
Population
growth
Unemployment
Labour
participation
Diversity
Education
Total
population
Annual population
growth rate
Unemployment
Rate
Labour
Participation Rate
Percentage of immigrant
population
Highest education
achieved
17
3.2 Benchmarking Performance
Despite having a relatively small population, Calgary has a superior performance in most metrics used in the human capital assessment.
Population: Calgary has the second smallest population of the list of cities ranked with a population of 1.4 million compared to an average of 5
million per city in the list
Population growth: Calgary is the top performer in population growth as its economy has for long been considered a preferred destination for
immigrants looking for high-paying jobs
Unemployment: Calgary’s unemployment rate is below the average and below the median for all peer cities ranked
Labour participation: Calgary is the top performers, with a high labour participation rate that is above the average and the median
Diversity: Calgary is one of the top performers, with a high percentage of immigrant population that is above the average and the median
Education: Calgary is the top performer, with a high percentage of its population holding at least one bachelor’s degree, with a rate above the
average and the median
Population
10th / 11
in total population
Population
growth
Unemployment
Labour
participation
Diversity
Education
1st/ 11 in annual
5th/11 in
1st /8 in labour
3rd/9 in percentage of
1st /8 in highest
population growth
rate
unemployment
rate
participation rate
immigrant population
education achieved
18
3.2.1 Population
The population size of the a city is one of the key indicators for any
human capital assessment. Generating a comparable population view
across the cities requires the delineation of population limits in advance,
since the results depend very much on the criteria used. For this
assessment, the population limits were placed around the Census
Metropolitan Area (CMA).
By definition, a CMA is formed by one or more adjacent municipalities
centred on a population centre. For a municipality to be included in the
CMA, it must have a high degree of integration with the core. There are
several ways to measure this integration, a key one is by measuring
commuting flows derived from place of work data.
Understanding population size will enable a further understanding of
several key population factors such as population growth fluctuations,
market opportunities, required infrastructure and public services.
14
Of the eleven cities in this ranking, Rio de Janeiro is the most populous
with 12.5 million people. Closely, in second place we find Chicago with
9.6 million people. The smallest cities in the list are Aberdeen with
228,990 people in 2014. Calgary is found as the second smallest city in
the ranking with 1.4 million people.
The top city in this ranking, Rio de Janeiro is considered one of the
world’s mega-cities with a population exceeding 10 million people. With
a population density of 16,100 people per square mile (6,200 per square
kilometer), Rio de Janeiro is one of the most densely populated areas in
the Latin America and the world. Rio is more than twice as dense as
Toronto and Los Angeles, the most dense Canadian and US urban
areas.
Total CMA population
Calgary is the 4th most
populous CMA in Canada
12.5 M
Population (Millions)
12
9.6 M
10
8
7.1 M
6.4 M
6
5.6 M
5.5 M
4
2.5 M
2.4 M
2.3 M
2
1.4 M
0.2 M
0
Rio de Janeiro
Chicago
Rotterdam
Houston
Atlanta
Singapore
Vancouver
Pittsburgh
Brisbane
Calgary
Aberdeen
Sources: Aberdeen: Aberdeen City, 2014 Population | All Other Cities: Brookings, Global Metro Monitor 2014
19
3.2.2 Population Growth
Population growth is measured by using the annual population growth
rate of each city. This rate is the percent increase in a year as a fraction
of the initial population. The factors that affect the population growth
rate of a city are mainly three: birth rate, death rate and net migration.
Birth rate is defined as the number of live births per thousand of
population annually. Death rate is then the number of deaths per one
thousand people per year. Lastly, net migration is calculated as the total
number of immigrants less the annual number of emigrants.
Calgary’s population growth is directly related to its positive net
migration as it constitutes almost 2/3 of the entire population increase.
Except for year 2010, the key driver for population growth in the past
decade has been the influx of immigrants into the city. This figure has
been directly related to an increased market demand through the
creation of more jobs.
In 2014, Calgary was ranked the
fastest growing city in Canada Forbes
Calgary leads this ranking with a population growth rate of 3.6%
annually in 2014. Singapore and Houston come next with a rate of 2.9%
and 2.8%, respectively. On the other side of the spectrum, Pittsburgh is
found with a negative growth of -0.4%, indicating a slight population
decline.
Population growth rate
4.0%
3.6%
3.5%
2.9%
Population growth rate
3.0%
2.8%
2.3%
2.5%
2.0%
1.7%
1.3%
1.5%
1.2%
1.0%
1.0%
0.7%
0.5%
0.5%
-0.4%
0.0%
-0.5%
-1.0%
Calgary
Singapore
Houston
Aberdeen
Brisbane
Vancouver
Rio de
Janeiro
Rotterdam
Chicago
Atlanta
Pittsburgh
Sources: Calgary and Vancouver: Statistics Canada | Singapore: Singapore National Population and Talent Division, 2014 Population in brief | Houston, Chicago, Atlanta: CityMayors Statistics, Fastest
growing US cities | Aberdeen: Aberdeen City, 2013/14 Economic Output | Brisbane: Business Insider Australia | Rio de Janeiro: Forbes / Washington, World’s fastest growing Megacities | Rotterdam:
Statistics Netherlands, Population growth rate | Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Census Estimate
20
3.2.3 Unemployment
The unemployment rate of a city is calculated as a percentage by dividing the number of unemployed individuals and are looking for a paid job
by all individuals currently in the labor force. When an economy is in recession, a rise in the unemployment rate is expected. Typically, high
unemployment hurts economic growth in terms of GDP and labour productivity. As a result, it is linked to high poverty rates, income inequality,
crime, homelessness and poor health conditions.
The leader in this ranking is the city of Aberdeen, Scotland with an unemployment rate of 1.8%. Singapore follows closely with rate of 2.0%.
Calgary is found on the fifth place with an rate of 5%. At the bottom of the ranking, we find Rotterdam with a high unemployment rate of 14%.
The low unemployment rate in the city of Aberdeen is a direct result of the jobs generated by the oil and gas industry. The city of Aberdeen also
has the highest concentration of millionaires in the United Kingdom. At the same time, Aberdeen is the top city for wage inequality in the
United Kingdom.
Compared to other cities in the Netherlands, Rotterdam is composed by a young population of migrants. A high percentage of this population
is low-skilled and given the characteristics of the job market in the Netherlands, they experience a hard time finding a job. In the past years, the
government has made efforts to reduce this unemployment rate by providing the youth with an education that combines training and practical
learning forms.
16.0%
Unemployment rate
14%
Unemployment rate
14.0%
12.0%
10.0%
8.0%
6.0%
4.20%
4.50%
Brisbane
Houston
5.00%
5.20%
5.40%
Calgary
Rio de
Janeiro
Pittsburgh
6.00%
6.00%
6.00%
Vancouver
Chicago
Atlanta
4.0%
2.0%
1.8%
2.00%
Aberdeen
Singapore
0.0%
Rotterdam
Sources: : Aberdeen: Aberdeen City, 2013/14 Economic Output | Singapore: Singapore Government, Singapore Unemployment Rate | Brisbane: Australian Government, Department of Employment,
Queensland Unemployment | Houston, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Atlanta: United States Department of Labor, Unemployment Rates for Metropolitan Areas | Calgary and Vancouver: Employment and
Social Development Canada| Rio de Janeiro: Valor Economico | Vancouver: Government of Canada, Employment and Social Development | Rotterdam: I AM EXPAT, Where is Dutch unemployment
the highest
21
3.2.4 Labour Participation
Labour participation is measured by calculating the labour participation
rate which represents the percentage of working-age individuals that
are currently employed or unemployed but looking for a job. Workingage individuals are typically defined as those between the ages of 15
and 64. For a particular city, understanding labour participation is
important as it shows the city’s production capability and job market
trends.
Leading this ranking we find Calgary with a 75.2% labour participation
rate. Very closely, in second place, we have Brisbane with a rate of
74.7%. At the bottom of the ranking, we have Vancouver with rate of
64.9%.
The high participation rate of Calgary and Brisbane is explained by a
strong labour market that not only has low unemployment but that
encourages people to keep on looking for job if they are not working.
The labour participation rate generally falls when market conditions
discourage unemployed working-age individuals to look for a job.
Vancouver and Chicago’s lower participation rate could be explained by
this fact. In addition, both cities have the same unemployment rate
which is relatively higher than that of most cities in this assessment.
Calgary has the largest labour
participation rate of all CMAs in
Canada
- Statistics Canada
Labour participation rate
Labour participation rate
76%
75.20%
74.70%
74%
72%
70%
68.00%
68%
67.50%
67.30%
66.10%
66%
65.60%
64.90%
64%
62%
60%
58%
Calgary
Brisbane
Singapore
Houston
Atlanta
Pittsburgh
Chicago
Vancouver
Sources: Calgary and Vancouver: Government of Canada, Statistics Canada, Employment and Unemployment | Brisbane: Australian Government, Department of Employment, Participation Rate | |
Singapore: The World Bank, Labor force participation rate | Houston, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Chicago: United States Department of Labor, Laborforce participation rates |
22
3.2.5 Diversity
Diversity in this assessment is defined as diversity of national origin,
taking into account the implications that this has in ethnic background,
religion, languages and other cultural aspects. In the past decade,
higher attention has been given to the benefits of a diverse economy
and workplace. In essence, diversity influences productivity as it
combines different sets of skills and abilities. Studies have shown that a
culturally diverse workforce improves work teams productivity,
workplace equality and ultimately the bottom line.
As a reflection of this diversity, the percentage of immigrant population
across peer cities was compared. This percentage of immigrant
population indicates the total population that was born in a foreign
country but that resides in the city under different circumstances.
Singapore leads this ranking with 43% of its population born abroad.
Vancouver follows in second place with 40% of immigrant population.
Calgary is in third place with 26% of immigrant population. At the
bottom of the ranking, we find Pittsburgh with only 7% and Atlanta with
14%.
Singapore has been traditionally closely intertwined with migration,
given its location and historical background. In more recent years,
however, Singapore has had an increasing percentage of foreign born
residents. This is a direct consequence of governmental policies to
attract and rely on foreign manpower as a strategy to overcome
limitations of local human capital. Most immigrants come from
Malaysia, China, Hong Kong and other Asian countries.
25% of Calgary’s population speak a
foreign language as a mother tongue with
Punjabi, Chinese and Spanish as the most
spoken
-Statistics Canada
Percentage of immigrant population
50%
45%
43%
% of immigrant population
40%
40%
35%
30%
26%
24%
25%
23%
20%
16%
16%
14%
15%
10%
7%
5%
0%
Singapore
Vancouver
Calgary
Brisbane
Houston
Chicago
Aberdeen
Atlanta
Pittsburgh
Sources: Singapore: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division | Vancouver and Calgary: Statistics Canada | Brisbane: .id, Immigration in the last 5 years |
Houston: Migration Policy Institute, A Profile of Immigrants in Houston | Chicago, Atlanta: Atlanta Regional Commission, Regional Snapshot, March 2013 | Aberdeen: Work Permit .com, Scotland's
immigrant population doubles in a decade | Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh looking to increase immigrant population
23
3.2.6 Education
In the 1990s, special attention was given to the macroeconomic
implications that investment in education represented. Studies indicated
that education is the main driver for labour productivity and levels of
technological maturity in a country. As a result, education is a key
component of human capital.
There are different indicators that can be compared to understand the
position of a city in the area of education. Since the universities and
academic institutions in all the countries compared in this study grant
bachelor’s degree, the percentage of population (25 years old and
older) with bachelor’s degree was used as the comparable metric.
While the percentage across cities is not as dramatically different as other
metrics, Calgary tops this ranking with 34.8% of population with a
bachelor’s degree. Atlanta and Chicago follow closely with 34.5% and
34.2%, respectively. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, reflects a lower level of
education with only 19.8% of its population with a bachelor’s degree. Data
for Rio de Janeiro, Aberdeen and Rotterdam was not available.
Of all major Canadian cities, Calgary has the second highest level of
educational attainment. Calgary is home to five public post-secondary
institutions, including two major Universities. A key characteristic among
these institutions is the high degree of collaboration and mutual support
with the city’s professional, business, technology and non-profit
communities.
Calgary is home to internationally recognized
MBA and Engineering programs
-Financial Post
Bachelor’s degree (percentage of population)
Percentage with bachelor's degree
40%
35%
34.80%
34.50%
34.20%
34.10%
30.90%
30%
27.70%
25%
20.00%
19.80%
Brisbane
Pittsburgh
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Calgary
Atlanta
Chicago
Vancouver
Houston
Singapore
Sources: Calgary, Vancouver : Government of Canada, Statistics Canada, Education in Canada | Atlanta : Atlanta Regional Commission, Regional Snapshot | Chicago : United States Census Bureau,
Quick Facts | Houston : Greater Houston Partnership, Education Attainment | Singapore : Department of Statistics Singapore, Census of Population | Brisbane : Visit Brisbane, Brisbane's
Demographics | Pittsburgh : Pittsburgh Today, Education Attainment
24
4. Innovation and Entrepreneurship
4.1 Definition
Innovation and entrepreneurship are drivers of prosperity and growth in any economy. As competition in the globalized world becomes
increasingly tougher for new entrants, success is highly dependent on their ability to innovate. Many believe that entrepreneurship is a personality
trait; however, entrepreneurship can be better defined as a desire to take risks, establish, organize and manage a business venture in a globalized
marketplace that is constantly evolving. This desire to take risks combined with an innovative business idea is essential for the growth of a business,
and correspondingly an economy.
A good understanding of innovation entrepreneurship in an economy provides a clearer view of the potential for an economy to prosper. Given
the dynamism of the two concepts, there are no standard metrics used to measure them. Nevertheless, there are metrics that provide some insight
into how these two concepts are being established and promoted in an economy.
Two dimensions and their corresponding metrics were used to benchmark Calgary’s innovation and entrepreneurship.
Research and
Development
Annual research and
development
expenditures per capita
Number of
Businesses
Number of
businesses per 100
people
26
4.2 Benchmarking Performance
Overall, Calgary has a good performance in the two metrics when compared to its peer cities.
Research and Development: Calgary has a good performance in annual R&D spending per capita with a number that is higher than the average
and the median compared to its peers
Businesses: Calgary has a good performance is above the median among its peers when compared by number of businesses per 100 people
Research and
Development
3rd / 8 in annual
research and
development
expenditures per capita
Number of
Businesses
3rd / 10 in number
of businesses per 100
people
27
4.2.1 Research and Development (R&D)
In an economy, innovation is expected to be proportional to the amount invested in research and development (R&D) combined with strategic
alignment and a culture that supports and drives innovation. Research and development expenditure sources can be categorized into either public
(government spending) or private (corporate spending). The recipients of R&D are generally companies and institutions in association or
individually.
In order to gather R&D data, national statistical offices generally survey the private and public sectors at the state or provincial level. For this study,
data for both private and public sectors were aggregated and converted into per capita amounts.
Singapore tops the ranking with an annual R&D spending of 1,389 CAD per capita. Chicago appears in second place with an amount of 935 CAD
per capita. Calgary is in third place with 826 CAD per capita. Atlanta is found at the bottom of the list with 380 CAD of R&D expenditure per
capita.
According to the National Survey in Research and Development in Singapore, R&D investment from both public and private entities has had a
rapid growth as a result of an increasing focus to undertake R&D to grow competitive businesses and as reflection of the growing innovation
capacity of the local enterprises.
Total reported annual R&D spending per capita
$1,600
R&D per capita ( CAD)
$1,400
$1,389
$1,200
$935
$1,000
$826
$821
$800
$760
$635
$600
$568
$380
$400
$200
$Singapore
Chicago
Calgary
Brisbane
Pittsburgh
Vancouver
Houston
Atlanta
Sources: Singapore: Agency for Science, Technology and Research Singapore, National Survey of R&D in Singapore 2013 | Chicago, Pittsburgh, Houston, Atlanta: National Science Foundation,
Domestic R&D | Calgary, Vancouver: Statistics Canada, Domestic spending on research and development (GERD) | Brisbane: Australian Government Department of Industry and Science, Focusing
Australia's Publicly Funded Research Review. Note: Currencies converted into CAD on September 4, 2015
28
4.2.2 Businesses
When a culture fosters innovation and entrepreneurship, people will be more likely to establish and manage their own business. In the same way,
business growth will encourage further entrepreneurship and attract further investment. In order to understand the effects of a culture of
innovation and entrepreneurship, the number of businesses per capita was calculated across cities.
Some statistical agencies will report the number of businesses per capita on an annual or quarterly bases. However, most cities will provide the
total number of registered businesses. To calculate this number, the total reported businesses, including large companies and small businesses was
divided by the population of the CMA. The per capita number was then scaled up to 100 people.
The top contender in this ranking is Houston with 5.9 businesses per 100 people. Rotterdam comes in second place with a rate of 5.2 businesses
per 100 people. Calgary is found in third place and is above the median of this ranking with 4.2 business per 100 people. The cities with the lowest
numbers are Pittsburgh and Brisbane with 2.5 and 2.1 businesses per 100 people, respectively.
7.0
6.0
Number of businesses per 100 people
5.9
Businesses per 100 people
5.2
5.0
4.2
4.2
4.0
4.0
3.9
3.8
3.7
2.5
3.0
2.1
2.0
1.0
0.0
Houston
Rotterdam
Calgary
Aberdeen
Vancouver
Atlanta
Singapore
Chicago
Pittsburgh
Brisbane
Sources: Houston: United States Census Bureau, 2013 MSA Business Patterns | Rotterdam: Statistics Netherlands, Local units by municipalities | Calgary, Vancouver: Statistics Canada | Aberdeen:
Scottish Government National Statistics, Businesses in Scotland 2013 | Atlanta: Info USA, Business Counts | Singapore: Department of Statistics Singapore, Profile Of Enterprises In Singapore | Chicago:
City of Chicago, Existing Businesses | Pittsburgh: United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts | Brisbane: CCIQ, Brisbane Local Government Area Business Analysis
29
5. Cost of Doing Business
5.1 Definition
The costs of doing business in a city can be defined as the aggregate costs incurred as part of setting up and/or operating a business. Examples
can include expenditures associated with employing a workforce, procuring office space, and navigating tax environments.
The extent of these costs (and their “affordability” to businesses) helps to indicate the business friendliness of a city and can change based on
political, economical or social factors. For instance, competitive tax rates and reduced operating costs are important levers that cities can use to
incentivize businesses to relocate, expand or start in a city. For this reason, particular importance is given to these costs set by public entities with
the goals to promote investment in a particular city or region.
When assessing the particular affordability of establishing a business in a city, organizations will most likely focus on general as well as specific
costs that are generally incur by the industry in which they operate. These not only include salaries for workers in the particular industry but also
materials and services needed for the operations of that type of business. Nevertheless, there are key metrics that the industry as whole will take
into account when making investment decisions.
Six dimensions and their corresponding metrics were used to benchmark how Calgary compares to its peer cities with respect to the cost of doing
business.
Single Worker
Income
Income
Tax
Commercial Real
Estate Rent
Industrial Land
Price
Commercial
Property Tax
Corporate
Tax
Annual median single
worker income
Annual income tax rate
based on median single
worker income
Commercial real
estate rent per
square foot
Average industrial land
price per square foot
Commercial property
tax rate per $100
Annual corporate tax
rate
31
5.2 Benchmarking Performance
Overall, Calgary has an average performance in the majority of the six metrics when compared to its peer cities.
Single Worker Income: Calgary boasts one of the highest median income levels in the country. From a business point of view, this translates to a
high employee cost. Compared to the peer cities, Calgary is slightly below the average in median single worker income
Income Tax: Calgary‘s income tax rate is higher than most of that of its peers
Commercial Real Estate Rent: Calgary has relatively affordable commercial real estate rent and is on the low-end when compared to its peers
Industrial Land Price: Calgary has the most affordable industrial land price when compared to its peers
Commercial Property Tax : Calgary is fairly competitive with respect to commercial property tax rate per $100 of assessed value
Corporate Tax: Calgary’s corporate tax rate is slightly lower than the average and is below the mean compared to its peers
Single Worker
Income
Income
Tax
Commercial Real
Estate Rent
Industrial Land
Price
6th / 11
9th / 11
4th / 9
1st / 9 in average
in annual median
single worker income
in annual income tax
rate based on median
single worker income
in commercial
real estate rent
per square foot
industrial land price per
square foot
Commercial
Property Tax
4th / 8
in commercial
property tax
rate per $100
Corporate
Tax
5th /11
in annual
corporate
tax rate
32
5.2.1 Single Worker Income
Single worker income is a key metric needed to understand labour
costs that are incurred in order to produce specific goods or provide
specific services to customers. In investment decisions, single worker
income plays a key role when determining which locations should be
selected to outsource goods manufacturing or services. Typically, the
lower the single worker income, the lower the direct labour costs.
The particular characteristics of the human capital, such as technical
expertise, however, are also key inputs in decision making.
To be able to benchmark single worker income across peer cities, the
most recent available data for median single worker income per city
was used. This income is reported as the overall median for workers
taking all industries into account. More granular data exists for
specific industries for which the median could differ highly from the
overall median.
Of the eleven cities in this ranking, Rio de Janeiro has the lowest
median for single worker income with the equivalent of 15,614 CAD,
annually. Rotterdam follows in second place with a significantly higher
median income of 32,926 CAD. Calgary comes in sixth place with a
median single worker income of 56,969 CAD, annually. Aberdeen has
the highest median single worker income with 72,764 CAD, annually.
Rio de Janeiro has a low single worker income in part given its high
labour supply and regional location. Brazil has experienced a
significant increase in minimum wage over the past 5 years.
Beginning with a monthly minimum wage of 545 BLR (187 CAD) in
2011 to the current 788 BLR (270 CAD) in 2015. On a state level, Rio
de Janeiro has the highest monthly wage floor in the country with
953.47 BRL ( 327 CAD) set as the minimum.
The median single worker income data reflects gross income before
all taxes and deductions. These salaries have been directly converted
into Canadian dollars and do not include any PPP adjustments.
$80,000
Median single worker income
$72,764
$70,000
$60,000
( CAD)
$50,000
$40,000
$42,346
$42,439
Vancouver
Singapore
$56,019
$56,969
Atlanta
Calgary
$61,840
$63,390
Pittsburgh
Houston
$67,032
$67,257
Brisbane
Chicago
$32,926
$30,000
$20,000
$15,614
$10,000
$Rio de Janeiro Rotterdam
Aberdeen
Sources: Rio de Janeiro: IBGE, Statistics Central Register of Enterprises 2012, rio negocios, Doing Business in Rio, Second Edition 2014 | Rotterdam: NUMBEO, Cost of Living in Rotterdam, Netherlands |
Vancouver: BCStats, Labour and Income, Earnings and Employment Trends | Singapore: Singapore Government, Ministry of Manpower, Summary Table Income | Atlanta: Georgia Power Community
and Economic Development, Metro Atlanta Overview | Calgary: Conference Board of Canada, Metropolitan Outlook 2014 | Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, Pittsburgh Region by the Numbers
2014-2015 | Houston: Payscale, Average Salary for City of Houston, Texas Employees | Brisbane: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Average Weekly Earnings, Australia, Nov 2014 | Chicago: United States
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages in Chicago May 2014 | Aberdeen: Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen Key Facts 2014 Currencies converted into
CAD on September 4, 2015
33
5.2.2 Income Tax
Coupled with the single worker income, the income tax rate is a key
input used during investment decision making. Although the burden
is mainly placed on the worker, employers must take this rate into
account, for instance, to generate a competitive salary offer to
attract qualified individuals.
The most common federal income taxation system is the progressive
tax system. In essence, a progressive tax system will demand a larger
percentage of income from high-income groups than from lowincome groups. Typically, countries will set levels or brackets of
income taxation, as income increases, the tax rate increases. At the
state and province level, both flat tax rates and progressive are used
depending on the regulations in place.
Leading the ranking with an effective income tax rate of 1% is
Singapore. Rio de Janeiro is found in second place with a tax rate of
6.44%. Calgary is found in ninth place with a tax rate of 20.2%. At the
bottom of the ranking, Rotterdam reflects a 33.41% of effective
income tax rate. The average for the 11 peer cities compared is 16%
as effective income tax rate.
Singapore is known for its low income taxes. The country uses a
progressive tax system in which the first 22,000 SGD (20,000 CAD
approx.) are not taxed. The first three tax brackets are between 2%
and 3.5% and the top tax bracket is set at 20%. Additionally,
significant tax deductions are provided for applicable expenses and
dependents.
In order to compare tax rates across cities, the effective income tax
rate was used. This effective tax rate is the net rate a single worker
pays if all forms of taxes are included and divided by median single
worker income. This calculation does not include dependent, age, or
additional tax reductions.
40%
Effective income tax rate
33.41%
35%
Income tax rate
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
13.00%
14.00%
Houston
Aberdeen
15.10%
15.67%
Vancouver
Pittsburgh
17.35%
18.00%
Chicago
Atlanta
20.20%
20.80%
Calgary
Brisbane
6.44%
1.00%
0%
Singapore
Rio de
Janeiro
Rotterdam
Sources: Singapore: Hawksford, Singapore Personal Income Tax Guide, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, Individual Income Tax | Rio de Janeiro: Brazil's federal revenue, IRPF 2015, Effective tax
rate simulation | Houston: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas Franchise Tax Rates | Houston, Pittsburgh, Chicago: Forbes, IRS Announces 2015 Tax Brackets | Aberdeen: Citizens Advice
Scotland, Income Tax Rates, Aberdeen: The Scottish Parliament, Scottish Rate of Income Tax Calculator | Vancouver, Calgary: Canada Revenue Agency| Pittsburgh, Chicago: Tax Foundation, The facts
on Pennsylvania’s Tax Climate | Atlanta: Georgia Power Community and Economic Development, Metro Atlanta Overview | Brisbane: Australian Government, Australian Taxation Office, Simple tax
calculator | Rotterdam: Stepan Suvorov, Dutch Income Tax Calculator
34
5.2.3 Commercial Real Estate Rent
Real estate rent is considered for most businesses one of the most
significant fixed costs. Given the importance of location for a business
office, the price range in commercial real estate can vary significantly
within a city. Nevertheless, investment decision makers will generally
calculate an estimate for commercial rent in different cities or
regions.
In order to provide a view of the average commercial real estate rent
price in a city, real estate associations and companies periodically
report the market price for commercial space. Depending on the
commercial location structure of the city, these reports will generally
provide the market price for space in different locations. Also, a
standard in these real estate reports is to provide the rental price per
square foot or square meter.
The most affordable city to rent commercial real estate is Rotterdam
with an average rental price of 36.14 CAD per square foot. Atlanta
follows in second place with an average rental price of 43.10 CAD per
square foot. Calgary appears in fourth place in the ranking with an
average rental price of 48.44 CAD per square foot. Rio de Janeiro
and Singapore reflect the most expensive rental prices for
commercial real estate a rate of 159.11 CAD and 136.14 CAD,
respectively.
The top contender in this ranking, Rotterdam offers some of the most
affordable commercial rents in the main commercial cities in the
Netherlands. The most expensive commercial rents in the country are
found in Amsterdam with double the rental prices in Rotterdam.
Calgary’s vacancy rate climbed to nearly 11%
during the first quarter from 8.5% at the end of
2014, a shift that has pushed down rents,
especially in the sublease sector
-The Wall Street Journal
For this assessment, the most recently reported average commercial
real estate net rent for each city was converted into Canadian dollars
and square feet for those reported in square meters.
Rent per square foot (CAD)
$180
Annual commercial real estate rent (CAD/ft2)
$159.11
$160
$136.14
$140
$120
$95.71
$100
$80
$60
$40
$36.14
$43.10
$48.38
$48.44
Vancouver
Calgary
$61.58
$65.42
Houston
Chicago
$20
$Rotterdam
Atlanta
Brisbane
Singapore
Rio de Janeiro
Sources: All cities: Cushman & Wakefield, Office Space across the world | Note 1: Net rent rates used for all cities, including service charges and local taxes | Note 2: Currencies converted into CAD on
September 4, 2015
35
5.2.4 Industrial Land Price
Knowing the industrial land price across different cities is essential for
investors and companies that are looking to purchase land to establish
and conduct business operations. Investment decision makers will
choose whether to buy industrial land depending on the short and
future term goals of the enterprise. The need for substantial additions
and capital projects for business operations will typically involve the
purchase of land.
In this comparison, Calgary tops the ranking with the most
affordable industrial land price per square foot with a rate of 14 CAD
per square foot. Vancouver follows in second place with a price of 22
CAD per square foot. Atlanta is in third place with a rate of 59 CAD
per square foot. Singapore, known for its extremely high land prices,
is found at the bottom of the ranking with an average price of 546
CAD per square foot.
In order to provide a view of the average industrial land price in a city,
real estate associations and companies periodically report the market
price of industrial land. Price will vary by location within a city. However,
the average market price is generally provided quarterly and/or
annually. In addition, prices are provided either for square foot or
square meter. For this comparison, all prices were converted into
Canadian dollars and square feet.
Price per square foot (CAD)
$600
Average Industrial Land Price (CAD/ft2)
$546
$500
$400
$300
$200
$101
$100
$14
$22
Calgary
Vancouver
$59
$61
$63
$64
$65
Atlanta
Pittsburgh
Brisbane
Houston
Chicago
$0
Rotterdam
Singapore
Sources: Calgary, Vancouver: CBRE 2015 Q3 | Pittsburgh, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston: LoopNet, Market Trends | Brisbane: m3property Strategists, Brisbane Industrial Land Market 2009-2013 |
Rotterdam: Industrial NL, Industrial and Logistics real estate, Dutch Market Report 2015 | Singapore: Colliers International, Outlook for Singapore's Industrial Property Market, Jan 2015. Note:
Currencies converted into CAD on September 4, 2015
36
5.2.5 Commercial Property Tax
For most property owners, a key annual tax that needs to be paid is property tax. Most cities and countries will have different tax rates for
residential and commercial property. This tax is calculated and billed annually using the property's assessed value. The assessed value of the
property is typically determined by a governmental council through the analysis of the real estate market and the particular characteristics of
the property. Property tax is generally expressed as a millage rate, that is the amount per $1,000 or $100 that is used to calculate taxes on
property. This millage rate is multiplied by the total assessed value of the property to arrive at the property taxes due.
In this assessment, Houston leads the ranking with a tax rate of $0.64 per $100 of assessed value. Pittsburg follows with rate of $0.86. Calgary
comes in fourth place with a rate of $1.41. A key distinction to notice is Singapore’s assessment value calculation. In contrast with the other
cities, Singapore does not estimate the market value of the property as the amount that a property might be expected to realize if sold. In
Singapore assessed value is calculated as the estimated gross annual rent of the property if it were to be rented out. Calgary property tax
rate is comparable to the other cities that use the same market value calculation.
($ per $100 of assessed value)
$12.00
Commercial Property Tax
10.00
$10.00
$8.00
$6.00
$4.00
$2.00
0.64
0.86
1.09
Houston
Pittsburgh
Atlanta
1.41
1.52
1.70
1.71
Calgary
Vancouver
Aberdeen
Chicago
$0.00
Singapore *
Sources: Calgary, Vancouver: BNN, How does your property tax compare with the rest of Canada? | Houston: Diane Moser Properties, Houston City Government, Office of the City Controller Houston
Texas, Trends for Fiscal Year 2015 | Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh, Property Tax Worksheet | Atlanta: City of Atlanta, The Tax Bill, An Illustrative Guide | Vancouver: City of Vancouver, Business and other
property tax rates | Aberdeen: Aberdeen, Property Taxes | Chicago: City of Chicago, Finance, Tax List | Singapore: Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, Property Tax Rates, Deloitte. International
Tax, Singapore Highlights 2015
*Using Singapore’s Annual Value Calculation
37
5.2.6 Corporate Tax
Corporate taxes are one of the most significant metrics analyzed by international investors.
Depending on the type of economy, corporate taxes can represent a major source of income for
provincial/state and federal revenues. While some countries have a flat rate for corporate taxes,
others will have a progressive taxation system, mainly to support small companies. Companies
with over $1 million dollars in revenue will have most of their income tax at the top tax rate.
All Canadian provinces and most states in the United States will impose an additional corporate
tax, aside from federal corporate tax. In this assessment, both provincial/state and federal
corporate taxes were combined to represent the total tax burden. In general, corporate taxes in
United States are significantly higher than in Canada and other countries in the world.
Canada is considered in the
top 10 countries for ease of
paying taxes
-PWC
In this ranking, Singapore leads with a flat corporate rate of 17%. Aberdeen follows with a flat
rate of 20%. Vancouver and Calgary have a combined corporate tax rate of 26% and 27%,
respectively. Cities in the United States have the highest corporate taxes in the ranking with top
corporate tax in Pittsburgh at 45%. The State of Pennsylvania has the second highest corporate
tax rate in the United States. The State of Texas has additional taxes levied on particular
industries such as a gross receipts tax imposed on utility companies.
50.0%
Top corporate tax rate
45.0%
45.0%
Chicago
Pittsburgh
41.0%
40.0%
Corporate tax rate (%)
44.5%
34.0%
35.0%
35.6%
30.0%
30.0%
25.0%
26.0%
27.0%
Rotterdam
Vancouver
Calgary
25.0%
20.0%
20.0%
17.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
Singapore
Aberdeen
Brisbane
Rio de Janeiro
Houston
Atlanta
Sources: Singapore: Singapore Company Registration Services, Singapore Corporate Tax Guide 2015 | Aberdeen, Rotterdam, Rio de Janeiro, Houston, Pittsburgh: Deloitte. International Tax, Corporate
Tax Rates 2015 | Vancouver KPMG, Federal and Provincial/Territorial Tax Rates for Income Earned by a General Corporation Effective January 1, 2014 and 2015 | Calgary: Tax and Revenue
Administration, Government of Alberta | Brisbane: PWC Australia, TaxTalk | Houston: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas Franchise Tax Rates | Atlanta: Georgia Power Community and
Economic Development, Metro Atlanta Overview | Chicago: Entrepreneur, States With the Lowest Corporate Income Tax Rates | Pittsburgh: Tax Foundation, The facts on Pennsylvania’s Tax Climate
38
6. Livability
6.1 Definition
The livability of a city is generally referred to as the sum of the factors that add up to a community’s quality of life. Livability rankings typically
use data such as public safety, economic and political stability, education and health statistics, sanitation standards, global access, and
expenditures on city services. Livability in this study refers to the characteristics of the city that influence the overall well-being of the
community.
Understanding the livability of a city is important for many reasons. Not only can a government improve its understanding of how the lives of
its citizens are being influenced by the particular characteristics of the city they administer, but multinational corporations can also perceive
the degree to which expatriates enjoy the potential standard of living in the host location.
Standardized criteria to measure the livability of a city do not exist. However, most rankings will include GDP rates, crime rates, public health
access rates, social and economic circumstances for residents, public health access rates, and ease and availability of transportation.
Five dimensions and their corresponding metrics were used to benchmark Calgary’s livability.
Housing
Affordability
LEED
Buildings
Health
Care
Crime
Global
Access
Housing median
multiple
(median house price
divided by gross
annual median
household income)
Number of LEED
buildings
Number of hospital
beds per 100k people
Number of crimes
per 100k people
Number of international
departure flights
40
6.2 Benchmarking Performance
Compared to the peer cities, Calgary has an average overall performance across the five metrics.
Housing Affordability: Calgary is rated as “seriously unaffordable“, according to Demographia International’s 2015 Housing Affordability Survey.
Nevertheless, Calgary has the median rating when compared to its peers and its rating is more favorable than the average
LEED Buildings: Calgary has made great progress in this area in the recent years, yet it is still considered a young participant. Compared to its
peers, Calgary has a low number of LEED buildings, performs below average and is below the median
Health Care: Calgary is found in the median when compared to its peers; Calgary’s rating is also the mode in the assessment
Crime: Calgary is above average and close to the median compared to its peers which signifies a higher number of crimes committed
Global Access: Calgary’s international airport might be small in size but it has more international departures than half of Calgary’s peer cities
Housing
Affordability
5th / 9
in housing median
multiple
LEED
Buildings
8th / 11 in number of
LEED buildings
Health
Care
5th / 9 in number of
hospital
beds per 100k people
Crime
4th / 9
in number of crimes
per 100k people
Global
Access
6th / 11
in number of
international departure
flights
41
6.2.1 Housing Affordability
Affordable housing refers to housing units that are affordable by that
section of society whose income is below the median household
income. The definition of what constitutes affordable housing may
vary slightly from one country to the other but in essence it should
address the housing needs of the lower or middle income households.
In this benchmarking study, to provide a view of the housing
affordability in each city, the median multiple was used, which is
defined as a median house price divided by gross annual median
household income. This multiple is widely used to evaluate urban
markets and is often used by the World Bank, United Nations, research
centres and academic institutions. The median multiple can be divided
into four categories: Severely unaffordable, seriously unaffordable,
moderately unaffordable and affordable. The median multiple range
that falls into each rating category can be found in the table below.
Housing Affordability Rating Categories
Rating Category
Median Multiple
Severely Unaffordable
5.1 & Over
Seriously Unaffordable
4.1 to 5.0
Moderately Unaffordable
3.1 to 4.0
Affordable
3.0 & under
Median multiple
12
Of the nine cities compared in this metric, the city of Pittsburgh ranks
the highest in housing affordability, with a median multiple of 2.7,
which belongs to the rating category of affordable. The city of
Atlanta ranks second with a median multiple of 2.9, within the
affordable rating category. The worst performer in this section is the
city of Vancouver with a median multiple of 10.6, which belongs to
the rating category of severely unaffordable. Nevertheless,
Vancouver is not the only city in this category, Aberdeen and
Brisbane also belong in the severely unaffordable category. With a
median multiple of 4.2, Calgary belongs in the seriously unaffordable
category. The data used in this ranking is from 2014, in that year the
median household income in Calgary was 94,700 USD and the
median housing price was 394,400 USD.
Pittsburgh and Atlanta are considered the leading metropolitan areas
in the United States and are often ranked in the top of most rankings.
The reason behind this success is not high median household
income, which pairs with the national average but the low housing
prices that are found in these two cities. This low price prompts home
ownership. Vancouver, on the other hand, is ranked as the world’s
second most unaffordable metropolitan area. According the Royal
Bank of Canada, Vancouver’s poor performance in affordable
housing is not expected to improve in the short term, as Vancouver
has recently experienced the fastest rate of appreciation in Canada,
when compared to other metropolitan areas.
Housing affordability (median multiple)
10.6
10
8
6
4
2.7
2.9
Pittsburgh
Atlanta
3.5
3.6
Houston
Chicago
4.2
5.0
5.8
6.0
Aberdeen
Brisbane
2
0
Calgary
Singapore
Vancouver
Sources: All Cities: 11th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey: 2015
42
6.2.2 LEED Buildings
The term LEED buildings stands for a building with a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification. In order to receive a LEED
certification, buildings must satisfy prerequisites and earn a specific number of points to achieve different levels of certification. This certification
involves independent verification of a building’s features, including its design, construction, operations and maintenance to prompt a resourceefficient, healthy, high-performing and cost-effective building. Having a LEED certification results in healthier and more productive buildings by
encouraging energy and resource-efficient structures and operations that reduce stress on the environment. The certification is provided by the
U.S Green Building Council (USGBC).
Nine out of the eleven cities ranked have at least one LEED building. American cities are found on the top of the list. The top city in number of
LEED buildings is Chicago with 463 LEED buildings, followed by Houston with 397, Atlanta with 293 and Pittsburgh with 123. Calgary is found in
eighth place with 23 LEED certified buildings. Aberdeen and Brisbane did not record any LEED buildings.
500
Certified LEED buildings per city (total number of buildings) (buildings per 100k people)
7.0
463
Number of LEED buildings
450
6.0
397
400
5.0
350
293
300
4.0
250
3.0
200
150
2.0
123
100
48
50
37
28
23
0
Chicago
Houston
Atlanta
Pittsburgh
Vancouver
Singapore
Rio de
Janeiro
Calgary
1.0
1
0
0
Rotterdam
Brisbane
Aberdeen
0.0
Number of LEED buildings per 100k people
The leader in this category, Chicago, became an early proponent of LEED certification when the city opened its Chicago Centre of green
technology in 2002 achieving a LEED platinum certification. In 2004, the city decreed that all rehabilitated or new city buildings would have to be
LEED-certified. In the same way, the city enacted several policies, such as Chicago’s Sustainable Development Policy, to encourage the private
sector to seek LEED certification. The combination of both public and private participation has taken Chicago to become a world leader in LEED
certification.
Sources: All Cities: US Green Building Council Directory, Projects
43
6.2.3 Health Care
Health care is an important aspect of any livability assessment. There
are multiple qualitative and quantitative methods used to evaluate the
health care system of any city. The capacity of both public and private
hospitals is a good parameter of the accessibility to health care facilities
by the members of a community. The number of hospital beds
available relative to the total population within a city will provide a
quantitative view of the overall capacity that the city has to provide
health care to its citizens. This benchmarking study uses the metric of
number of hospital beds per 100 thousand residents of any given city.
Houston is considered a national health care leader in the United States
with hospitals that are often ranked as the top in Texas and nationally.
For instance, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center,
located in Houston, is the top medical institution for cancer treatment in
the United States.
Of the nine cities which data was available, Houston leads the ranking
with 480 hospital beds for 100 thousand people. Closely, in second
place, we have Rotterdam with 470 hospital beds. Calgary, Pittsburgh
and Singapore have all the same number of hospital beds with 197 for
100 thousand people. At the bottom of the ranking we find Atlanta with
72 and Chicago with 91 hospital beds per 100 thousand people.
Beds per 100k people
600
500
In March 2015, the Province of Alberta
announced the creation of 311 new restorative
beds, 186 for Calgary and 125 for Edmonton.
The goal in Calgary is to have the beds set up
by the end of the summer
-Global news
Number of hospital beds per 100k people
480
470
383
400
300
243
197
200
197
197
100
91
72
Chicago
Atlanta
0
Houston
Rotterdam
Brisbane
Vancouver
Calgary
Pittsburgh
Singapore
Sources: Houston: Texas Hospital Association | Rotterdam: CIA factbook |Brisbane: Australian Institute for Health and Welfare | Vancouver: Canadian Institute for Health Information | Calgary: Alberta
Health Services and supporting sources | Pittsburgh, Chicago and Atlanta : American Hospital Directory | Singapore: Ministry of Health Singapore
44
6.2.4 Crime
The livability of a city can be seriously impacted by crime. Being a victim of a crime can dramatically impact an individual’s ability to perform across
a variety of roles for both occupational and social functioning. Registered crimes are generally divided between person crime offences and
property crime offences. Within the category of personal crimes, crimes included are typically homicide, other offences causing death, attempted
homicide, robbery, sex crimes and assault. Included in property crime offences, most police departments will register break and enter crimes, theft,
vehicle theft, fraud and mischief and property damage, among others. The metric used to compare cities was registered crimes per 100 thousand
people. The data for registered crimes comes mostly from the most recent reports published by police departments in these cities.
Of the nine cities for which data was available, Aberdeen is the best performer with the lowest crime rate at 299 reported crimes per 100 thousand
people. Singapore follows with 596 crimes per 100 thousand people. On the other side of the spectrum, we find Atlanta as the worst performer
with 7,936 reported crimes per 100 thousand people. Calgary ranks fourth place in registered crimes per 100 thousand people with 4,217 in year
2014.
Aberdeen’s success in low crimes per 100 thousand people can be linked to a crime reduction trend in the past couple of years. In February 2015,
the city reported a 25% crime reduction compared to the previous 12 months. The success has been attributed to the performance of the Police
Scotland officers who work and reside in the city.
9000
Crime rate
7936
Crimes per 100k People
8000
7170
7000
5973
6000
5122
5000
4217
4257
Calgary
Pittsburgh
4000
3000
2000
1000
1040
299
596
0
Aberdeen
Singapore
Brisbane
Chicago
Houston
Vancouver
Atlanta
Sources: Aberdeen: Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen Key Facts 2015 | Singapore: Singapore Police Force, Annual Crime Brief 2014 | Brisbane: Queensland Police Service, Annual Statistical Review
2011-2012 | Calgary: Calgary Police Service, Calgary Police statistical reports | Pittsburgh, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta: FBI Records | Vancouver: Vancouver Police Department ‐ Crime rate statistics 2014
45
6.2.5 Global Access
The global integration of a city can be better understood with the number of
international flights that depart from its airports. These data are often reviewed by
international companies who seek to establish a business relationship or expand into
another city. Moreover, whether it is arrival or departures the number of international
flights can provide a good view of the degree of connectivity that the city could have
with international markets.
Calgary and the 10 peer cities all have at least one international airport. Given its size
and location, Singapore ranks 1st with a number of 449 international flights per day,
with destinations all over the world. Vancouver follows with a figure of 176 average
daily international flights mainly with international flights to Asia, the U.S.A and Latin
America. The peer city with the least average daily international departure flights is
Rio de Janeiro with 25 flights. In Brazil the biggest airports are found in Sao Paulo and
Brasilia. Calgary ranks 6th with an average of 55 daily international departure flights.
500
450
International departure flights
449
In 2015, the Singapore
airport was recognized as
the world’s best airport for
the third year in a row
-CNN
400
Daily flights
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
176
104
89
78
55
43
37
29
27
25
0
Sources: Singapore: Changi Airport | Vancouver: Vancouver Airport Authority | Atlanta: Atlanta International Airport |
Chicago: Chicago Department of Aviation | Houston: George Bush Intercontinental Airport | Calgary: YYC Calgary Airport
Authority, Traveler Info | Brisbane: Brisbane Airport Corporation | Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh International Airport | Rotterdam:
Rotterdam The Hague Airport | Aberdeen: Aberdeen Airport |Rio de Janeiro: International Airport Galeao
The Calgary Airport Authority has undertaken
a 2 billion CAD Airport Development Program
encompassing a new 2 million-square-foot
International Terminal with 22 new aircraft
gates-scheduled opening in the fall of 2016
-YYC Airport
46
7. Conclusion and Recommendations
7.Conclusion and Recommendations
Overall, Calgary is a strong competitor across all five themes that constitute the outcomes and drivers of prosperity. Other
peer cities have demonstrated ways in which Calgary could improve or sustain its competitiveness. The following table
provides a summary of recommendations.
Theme
Economic
Strength
Human Capital
Innovation &
Entrepreneurship
Cost of Doing
Business
Livability
Performance
Superior
Superior
Recommendations
Calgary’s economic strength provides an advantage to the city and the opportunity to place
more emphasis on science, technology and innovation. As seen in Houston, a sustained
economic growth over the long term must be supported by diversification in the economic base.
Calgary should continue to lead efforts to expand its economy into other industries.
Calgary’s growing population is not only culturally diverse but also well educated. This should be
communicated internationally to attract foreign direct investment.
Good
Calgary is stronger in innovation and entrepreneurship than many of its peers. However, its
research and development investment per capita remains significantly lower than that of the top
performer. Given its economic strength and strong human capital, Calgary should aim to be a
world leader in research and development in selected industries. Calgary will benefit from
additional promotion and incentives to encourage this type of investment in the city.
Average
Calgary’s relative high cost of doing business represents a barrier to competitiveness. Recent tax
increases present an additional burden to its competitiveness. Government strategies should
further focus on creating venues with affordable office rents and on providing tax incentives to
businesses in innovative areas that support economic diversification.
Average
Calgary is making notable progress to improve global access, increase health care capacity and
reduce crime. In contrast, housing affordability remains poor and further effective strategies to
provide affordable housing are required in the city. Moreover, Calgary has the opportunity to
leverage its strong focus on sustainability to further incentivize LEED building certification.
Chicago provides a good example of how effective public policies can drastically increase the
number of LEED certified buildings which support the city’s sustainability goals.
48
Appendices
Appendix 1: Economic Strength References
Metric
GDP per capita (PPP)
GDP growth
City
Source
Source Link
Aberdeen
Aberdeen City
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/tourism_visitor_attractions/tourists_visitors/statistics/stt_home.asp
All cities
Brookings –Global Metro Monitor 2014
http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports2/2015/01/22-global-metro-monitor
Aberdeen
Aberdeen City
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/tourism_visitor_attractions/tourists_visitors/statistics/stt_home.asp
All cities
Brookings –Global Metro Monitor 2014
http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports2/2015/01/22-global-metro-monitor
50
Appendix 2: Human Capital References (1/2)
Metric
Total CMA population
Population growth rate
Unemployment rate
City
Source Link
Source
Calgary
Calgary Economic Development, Population
http://www.calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com/research/demographicspopulation/population
Aberdeen
Aberdeen City, 2014 Population
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/tourism_visitor_attractions/tourists_visitors/statistics/2014_Pop_Est_Aberdeen_City.asp
All Other Cities
Brookings, Global Metro Monitor 2014
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Research/Files/Reports/2015/01/22-global-metromonitor/bmpp_GMM_final.pdf?la=en
Calgary, Vancouver
Statistics Canada
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/150211/dq150211a-eng.htm
Singapore
Singapore National Population and Talent Division,
http://www.nptd.gov.sg/portals/0/homepage/highlights/population-in-brief-2014.pdf
2014 Population in brief
Houston, Chicago,
Atlanta
CityMayors Statistics, Fastest growing US cities
http://www.citymayors.com/gratis/uscities_growth.html
Aberdeen
Aberdeen City, 2013/14 Economic Output
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.asp?lID=51860&sID=3365
Brisbane
Business Insider Australia
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/a-lack-of-population-growth-jobs-and-investment-points-toward-the-decline-ofregional-australia-2015-4
Rio de Janeiro
Forbes / Washington, World’s fastest growing
Megacities
http://www.forbes.com/sites/joelkotkin/2013/04/08/the-worlds-fastest-growing-megacities/
Rotterdam
Statistics Netherlands, Population growth rate
http://www.cbs.nl/en-GB/menu/themas/bevolking/publicaties/artikelen/archief/2011/2011-3419-wm.htm
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Census Estimate
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/05/21/Census-estimates-for-Pittsburgh/stories/201505210043
Aberdeen
Aberdeen City, 1013/14 Economic Output
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.asp?lID=51860&sID=3365
Singapore
Singapore Government Statistics
http://stats.mom.gov.sg/Pages/Unemployment-Summary-Table.aspx
Brisbane
Australian Government, Department of
Employment, Queensland Unemployment
http://lmip.gov.au/default.aspx?LMIP/LFR_SAFOUR/QLD_LFR_LM_byLFR_UnemploymentRate
Houston, Pittsburgh,
Chicago, Atlanta
United States Department of Labor, Unemployment
http://www.bls.gov/web/metro/laummtrk.htm
Rates for Metropolitan Areas
Calgary, Vancouver
Government of Canada, Employment and Social
Development
http://srv129.services.gc.ca/ei_regions/eng/rates.aspx?id=2015%20-%20data
Rio de Janeiro
Valor Econumico
http://www.valor.com.br/brasil/4146724/taxa-de-desemprego-e-maior-para-junho-desde-2010
Rotterdam
I AM EXPAT, Where is Dutch unemployment the
highest
http://www.iamexpat.nl/read-and-discuss/expat-page/news/where-dutch-unemployment-highest
51
Appendix 2: Human Capital References (2/2)
Metric
Labour participation rate
Percentage of immigrant
population
Highest education
achieved (Percentage of
population)
City
Source Link
Source
Brisbane
Australian Government, Department of
Employment, Participation Rate
http://lmip.gov.au/default.aspx?LMIP/LFR_SAFOUR/QLD_LFR_LM_byLFR_ParticipationRate
Calgary
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada,
Employment and Unemployment
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/lfss04k-eng.htm
Singapore
The World Bank, Labor force participation rate
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.CACT.ZS
Houston, Atlanta,
Pittsburgh, Chicago
United States Department of Labor, Labor force
participation rates
http://www.bls.gov/opub/gp/pdf/gp11_27.pdf
Vancouver
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada,
Employment and Unemployment
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/lfss04l-eng.htm
Singapore
United Nations, Department of Economic and
Social Affairs, Population Division
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/data/estimates2/estimatestotal.shtml
Calgary, Vancouver
Statistics Canada
http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/as-sa/99-010-x/2011001/tbl/tbl1-eng.cfm
Brisbane
.id, Immigration in the last 5 years
http://blog.id.com.au/2012/population/australian-demographic-trends/immigration-in-queensland/
Houston
Migration Policy Institute, A Profile of Immigrants in
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/HoustonProfile.pdf
Houston
Chicago, Atlanta
Atlanta Regional Commission, Regional Snapshot,
March 2013
Aberdeen
Work Permit .com, Scotland's immigrant population
http://www.workpermit.com/news/2013-12-16/scotlands-immigrant-population-doubles-in-a-decade
doubles in a decade
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh looking to
increase immigrant population
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2012/08/26/Pittsburgh-looking-to-increase-immigrantpopulation/stories/201208260189
Calgary, Vancouver
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada,
Education in Canada
http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/as-sa/99-012-x/2011001/c-g/desc/longdesc04-eng.cfm
Atlanta
Atlanta Regional Commission, Regional Snapshot,
Nov/Dec 2012
http://www.atlantaregional.com/File%20Library/Info%20Center/Newsletters/Regional%20Snapshots/Education%20and
%20Schools/RS_NovDec_2012.pdf
Chicago
United States Census Bureau, Quick Facts
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/1714000.html
Houston
Greater Houston Partnership, Education Attainment http://www.houston.org/newgen/12_Education/12A%20W001%20Educational%20Attainment.pdf
Singapore
Department of Statistics Singapore, Census of
Population
http://www.singstat.gov.sg/publications/publications-and-papers/cop2010/census10_stat_release1
Brisbane
Visit Brisbane, Brisbane's Demographics
http://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/information/articles/destinations/brisbane-demographics?sc_lang=en-au
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Today, Education Attainment
http://www.pittsburghtoday.org/view_EdAttainment3.html
http://documents.atlantaregional.com/arcBoard/march2013/dr_regional_snapshot_3_2013_foreignborn.pdf
52
Appendix 3: Innovation and Entrepreneurship References
Metric
Industrial land price
City
Brisbane
m3property Strategists, Brisbane Industrial Land
Market 2009-2013
http://www.m3property.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Property-Update-Industrial-Land-May-2014.pdf
Rotterdam
Industrial NL, Industrial and Logistics real estate,
Dutch Market Report 2015
http://industrial.nl/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/REPORT_IndustrialLogistics-real-estate_DutchMarket-2015.pdf
Calgary, Vancouver
CBRE
Data provided by Jeffrey Hurren from CBRE
Singapore
Colliers International, Outlook for Singapore's
Industrial Property Market, Jan 2015
http://www.colliers.com/en-gb/singapore/about/media/2015-01-07-sgp-4q14ind
Pittsburgh, Chicago,
Atlanta, Houston
LoopNet, Market Trends
http://www.loopnet.com/Pittsburgh_Pennsylvania_MarketTrends/?Trends=AskingPricesFS,SalePricesFS,TotalAvailableForSaleFS,NumberOfListingsFS,ProfileViewsFS,TotalNumOfU
nitsFS,TotalSFAvailableFS,DaysOnMarketFS,AskingRentsFL,NumberOfListingsFL,ProfileViewsFL,TotalSFAvailableFL,DaysO
nMarketFL&PropertyTyp
Singapore
R&D spending
Number of businesses
per 100 people
Source Link
Source
Chicago, Pittsburgh,
Houston, Atlanta
Agency for Science, Technology and Research
Singapore, National Survey of R&D in Singapore
2013
National Science Foundation, Domestic R&D
expenditure by source of funds and state
http://www.a-star.edu.sg/Portals/0/media/RnD_Survey/RnD_2013.pdf
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2015/nsf15307/pdf/tab12.pdf
Calgary, Vancouver
Statistics Canada, Domestic spending on research
and development (GERD)
Brisbane
Australian Government Department of Industry and http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDoQFjAEahUKEwi2
Science, Focusing Australia's Publicly Funded
scm7y-vHAhWRM4gKHeiiBhA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.industry.gov.au%2Fresearch%2FDocuments%2FAppendixBResearch Review
StatesAndTerritories-ResearchStrategiesAndPriorities.rtf&usg=AFQjCNFx8GNIAM3fiSSNUODkSbFEf9Whjg&sig2=Uey2
Houston
United States Census Bureau, 2013 MSA Business
Patterns
http://censtats.census.gov/cgi-bin/msanaic/msasect.pl
Rotterdam
Statistics Netherlands, Local units by municipalities
http://statline.cbs.nl/Statweb/publication/?DM=SLEN&PA=80234eng&D1=0&D2=a&D3=427,437&D4=a&LA=EN&VW
=C
Aberdeen
Scottish Government National Statistics, Businesses
http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0043/00437279.pdf
in Scotland 2013
Calgary, Vancouver
Statistics Canada
Data extract provided to Calgary Economic Development by Statistics Canada
Atlanta
Info USA, Business Counts
http://www.infousa.com/telesales_pdfs/businessesxMajorCities.pdf
Singapore
Department of Statistics Singapore, Profile Of
Enterprises In Singapore
https://www.singstat.gov.sg/docs/default-source/default-document-library/statistics/visualising_data/profile-ofenterprises-2014.pdf
Chicago
City of Chicago, Existing Businesses
http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/ofinterest/bus/exst_bus.html
Pittsburgh
United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts
http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045214/4261000,00
Brisbane
CCIQ, Brisbane Local Government Area Business
Analysis
https://www.cciq.com.au/assets/Documents/Advocacy/submissions/business-counts-analysis-.pdf
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/scte01k-eng.htm
53
Appendix 4: Cost of Doing Business References (1/3)
Metric
Median single worker
income
Commercial real estate
rent per ft2
Industrial land price
City
Source Link
Source
ftp://ftp.ibge.gov.br/Economia_Cadastro_de_Empresas/2012/cempre2012.pdf
Rio de Janeiro
IBGE, Statistics Central Register of Enterprises 2012
Rio de Janeiro
Rio negocios, Doing Business in Rio, Second Edition
http://rio-negocios.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Doing_Business_In_Rio_2014.pdf
2014
Rotterdam
NUMBEO, Cost of Living in Rotterdam, Netherlands http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=Netherlands&city=Rotterdam
Vancouver
BCStats, Labour and Income, Earnings and
Employment Trends
http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/LabourIncome.aspx
Singapore
Singapore Government, Ministry of Manpower,
Summary Table Income
http://stats.mom.gov.sg/Pages/Income-Summary-Table.aspx
Atlanta
Georgia Power Community and Economic
Development, Metro Atlanta Overview
http://selectgeorgia.com/publications/atlanta-overview.pdf
Calgary
Conference Board of Canada, Metropolitan Outlook
https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/1029969/5953-mobook1-winter2014-for-posting-approval.pdf
2014
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, Pittsburgh Region by
the Numbers 2014-2015
Houston
Payscale, Average Salary for City of Houston, Texas
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Employer=City_of_Houston,_Texas/Salary
Employees
Brisbane
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Average Weekly
Earnings, Australia, Nov 2014
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/6302.0
Chicago
United States Department of Labor, Bureau of
Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and
Wages in Chicago May 2014
http://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/news-release/occupationalemploymentandwages_chicago.htm
Aberdeen
Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen Key Facts 2014
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.asp?lID=55074&sID=332
All cities
Cushman & Wakefield, Office Space across the
world
http://www.cushmanwakefield.com/~/media/reports/singapore/OSATW%202014%20Publication.pdf
Brisbane
m3property Strategists, Brisbane Industrial Land
Market 2009-2013
http://www.m3property.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Property-Update-Industrial-Land-May-2014.pdf
Rotterdam
Industrial NL, Industrial and Logistics real estate,
Dutch Market Report 2015
http://industrial.nl/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/REPORT_IndustrialLogistics-real-estate_DutchMarket-2015.pdf
Calgary, Vancouver
CBRE
Data provided by Jeffrey Hurren from CBRE
Singapore
Colliers International, Outlook for Singapore's
Industrial Property Market, Jan 2015
http://www.colliers.com/en-gb/singapore/about/media/2015-01-07-sgp-4q14ind
Pittsburgh, Chicago,
Atlanta, Houston
LoopNet, Market Trends
http://www.loopnet.com/Pittsburgh_Pennsylvania_MarketTrends/?Trends=AskingPricesFS,SalePricesFS,TotalAvailableForSaleFS,NumberOfListingsFS,ProfileViewsFS,TotalNumOfU
nitsFS,TotalSFAvailableFS,DaysOnMarketFS,AskingRentsFL,NumberOfListingsFL,ProfileViewsFL,TotalSFAvailableFL,DaysO
nMarketFL&PropertyTyp
http://static1.squarespace.com/static/55242848e4b0ba68a542c5b5/t/55a57e3ee4b0a711b096a2d6/1436909118432/Pitt
sburgh+Region+By+The+Numbers+2014_15.pdf
54
Appendix 4: Cost of Doing Business References (2/3)
Metric
Commercial property tax
Corporate tax rate
City
Source Link
Source
Calgary, Vancouver
BNN, How does your property tax compare with
the rest of Canada?
Houston
Diane Moser Properties, Houston City Government https://www.houstontx.gov/controller/cafr/TRENDS_2015.pdf
Houston
Office of the City Controller Houston Texas, Trends
http://www.texasbest.com/houston/govern.html
for Fiscal Year 2015
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Property Tax Worksheet
http://pittsburghpa.gov/property-tax-worksheet/
Atlanta
City of Atlanta, The Tax Bill, An Illustrative Guide
http://www.atlantaga.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=18844
Vancouver
City of Vancouver, Business and other property tax
http://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/business-and-other.aspx
rates
Aberdeen
Aberdeen, Property Taxes
http://www.aberdeen-md.org/finance/pages/property-taxes
Chicago
City of Chicago, Finance, Tax List
http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/fin/supp_info/revenue/tax_list.html
Singapore
Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, Property
Tax Rates
https://www.iras.gov.sg/IRASHome/Property/Property-owners/Working-out-your-taxes/Property-Tax-Rates-andSample-Calculations/
Singapore
Deloitte. International Tax, Singapore Highlights
2015
http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/Tax/dttl-tax-singaporehighlights-2015.pdf
Singapore
Singapore Company Registration Services,
Singapore Corporate Tax Guide 2015
http://www.singaporecompanyincorporation.sg/how-to/taxation/singapore-corporate-tax-guide/
Aberdeen, Rotterdam,
Rio de Janeiro,
Houston, Pittsburgh
Deloitte. International Tax, Corporate Tax Rates
2015
http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/Tax/dttl-tax-corporate-tax-rates-2015.pdf
Vancouver,
KPMG, Federal and Provincial/Territorial Tax Rates
for Income Earned by a General Corporation
Effective January 1, 2014 and 20151
http://www.kpmg.com/Ca/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/TaxRates/Federal-and-ProvincialTerritorial-TaxRates-for-Income-Earned-Gen-Corp-2014-Dec-31.pdf
Calgary
Tax and Revenue Administration
http://www.finance.alberta.ca/publications/tax_rebates/rates/hist1.html
Brisbane
PWC Australia, TaxTalk
http://www.pwc.com.au/tax/taxtalk/tax-rates/index.htm
Houston
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas
Franchise Tax Rates
http://comptroller.texas.gov/taxinfo/franchise/rates.html
Atlanta
Georgia Power Community and Economic
Development, Metro Atlanta Overview
http://selectgeorgia.com/publications/atlanta-overview.pdf
Chicago
Pittsburgh
Entrepreneur, States With the Lowest Corporate
Income Tax Rates
Tax Foundation, The facts on Pennsylvania’s Tax
Climate
http://www.bnn.ca/News/2014/9/26/How-does-your-property-tax-compare-with-the-rest-of-Canada-.aspx
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/233574
http://taxfoundation.org/state-tax-climate/pennsylvania
55
Appendix 4: Cost of Doing Business References (3/3)
Metric
City
Singapore
Hawksford, Singapore Personal Income Tax Guide
http://www.guidemesingapore.com/taxation/personal-tax/singapore-personal-tax-guide
Houston, Pittsburgh,
Chicago
Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, Individual
https://www.iras.gov.sg/irashome/Quick-Links/Calculators/
Income Tax
Brazil's federal revenue, IRPF 2015, Effective tax rate
http://www.receita.fazenda.gov.br/aplicacoes/atrjo/simulador/simulador.asp?tipoSimulador=A
simulation
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas
http://comptroller.texas.gov/taxinfo/taxrates.html
Franchise Tax Rates
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2014/10/30/irs-announces-2015-tax-brackets-standard-deductionForbes, IRS Announces 2015 Tax Brackets
amounts-and-more/
Aberdeen
Citizens Advice Scotland, Income Tax Rates
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/tax/income-tax-how-much-should-you-pay/income-tax-rates/
Aberdeen
The Scottish Parliament, Scottish Rate of Income
Tax Calculator
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/74826.aspx
Vancouver, Calgary
Canada Revenue Agency
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/fq/txrts-eng.html
Singapore
Rio de Janeiro
Income tax
Source Link
Source
Houston
56
Appendix 5: Livability References (1/2)
Metric
Housing affordability
Certified LEED buildings
per city
City
All Cities
11th Annual Demographia International Housing
Affordability Survey: 2015
http://www.demographia.com/dhi.pdf
All Cities
US Green Building Council Directory, Projects
http://www.usgbc.org/projects
Texas Hospital Association
https://www.tha.org/HealthCareProviders/Advocacy/Hospital%20Facts.pdf
Houston
Pittsburgh
Number of hospital beds
per 100k people
Crime rate per 100k
people
Source Link
Source
American Hospital Directory
https://www.ahd.com/states/hospital_PA.html
Brisbane
Australian Institute for Health and Welfare
http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=10737419061
Rotterdam
CIA factbook
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2227.html
Singapore
Ministry of Health Singapore
https://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/statistics/healthcare_institutionstatistics.html
Vancouver
Canadian Institute for Health Information
https://www.cihi.ca/en/quick-stats
Chicago
American Hospital Directory
https://www.ahd.com/states/hospital_IL.html
Atlanta
American Hospital Directory
https://www.ahd.com/states/hospital_GA.html
Calgary
Alberta Health Services and other sources
http://www.calgaryhealthregion.ca/ACH/programs_services/programs_services.html
http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/3496.asp
http://www.canadianhealthcarenetwork.ca/microsites/healthcareinfrastructure/presentations/9_Sustainable_and_eviden
ce_based_design.pdf
http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/2912.asp
http://web.archive.org/web/20070124192110/http://www.aaa.ab.ca/pages/public/csaa/csaa-92.htm
http://www.spaziomondo.com/project_Peter_Lougheed_Centre.cfm
Aberdeen
Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen Key Facts 2015
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.asp?lID=64566&sID=332
Singapore
Singapore Police Force, Annual Crime Brief 2014
http://www.police.gov.sg/img/stats/crimebrief2014.pdf?_ga=1.83498514.501755265.1439269384
Brisbane
Queensland Police Service, Annual Statistical Review
https://www.police.qld.gov.au/corporatedocs/reportsPublications/statisticalReview/Documents/StatReview2011-12.pdf
2011-2012
Calgary
Calgary Police Service, Calgary Police statistical
reports
http://www.calgary.ca/cps/Pages/Statistics/Calgary-Police-statistical-reports.aspx
Pittsburgh, Chicago,
Houston, Atlanta
FBI Records
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2012/preliminary-annual-uniform-crime-report-januarydecember-2012/tables/table-4/view
Vancouver
Vancouver Police Department ‐ Neighbourhood
Statistics 2013
http://vancouver.ca/police/Planning/StatsCrimeRate/2009-2014R.pdf
57
Appendix 5: Livability References (2/2)
Metric
International departure
flights
City
Source Link
Source
Calgary
YYC Calgary Airport Authority, Traveller Info,
Departures
http://www.yyc.com/en-us/travellerinfo/flightinformation/departures.aspx
Houston
George Bush Intercontinental Airport
http://www.airport-houston.com/
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh International Airport
http://www.pitairport.com/Data/Sites/1/media/pdf/stats/december-2014-short-e-mail-report.pdf
Brisbane
Brisbane Airport Corporation
http://www.bne.com.au/sites/all/files/content/files/August%202015-1.pdf
Rio de Janeiro
International Airport Galeao
http://www.aeroportogaleao.net/en/rio-de-janeiro-galeao-flight-timetable-schedules
Vancouver
Vancouver Airport Authority
http://www.yvr.ca/Libraries/Aviation_Marketing/June_2015_Traffic_Update.sflb.ashx
Singapore
Changi Airport
http://www.changiairportgroup.com/cag/html/the-group/air_traffic_statistics.html
Chicago
Chicago Department of Aviation
http://www.flychicago.com/OHare/EN/AboutUs/Facts/Air-Traffic-Data.aspx
Atlanta
Atlanta International Airport
http://www.atlanta-airport.com/Airport/ATL/operation_statistics.aspx
Aberdeen
Aberdeen Airport
http://www.aberdeenairport.com/flight-information/flight-timetables/
Rotterdam
Rotterdam The Hague Airport
http://www.rotterdamthehagueairport.nl/en/travelers/flights-2/departure-times/
58