The mayors of five Canadian cities tell Michal Kaczmarski about their cities' development and infrastructure plans that they are promoting at the 2012 MIPIM global real estate conference in Cannes.

As the BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – realise the decade-old prediction that they would become economic superpowers, attention now turns to the global economies that will follow them.

With capital expenditure increasing by nearly 50% in 2011, the UK has retained its position as the leading European destination for FDI.

In a more competitive climate than ever, with total foreign direct investment in Europe falling by more than 7% in 2011, London has maintained its title as fDi Magazine’s European City of the Future 2012/13. The Greater Stockholm region has overtaken the South East UK to become the European Region of the Future. 

Singapore has retained its position at the top of fDi 's Asia-Pacific Cities of the Future ranking, ahead of Shanghai and Seoul. Chinese cities performed particularly well, but the effects of recession and natural disaster have seen Tokyo fall from second place to ninth. Rachel Craig reports.

South Africa has been knocked off the top spot this year with Morocco awarded the African Country of the Future 2011/12. Jacqueline Walls reports on the leading performers across the African Continent.