As of 2007, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities. To assess the societal impact of this growing tendency towards urbanisation, Veolia Environnement and the Ipsos Institute have completed a major survey on urban lifestyles.

From 2 September to 30 November 2007 over 8,500 individuals in fourteen major cities were questioned on their relationship to their city, their hopes and fears, and their aspirations for its development in the future.

In addition to London and Tokyo, the selected cities span five continents and include Alexandria, Beijing, Berlin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Lyon, Mexico City, New York, Paris, Prague, Shanghai, and Sydney.

The findings of the survey are available online at the Veolia Observatory of Urban Lifestyles.