A new Ericsson ConsumerLab report looks at what makes a city a desirable place to live. Among the findings is that people in megacities give mobile network coverage the fourth-highest satisfaction rating, alongside water distribution and the availability of social spaces, ranging from cafés to entertainment facilities. On the other hand, poor air quality and lack of parking lead to dissatisfaction.

1. consumerlab
CITy
life
An Ericsson Consumer Insight Summary Report
May 2012

2. Nowadays, more and more people are opting
to live in cities. There are many reasons for this,
often stemming from the desire to seek out more
varied opportunities for work, social time and
personal development.
A lot of research exists on why people choose to
move to the city, but far less is known about how
people feel once they live there. This report is
designed to provide some insight into what makes
a city a desirable place to live, how contented
people are when living there, and what factors
are primarily responsible for causing stress
and unhappiness.
The purpose of this is to provide Ericsson and
other players in Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) with the insight necessary to
develop solutions which will improve life in
cities globally.
Ericsson consumerlab
the voice of the consumer
2 ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB CITY LIFE
contents
THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY 3
THE PATH TO SATISFACTION 4
A QUESTION OF WHO YOU ARE 5
CLEAN & GREEN IS IMPORTANT 6
THE COMMUTE CAUSES STRESS 7
TRAFFIC CREATES TRAFFIC 8
WE LOVE SOCIAL NETWORKS 9
CREATIVE COLLECTIVE HUBS 10
Ericsson ConsumerLab is a knowledge-based organization
that collects and supplies consumer insights to influence and
improve strategy, marketing and product management within
the Ericsson Group. Ericsson ConsumerLab has more than
15 years’ experience in consumer values and behavioral
research, including the way consumers think and act about
ICT products and services. This insight helps operators to
develop attractive revenue-boosting services.
Knowledge is gathered through a global research program
which interviews 100,000 individuals in more than 40 countries
and 10 megacities annually – statistically representing the
views of 1.1 billion people. This is based on both quantitative
and qualitative research, and hundreds of hours of in-depth
interviews and focus groups with consumers from different
cultures. This research includes general market and consumer
trends, as well as in-depth insights into specific areas.
To be close to the market and consumers, Ericsson
ConsumerLab has team members working in almost all of
Ericsson’s market regions. Being part of the Ericsson Group
gives the organization a more thorough understanding of the
ICT market and business models. This broad knowledge is
what forms the basis of Ericsson’s credibility and integrity.
Ericsson ConsumerLab is able to share the big picture, with
an understanding of where the individual fits in and what this
means for future trends and services.
www.ericsson.com/consumerlab

3. THE LAND OF
OPPORTUNITY
It may sound weird but it builds character.
It may be annoying sometimes, but I think you
need that. You need to be surrounded by people.”
Male, 25, Los Angeles
Ericsson ConsumerLab has interviewed people living in 13 major cities around the
world. Our unique methods have enabled us to create a more accurate picture of
people’s satisfaction with their lives in the city on a global scale.
City dwellers in general believe that living in a city provides them with opportunities
that they would not have elsewhere, particularly when it comes to careers,
self-fulfillment, entertainment and social interaction.
48%
TRAVEL
ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB CITY LIFE 3
“
of people feel
satisfied with
their lives in
the city
is the biggest
cause of tension
for city dwellers
THE Key findings
> OVERCOM ING CHALLEN GES
40 percent of people living in cities
own a smartphone. They rely on
their devices to take advantage
of the opportunities available to
them and to ease the challenges
of everyday life.
> EXTREMEL Y SOC IAL
People living in big city centers
spend much more time socializing
around town than people who
live elsewhere. They also have
many more online friends than the
suburbanites. City dwellers access
online social networks as much as
3-5 times a day on average.
> STUC K IN TRA FFIC
Commuting is the biggest source
of stress and frustration.
> FEEL ING TRA PPED
City dwellers are prone to feeling
claustrophobic, especially when
they do not have enough time to
relax and enjoy themselves.
> CLEAN + GREEN = HAPPY
Access to clean, green public
spaces is an important driver
of happiness for city dwellers.
It is the key differentiator when
comparing satisfaction levels
between cities.
> LE VELS OF SATISFACTION
48 percent of people from
13 big cities around the world
feel satisfied with their lives in
the city. In Stockholm and
Mumbai, approximately 70
percent claim to be satisfied.

4. THE PATH TO
SATISFACTION
Our study compares results from 13 large cities around the
world. 48 percent of city dwellers claim to be satisfied with their
lives in the city, compared to 25 percent who claim not to be.
Those who show the highest satisfaction levels are people
living in Stockholm, Mumbai, Johannesburg, New York, Tokyo,
London and Los Angeles. Those who show the lowest overall
satisfaction are found in Hong Kong and Seoul.
We see that people who live in cities are most satisfied with
the abundance of restaurants, cafés, pubs, shopping malls,
supermarkets and entertainment facilities. Other factors rated
highly include the mobile network and water distribution. The
areas people are least satisfied with are traffic and parking, air
quality, overall cleanliness and the manner of communication
used by authorities.
Today, around 50 percent of city dwellers use their mobile
phones every day to connect to the internet, and around
40 percent own a smartphone. They depend on the mobile
network for both business and personal use. An efficient
network is important not just for smartphone usage, but
because it has the potential to make life easier for people.
Moving about in the city can be unpredictable, even hazardous.
By having access to online information and services, people
are not only better able to take advantage of what the city
has to offer; they are also better equipped to
deal with unexpected eventualities.
4 ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB CITY LIFE
Figure 1: Overall satisfaction
Figure 2: What city dwellers
are most/least satisfied with
of people living in
cities around the world
own a smartphone 40%
Stockholm
Mumbai
Johannesburg
New York
Tokyo
London
Los Angeles
Cairo
Moscow
SÃo Paulo
Beijing
Hong kong
Seoul
10%
68%
57%
56%
53%
53%
52%
48%
44%
41%
39%
28%
24%
73%
The possibility
of finding parking
The overall
public cleanliness
of the city
Road traffic
situation/street
system
The city authorities'
communication
Air quality
Water
distribution
Mobile
network
coverage
Availability of
entertainment
facilities
Availability of
restaurants,
cafés, pubs, etc.
Availability of
shopping malls,
food markets, etc.
TOP 5
BOTTOM 5

5. ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB CITY LIFE 5
A QUESTION
OF WHO
YOU ARE
Understandably, not
everyone feels the same
way about where they
live. Demographics play a
major role in determining
what aspects of city life
people are most/least
satisfied with.
Our results show that
in general, women are
slightly happier living in
cities than men. This is
especially true of Mumbai
and Tokyo. Additionally,
students and well-educated
white collar
workers tend to be the
happiest demographic
group in cities, whereas
unemployed people are
the least satisfied of all.
This indicates that those
who feel the most fulfilled
are likely to be the most
satisfied – a trend which
is particularly prevalent
in cities compared
to elsewhere.
Age can also play a role
in satisfaction levels,
depending on where you
are. According to this
study, young people are
happier than older people
in Cairo and Seoul, in
contrast to Mumbai,
Stockholm and Tokyo
where older people are
largely the most content.

6. CLEAN & GREEN
is important
Mumbai
Cairo
Beijing
Hong Kong
Figure 4: Title
Seoul
São Paulo
London
Johannesburg
Los Angeles
New York
Tokyo
Moscow
Stockholm
% share who often or rather often
have the particular feeling
6 ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB CITY LIFE
Taken as a whole, among the measured factors, the
one showing highest correlation to happiness with life
in the city is the perceived abundance of clean, green
parks and public spaces.
One of the main differences of opinion can be found in
the area of traffic congestion and parking. Here we can
observe a clear connection between dissatisfaction
and usage: those who regularly use transport systems
are the ones who are most dissatisfied with them.
Interestingly, when it comes to education and health
care, we can see a very different attitude. Compared
to other demographics, students are the most satisfied
with education. Similarly, elderly people appear to be
more satisfied with non-emergency health care than
most. However, when it comes to matters of safety,
parents tend to be the hardest to please.
We know that living in the city can be emotionally
challenging. Feeling trapped, monitored or stressed are
all common side-effects, largely due to overcrowding.
As a result, many feel that they would be better off
living elsewhere.
This kind of claustrophobia is most prevalent in
Mumbai, Cairo, Beijing, Hong Kong and Seoul.
Cities with the lowest levels of claustrophobia
include Stockholm, Moscow, Tokyo and New York.
Figure 3: Negative feelings
0 50 100 150 200 250
Feel monitored
Feel that you would be better off living
in another city or in the countryside
Feel trapped
Feel stressed due to a crowded city

7. 2 HOURS
20 MINUTES
Inner city travel is an inescapable
part of everyday life for many people
in cities, and one that often results
in being late for work and other
appointments – inevitably causing
high levels of stress and frustration.
City dwellers spend an average of
2 hours and 20 minutes each day
traveling the city. For people in
Moscow the average amount of time
spent traveling per day is 3 hours and
30 minutes, whereas for people in
Stockholm the average is just 2 hours.
In most big cities, the traffic and
parking situation is the one which
causes the most stress in daily life.
THE COMMUTE
CAUSES STRESS
ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB CITY LIFE 7
Isn’t there a system you can use to
predict when there are likely to be
delays due to weather which would
allow you to add additional buses?”
Letter from a 42-year-old female commuter to the
New Jersey transport authority
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
Many commuters worldwide believe that the only way
to improve the commuting experience is through access
to more flexible information on their mobile phones. In
some cities, authorities are already working to improve
the availability of real-time traffic data and public
information to mobile devices. The information can then
be incorporated into applications which help people to
navigate the cities during busy periods.
This system is already being implemented
in Boston, New York, London and Stockholm.
For further information on open data and its
potential to make life easier for city dwellers,
visit www.opendatastories.org.
Figure 4: Comparative means of transport
Travel/commute by car – as the driver Travel/commute by car – as a passenger Travel/commute on public transportation
0.0
City average Moscow São Paulo Mumbai Hong Kong Cairo Johannesburg Seoul London Beijing Los Angeles New York Stockholm
Average number of hours per day
Ride a motorcycle/motorbike or a moped/scooter Ride a bicycle or walk
traveling the city each day
“

8. TRAFFIC CREATES TRAFFIC
Smartphones are most heavily used during rush hour.
In general, public transport is seen to be less stressful
than driving, particularly in Tokyo and Seoul. However,
as the number of people living in cities grows, more
and more people will be using roads and public
transport, making the system even more crowded
than before. Our research demonstrates that this is
an area in which ICT could be used to make life easier
for commuters, by providing real-time traffic and
transport schedule updates.
EMAIL
NEWS LEISURE
MUSIC
People are more relaxed when they know how long
their commute will take, as this enables them to utilize
their time more efficiently. Smartphones can be an
invaluable tool on the daily commute, allowing people
Activity per location/main activity
When driving a car As a passenger in a car When traveling by public transport
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
8 ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB CITY LIFE
Organize
family
activities
using a
mobile
device
Watch
video
clips
(news, TV,
movies)
Work
activities
(other than
calls)
Check
work
emails
Use online
social
networks
Play
games
on mobile
Browse Sleep
the
internet
Check
personal
emails
Read a
newspaper
/book
/magazine
Make
work
calls
Send
SMS
Make
personal
phone calls
Listen
to music
to send and receive emails, organize leisure time,
and keep up to date with the news. For those who
drive, they generally use their mobile devices to listen
to music. All of this helps people to feel that their time
has not been wasted.
Knowing the ways in which people choose to commute
helps us to determine what services they would find
the most beneficial.
For example, people who commute by bike would
benefit from knowing where they can use cycle lanes.
Those who use public transport would benefit from
real-time updated timetables and travel planners.
Or, for those who drive, a GPS travel planner
with access to real-time traffic data would save
considerable time and stress.
In Los Angeles most people tend to commute by car,
whereas in Hong Kong most travel by public transport.
In Moscow, many people choose to travel on foot
or by bike.
Figure 5: Common activities while traveling
UTILIZE
TRAVEL TIME

9. WE LOVE SOCIAL NETWORKS
Figure 6: How where you live affects social interaction
City center
In a city
(not center)
In a small city or suburban
area part of large city
In a small city or suburban
area not part of large city
Average number of hours a week
0 50 100 150 200 250
Average minutes per day spent on activity on a weekday
ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB CITY LIFE 9
Moscow
São Paulo
Cairo
Johannesburg
Hong Kong
London
New York
Los Angeles
Mumbai
Stockholm
Beijing
Seoul
Socializing with friends and family/relatives in your or their home
Socializing with friends and family/relatives somewhere else
Online socializing with friends and family/relatives
It’s a fact: those who live
in big city centers spend
much more time socializing
with friends around town
than those who live in
rural or suburban areas.
Big cities are hotbeds for
creativity, bringing together
people from all walks of
life. The sheer number of
social opportunities is part
of what makes life in a big
city so alluring.
However, people living in
city centers also spend
less time with their
spouses and partners.
This could be linked to the
fact that people tend to
move out of city centers
when they have children:
people with children
probably spend more time
with their families, and
therefore their spouses.
The average city dweller
spends 2 hours and
30 minutes socializing
on an average weekday,
45 minutes of which are
spent socializing online.
The cities where people
spend the most time
socializing are São Paulo,
Moscow and Cairo.
Comparatively, people
in Seoul spend less time
socializing and more
time at work. Those we
interviewed in Cairo spent
the largest amount of
time socializing online,
with the average time
totaling approximately
1 hour and 10 minutes per
day. However, it should
be noted that those
interviewed in Cairo were
generally more familiar
with technology than the
average Egyptian person.
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Rural area
Socializing with friends around town
Spending time with spouse
Figure 7: Time spent socializing in different ways
2 HOURS
30 MINUTES
of socializing
45
MINUTES
of socializing online
SOCIAL
OPPORTUNITIES

10. CREATIVE
COLLECTIVE HUBS
Cities are hubs for socially
networked creativity.
Online social networking sites are
regularly used by people in cities,
with the average person using 2 social
networks. However, many in Beijing,
Mumbai, Moscow, São Paulo and Cairo
claim to be active on 3 or more. These
social networks are usually accessed
3-5 times a day, with young people
accessing them more often at roughly
6 times a day.
Where you live can affect the number of
friends you have on your social network.
Our study shows that people living in city
centers have more online friends than
those in suburban areas, and that people
living in São Paulo, Johannesburg and
Cairo have the most online friends.
Staying up-to-date with friends and
family – and keeping them up-to-date
– are still the most common activities.
However, the world of online social
networking is growing. The third most
common activity is to connect and
exchange ideas with others, in effect
turning cities into hubs for socially
networked creativity.
10 ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB CITY LIFE
Los Angeles
New York
This is particularly pronounced in Tokyo,
where we carried out a deep dive on
the socio-cultural effects of the Tōhoku
earthquake in March 2011. The results
pointed to a significantly increased need
for crowd-sourced information solutions.
Around 30 percent also use social
networks as a primary source of
information about what is going on in
their city or around the world. This is
most prominent in Beijing and Cairo.
São
Paulo
Figure 8: Number of friends on online social networks
Average all cities
Average all cities – center
Average all cities – suburb
São Paulo
Johannesburg
Cairo
Los Angeles
New York
Stockholm
London
Hong kong
Mumbai
Moscow
Beijing
Seoul
Tokyo
247
260
234
565
307
285
284
275
243
227
196
185
172
154
93
73
Facebook strengthens
the relationship with
family, friends, people
I went to high school
with. It connects me
with a huge community.”
Female, 36, New York
“

11. ERICSSON CONSUMERLAB CITY LIFE 11
Stockh olm
LON DON
Moscow
Mumbai
Johannesburg
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
São Cairo Tokyo
Paulo
Mum- Beijing
bai
Mos- Seoul
cow
Hong
Kong
Cairo
Johan-nesburg
New London
York
Los
Angeles
Stock-holm
City
average
Other reasons
To inform myself on what is
going on in the city
For business networking;
whether for opportunities for my
business or my career
To update myself on what is
happening around the world
To connect with and exchange ideas
with other users who share similar
interests and hobbies
To keep my friends, family and other
contacts up-to-date on my life
To stay up-to-date with what my friends,
family and other contacts are doing
Figure 10: Prime driver for using social networks
Beiji ng
Toky o
Seoul
Hong Kong
Figure 9: Cities used in this survey
About thi s report
The data for this report was taken from the following sources:
Ericsson ConsumerLab City Study 2011
A 30-minute online survey with 1,500 participants per city, carried out in
Cairo, Johannesburg, Mumbai, Stockholm, Beijing, Moscow, São Paulo,
Tokyo, Seoul, London, Los Angeles, New York and Hong Kong.
Note: in less advanced markets (Cairo, Mumbai, Moscow, São Paulo
and Beijing) the interviewees selected were on average more affluent
and technologically advanced than the population as a whole.
Ericsson ConsumerLab Mobilize Everyday Activities 2011
A 25-minute online survey with 400 participants per city, carried out in
Paris, London, Shanghai and New York. A qualitative deep dive carried
out via focus groups in New York.
Ericsson ConsumerLab Vertical Study 2011
A qualitative study with an ethnographical approach, carried
out in Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, Delhi and Mumbai.

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© Ericsson AB 2012
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