"Most Liveable Cities Index"

I have recently spent some time studying the development of the cities from social behavioural point of view, and throughout my research I came across an interesting article regarding the world’s most liveable cities. Obviously, this informal rank of cities provokes lots of discussions and controversy, since what makes a city truly “liveable” is subjective. Also, according to Joel Kotkin from Forbes, what makes a “great” city on one list can serve as a detriment on another.

Nevertheless, there are three examples of list of cities rank on a reputable annual survey of living conditions:

• Monocle’s "Most Liveable Cities Index"
• The Economist Intelligence Unit’s "Liveability Ranking and Overview"
• "Mercer Quality of Living Survey"

I would like to have a closer look at the annual list of liveable cities published by the lifestyle magazine Monocle, named "The Most Liveable Cities Index", which focuses on the 25 top locations for quality of life. The most important criteria in this survey are: safety/crime, international connectivity, climate/sunshine, quality of architecture, public transportation, tolerance, environmental issues and access to nature, urban design, business conditions, pro-active policy developments and medical care (Monocle).

The full details are up for review in Monocle’s July/August issue but, in the meantime, here is the 2013 ranking of large and small cities (FT):

1. Copenhagen
2. Melbourne
3. Helsinki
4. Tokyo
5. Vienna
6. Zürich
7. Stockholm
8. Munich
9. Sydney
10. Auckland
11. Hong Kong
12. Fukuoka
13. Kyoto
14. Paris
15. Singapore
16. Hamburg
17. Honolulu
18. Madrid
19. Vancouver
20. Berlin
21. Barcelona
22. Amsterdam
23. Portland
24. San Francisco
25. Düsseldorf

I agree with Joel Kotkin from Forbes that to understand these results, one must look carefully at the criteria these surveys used. However, most of these regions suffer only a limited underclass and support a relatively small population of children. In fact, most of the cities are in countries with low birth rates. These places make ideal locales for groups like travelling corporate executives, academics and researchers targeted by such surveys. A great city, as Rene Descartes wrote of 17th century Amsterdam, should be “an inventory of the possible”, a place of imagination that attracts ambitious migrants, families and entrepreneurs.

Also, I find it very intriguing that often places that are by nature very chaotic and difficult to navigate can be equally aspirational, as they draw people not for a restful visit or elegant repast but to achieve some sort of upward mobility, as fairly pointed out by Kotkin (Forbes). Therefore, it is crucial to remember that what really encourages global culture or commerce, are growth and change and, as a consequence, great cities remain raw places, filled with the sights and smells of diverse cultures.