The numbers have been tallied once more for the cities throughout the world in terms of ‘livability’. According to Business Week, “Mercer Consulting’s annual roundup of the global cities with the best quality of life” says that the most 25 livable cities include:
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Vienna, Austria tied with Geneva, Switzerland
- Vancouver, Canada
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Dusseldorf, Germany
- Munich, tied with Frankfurt, Germany
- Bern, Switzerland
- Sydney, Australia
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Brussels, Belgium
- Toronto, Canada
- Berlin, Germany
- Melbourne, Australia tied with Luxembourg
- Ottawa, Canada
- Stockholm, Sweden
Lowest ranking city of the 215 surveyed was Baghdad, Iraq. The highest ranking US city was Honolulu, at number 28. The article didn’t show any after 17 (or 20, again, depending on how you count).
How and why are these rankings put together? Here’s what they said:
The rankings are based on a point scoring index, with Zurich scoring 108 and Baghdad scoring 13.5. Cities are compared to New York as the base city, with an index score of 100. The quality-of-living survey covers 215 cities and is conducted to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments. The survey also identifies those cities with the highest personal safety ranking based on internal stability, crime, effectiveness of law enforcement, and relationships with other countries.
I don’t know if this is significant in any way, but last year Vancouver came in third, once again behind Zurich and Geneva, and was tied with Vienna. This year coming in 4th (or third, depending on whether you count the tie as one or 2) with the same 3 cities above us, and a score of 107.6 amounts to more or less the same standing.
I’ll be particularly interested to see how this number changes over the next few years, both before and after the 2010 Olympics.
I am shocked. Is a city livable when 70% of a person’s disposable income goes to rent? Not! 🙂
Remember, this ranking is ‘conducted to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments.’ By that measure, affordable housing probably wouldn’t figure as prominently.
I suspect that housing in Zurich and Geneva isn’t all that affordable either, but I did hear from Maktaaq that there are some houses just outside of the Vienna city limits that are a pretty good deal.
The problem with surveys that keep telling us we are terrific is that we become complacent. It becomes a useful excuse for those who prefer not to change (i.e. invest public funds).
I also wonder how we score so high on security when we are one of the only cities that I know that finds it necessary to use armed police to check tickets on rapid transit!
I also note in passing that yesterday at Broadway/Commercial i was trying to talk to some German geography students but we kept being accosted by druggies, whores and panhandlers. Something that did not happen to me in New York (score 100) in 3 days but occurred here in 3 minutes (score 107.6).
Having lived in Atlanta “both before and after” the 1996 Olympics, I’m betting Vancouver drops substantially in the rankings after the games here .…
I got a little lost this past summer when I was in Zurich. A very nice local pointed me in the right direction and gave me some great tips. Then he just rolled his eyes when I said I was from Vancouver. Oh Vancouver he said, that city that is always trying to beat us in the livability surveys. Who knew such a rivalry existed?
That’s pretty funny. I have visions of a team of Vancouver ‘Livability’ cheerleaders chanting “10–9‑8–7! Next to Zurich we are heaven!” at the Livability Bowl…