Six of the 10 UK cities with the fastest-rising online presence belong to the Key Cities network, according to new analysis from consultancy ING.
The annual UK's Most Talked About Cities ranking, which tracks online mentions across news outlets, digital publications and social media, found Sunderland, Exeter and Hull joint-top of the fastest-rising cities list, each climbing six places. Colchester, Lancaster and Southampton also featured in the top 10.
The report links the surge in visibility among smaller and mid-sized cities to a wave of governance reform, with six of the 10 fastest risers located in recently established or soon-to-be-established combined authorities.
AI-powered search tools are also reshaping how cities are discovered, with eight of the 10 fastest-rising cities improving their share of coverage from top-tier media outlets – sources increasingly prioritised by generative AI.
Overall visibility across UK cities rose 42% year-on-year, with the UK now home to nine cities exceeding 15 million online conversations – more than any other European country.
