In sport, the best, or most important player in a team is distinguished as the so-called "most valuable player", This distinction is particularly well known in the US and Canada and is abbreviated as "MVP".
If we attempt to transfer this means of evaluation to cities, we come up with a large number of rankings, with which we can assess cities with view to their supposed qualities. One of the best known city rankings compiled by the US consulting agency Mercer lists the so-called "most liveable cities" in the world. In 2009 for example these were Vienna, Zurich, Geneva, Vancouver and Auckland.
MVC will explore the meaning of the term "value" and to what extent it can be applied to cities. The goal is to discover the criteria used to compile existing ranking lists, which qualities they assess and who the users of these lists are. Following this, the aim is to determine additional criteria for assessing quality and to formulate and implement these. The results will be drawn up in the form of maps, information graphics and short texts to be incorporated into the summer issue of MONU - magazine on urbanism, published in Rotterdam. MONU#13 will explore the theme "Most Valuable Urbanism".
