World Cities Culture Report Explores 12 Of The World's 'Most Important Cities' (PHOTOS)

Culture is a tricky thing to pin down, especially when there are countless cities around the globe that are known for their vibrant cultures. But, the Mayor of London has taken a stab at it with the World Cities Culture Report 2012.

According to the report's website, "it is a celebration of the importance of culture in the public and political life of world cities." It measures this culture using 60 indicators, like number of national museums, number of UNESCO World Heritage sites, number of comedy clubs, number of markets, and number of rare and secondhand bookshops, that assess "the supply of and demand for culture."

So, how do the cities compare? Check out the list in the slideshow below, and click through to the World Cities Culture Report's website for more in-depth profiles.

To explore some more cultural subsets, check out: the 10 best cities for art lovers, the nine best cities for street art spotting, the world's best cities for street food and the 20 most Michelin-starred cities.