Vancouver still world's most liveable city: survey

[Godfather]

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - Vancouver topped the list of the world's most liveable cities for the fifth straight year, while Melbourne claimed second place from Vienna and Australian and Canadian cities dominated the list's top 10 spots.

In the annual survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the Canadian west coast city and 2010 Winter Olympics host scored 98 percent on a combination of stability, health care, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure -- a score unchanged from last year.

It has topped the list from 2007.

Although Melbourne pipped the Austrian capital for silver medal, there was no other major change near the top of the list of 140 cities worldwide. Auckland, New Zealand, came in 10th.

"Mid-sized cities in developed countries with relatively low population densities tend to score well by having all the cultural and infrastructural benefits on offer with fewer problems related to crime or congestion," said Jon Copestake, editor of the report, in a statement.

Pittsburgh was the top U.S. city with 29th place -- just ahead of Honolulu -- while Los Angeles moved up three places to 44th and New York held onto the 56th spot.

London moved up one place to 53rd while Paris came in at number 16.

The top Asian city was Osaka at number 12, tying Geneva, Switzerland and beating out the Japanese capital of Tokyo, which came in at 18.

Hong Kong came in at 31 but Beijing, capital of the world's most populous nation and No. 2 economy, straggled in at 72.

There was also little change at the bottom, with Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, once again claiming the worst position with a rating of 37.5 percent, narrowing beating out the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka.

The Economist Intelligence Unit survey ranks cities based on 30 factors such as healthcare, culture and environment, and education and personal safety.

Following is a list of the top 10 most liveable cities as ranked by The Economist Intelligence Unit:

1. Vancouver, Canada

2. Melbourne, Australia

3. Vienna, Austria

4. Toronto, Canada

5. Calgary, Canada

6. Helsinki, Finland

7. Sydney, Australia

8. Perth, Australia

8. Adelaide, Australia

10. Auckland, New Zealand

The bottom 10 cities were:

1. Harare, Zimbabwe

2. Dhaka , Bangladesh

3. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

4. Lagos, Nigeria

5. Algiers , Algeria

6. Karachi, Pakistan

7. Douala, Cameroon

8. Tehran, Iran

9. Dakar, Senegal

10. Colombo, Sri Lanka

[Deepsepia]

Intesting list. One thing that jumps out -- the most livable cities are all quite far from the Equator, and the least livable closest to it.

Another thing is that the nicest cities, with two exceptions, were all founded and settled by the Brits during the Empire, and yet no cities in Britain make the list.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I can tell that whole list is a bunch of bunk. LA, Pittsburgh, and NYC are all listed ahead of Denver as far as US cities go?

Yeah, right

[Godfather]

Easy to complain when the best your country has is 29th

Seriously though, I do think that has to take some credibility from the list... how could the US not have a city in the top 10?

[Deepsepia]

Easy to complain when the best your country has is 29th

Seriously though, I do think that has to take some credibility from the list... how could the US not have a city in the top 10?

If you check the Economist Intelligence Unit, they rank crime very high, as well as access to medical care. The US has much more crime than Canada, and access to medical care is also something they rank high.

If you were to rank places by access (for a fortunate few) to the very best of many things, then the US would do better. One can argue that medicine and education in Boston/Cambridge -- for the elite who can afford it-- are significantly better than they are in Toronto. But as most people don't have access to Harvard, and won't get heart surgery at the Brigham, those "Bests" don't affect quality of life for most people. An average Canadian, not worrying much about crime, not worrying about the cost of healthcare, living in a city with clean water and beautiful amenities-- where's he going to move that's "nicer"?

New York is similar. If you've got a hundred million dollars, New York has opportunities you won't find elsewhere; life is very pleasant. But for most people, they'd live better on $75K a year in Melbourne, Sydney, Vancouver, Helsinki or Auckland.

[Godfather]

Really interesting analysis Deep.

It's impossible for me to look at it from an unbiased point of view... but I'm never surprised Vancouver is in the top 10 on so many lists for all those reasons

I've been to a couple dozen US cities, Europe, Mexico, etc etc and while I'd happily live in Paris or NYC, to me Vancouver is still the cleanest and most beautiful... but I grew up there. I've lived in Victoria for 5 years now off and on, and I miss Vancouver big time. Not too many places where the weather is mild, warm summers, manageable winters and you're 15 minutes from skiing and 5 from swimming.

I understand one of our biggest assets, that draws city planners here from around the world, is that our 'night life', 'white collar' and 'living' areas of downtown Vancouver are beautifully intertwined. Apparently that alone is quite unique. You go to London and part of the city is dead at night. Here they're planned out and mixed together in a really interesting way.

It's pretty cool. Great place to come visit, and I'll buy a beer for anyone who does

[RBP]

I travel all the way to Vancouver and only get one stinkin beer?

[Godfather]

How 'bout a 40 and some donuts

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Not too many places where the weather is mild, warm summers, manageable winters and you're 15 minutes from skiing and 5 from swimming.

Yeah there is....I call it Denver

Besides, I can win the argument as to which place is better, Denver or Vancouver.....at least out hockey team has won the Stanley Cup....and we did it twice.

Game, set, and match to Denver

[RBP]

How 'bout a 40 and some donuts

Through in a couple bong hits and some cheetos?

[Deepsepia]

Really interesting analysis Deep.

{snip}

It's pretty cool. Great place to come visit, and I'll buy a beer for anyone who does

I live not far away, south o'the border, and know Vancouver well. The comparison of Seattle and Vancouver is useful-- because Seattle is one of the most "livable" cities in the US. But "points off" Seattle when compared to Vancouver for: violent crime, access to/cost of healthcare (even though at the very top, you'd rather have, say, advanced cancer care, like a bone marrow transplant, in Seattle).

Public amenities-- better in Vancouver. Public transportation is much better.

Some interesting things that the US side does better-- earthquake preparedness. Seattle has had major earthquake refits, basically California code. Stuff bolted down to foundations . . . when the Juan de Fuca plate slides under, Seattle will do significantly better than Vancouver.

That aside, Seattle is a planning disaster, with terrible traffic. Its a city that just "kinda happened", vaguely like LA. A little master planning would have made a much better city.

I would rank Portland very high for livability, probably too small for the list, and has the usual US problems of heathcare and crime, but I find it very pleasant and easy.

[Godfather]

I'm surprised to hear you say Vancouver is better in public transportation. I think we've missed similar lists before because ours is so mediocre.

Vancouverites think public transit is miserable here Really expensive and it shuts down early, an hour before bars close even

Seattle and Portland are awesome... Portland especially is a really cool city.

[Godfather]

Yeah there is....I call it Denver

Besides, I can win the argument as to which place is better, Denver or Vancouver.....at least out hockey team has won the Stanley Cup....and we did it twice.

Game, set, and match to Denver

2010 Olympics Your move!

[Teh One Who Knocks]

2010 Olympics Your move!

We are the only city to ever turn down the Olympics after it was awarded. We're the only intelligent city in the entire world

Point, Denver

[Hal-9000]

they said 'livable'....that throws all American cities to the bottom of the heap

I agree with Deep, there's more to it than just geography, economy....






Calgary made number 5...that's because I'm here