Cities with good environment, soft power well liked

A survey reported in China Youth Daily showed that 60.4 percent of the respondents consider cities featuring environmental protection and cultural soft power development most attractive.

Some 58 percent of the 2,014 respondents prefer cities which encourage citizens to make innovations and start businesses and support small- and medium-sized companies.

Another 51 percent of those surveyed are attracted by "smart cities," which are driven by information technology, and around half of the respondents said they like open and inclusive cities.

Around 53 percent attributed cities' development to favorable locations, and 49.7 percent regard innovation the main driver of a city's development.

Hu Xiaowu, vice dean of the Institute of Urban Sciences, Nanjing University, said a well-developed city should have innovative and far-sighted policies, effective implementation and high-quality public service facilities, according to the report.

Meanwhile, 83.6 percent of those surveyed said their hometowns are becoming more and more appealing.

Professor of Renmin University of China Yao Yongling suggested that cities should find development paths suitable to their own conditions, the report said.