World's Most Liveable Cities in Canada and Australia

[jobeterob]

Melbourne, Australlia: The World's Most Livable City 2011 - Image - Hai Linh TruongMelbourne, Australia, is now the world's most livable city according to the latest rankings published by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
The Economist Intelligence Unit has today [[August 30, 2011) named Melbourne, Australia, as the world’s most livable city. On the Economist Intelligence Unit’s ranking system, Melbourne was given an overall score of 97.5 out of a possible 100. It is the first time in nine years that Vancouver, Canada, has not held or shared the title ‘world’s most livable city’.

Melbourne: The World’s Most Livable City
Melbourne, the second largest city in Australia, previously shared the ‘world’s most livable city’ badge with Vancouver in 2002. In the latest Economist Intelligence Unit survey, conducted in July 2011 and published today, Melbourne received the top score of 97.5 out of 100. Melbourne received perfect scores for its healthcare, education and infrastructure. Melbourne was given a score of 95 out of 100 for stability and 95.1 out of 100 for its culture and environment. As well as being a center for education, employment and sport, Melbourne is also a UNESCO City of Literature.


The Economist Intelligence Unit surveyed 140 cities for its August 2011 Livability Survey. The ten highest ranked cities are:

1.Melbourne, Australia
2.Vienna, Austria
3.Vancouver, Canada
4.Toronto, Canada
5.Calgary, Canada
6.Sydney, Australia
7.Helsinki, Finland
8.Perth, Australia
9.Adelaide, Australia
10.Auckland, New Zealand
On the previous Economist Intelligence Unit Livable Cities list, published in February 2011, Vancouver ranked first, Melbourne second and Vienna third.


2011 Top 10 Announced Canada and Australia Dominate World’s Most Livable Cities Rankings
The Most Livable Cities Top 10 List features four Australian Cities [[Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide) and three Canadian cities [[Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary). Jon Copestake, editor of the Economist Intelligence Unit’s report explained that ‘there does appear to be a correlation between the types of cities that sit right at the very top of the ranking.’ The Economist Intelligence Unit’s rankings are based on over 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories: stability; healthcare; culture and environment; education; and infrastructure. According to the report the communities that commonly score well on the scale ‘tend to be mid-sized cities in wealthier countries with a relatively low population density.’

Population Density and Livability: Why Canada and Australia Are So 'Livable'
Seven of the top ten cities in the August 2011 survey rankings were from Australia and Canada. These countries have population densities of 2.88 and 3.40 people per square kilometer respectively. In stark contrast, the global average population density is 45.65 people per square kilometer. According to the Livability Survey, low population density ‘can foster a range of recreational activities without leading to high crime levels or overburdened infrastructure’, thus giving Australia and Canada the edge.

About the Economist’s World’s Most Livable Cities List
The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Livability Survey is held twice a year. Founded in 1946, the Economist Intelligence Unit in the in-house research unit for the Economist magazine. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s livability ratings have a number of intended uses including benchmarking for expatriate salaries by quantifying the challenges that might be presented to an individual’s lifestyle in any given location.



Read more at Suite101: Melbourne Named the World's Most Livable City 2011 | Suite101.com http://www.suite101.com/news/melbour...#ixzz1Wj2h78Ho

[tamla617]

i dont know why they do this kind of thing,unesco this,unesco that.i've been to and lived in these so called places that are like nothing else anywere else.and its all rubbish.not every one is living THE life in these towns/cities
liverpool got some euro award as a city of culture,liverpool england that is,toxteth L8 better than bath,cheltenham and a dozen more any dozen.not a chance.good for a few things,liverpool, culture doesnt spring to mind,jeremy kyle maybe.

javea in spain was the U.N.somethings version of the top ten healthy town.so go there and they dont have fresh water.salt water running out the kitchen,bathroom taps.swimming pools full of sea water.cant wash your clothes in the washing machine,well you can but imagine what your gear will look like after this version of surf

all that happens is the people in those towns/cities go on about it like it means something and the local property prices go through the [[sorry) roof.
having said all this those cities mentioned that i have been to were really nice.as for measuring nice??

[marv2]

I would have put Montreal ahead of Toronto and Vancouver suffered from the hockey riots. They could not find one U.S. city for their list?

[robb_k]

I've never been to Australia. So, I can't speak to that. But I'd take Vancouver over all The US cities I've visited [[or lived in), and Toronto and Calgary, as well. Although Calgary is quite cold in Winter. I find it hard to believe the weather factor wouldn't drop it quite a bit lower than Vancouver, and even Toronto. I lived in Den Haag for 30 years. That is a city. I found it quite nice. I wonder why only Vienna and Helsinki among European cities made the list Helsinki is quite cold, as well. My Top Ten Cities wouldn't be "cities". They'd be "towns" [[pop. 10,000 or less, within 30 minute bicycle ride of a 50,000 pop. city. Nowehere near a "Big City".
The country would be Canada, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium or Switzerland.

[tamla617]

a city in the uk means it has a cathedral.thats it.nothing to do with size or population.it could be one house a post office corner shop,but it must have a cathedral [[church of england)

wells in somerset has a cathedral but it isnt anybody's idea of a city,and it is a city, its a [[very) small town,by modern standards.
ely is a city too.its a "market town"
how do other countries measure cities from towns.

robbk would love wells [[cheddar cheese) and ely[[carrot crunchers) it sticks out above the fens like a beacon btw

his tredder [[bike) would lap it in 10 minutes!

[ms_m]

Tamala617 I have a friend that recently moved to the UK and so far she loves it…but keep in mind she’s in Nottingham….LOL

Anyhoo, when she told me how much the tube cost my jaw dropped. I couldn’t imagine paying that kind of money for public transportation and I wondered how people there could afford it. She said she spoke to a guy about it and he said, many people have cars, many ride bikes and many try to live close to where they work so they can walk [[she said that was encouraged…walking) but the last thing he said was…it’s all we know, it’s what we are use to so we don’t think a lot about it.

A few other things I found interesting, she went to a drug store to buy a bottle of rubbing alcohol and was told she would have to order it because they didn’t keep alcohol in stock….she couldn't find a jar of mustard at the grocery store either. She was also blown away but excited that fresh and healthy foods there are cheaper than process foods. [[the opposite is true here as a general rule)

She also noticed, when she hears someone complaining or being rude or loud, it usually turns out to be American tourist….LOL

People looking outside their backyard for the perfect place are often in for a rude awakening. Some thrive [[like my friend) some can’t handle the cultural shock. Americans are not the most adaptable people when it comes to change.

Grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

[roger]

a city in the uk means it has a cathedral.thats it.nothing to do with size or population.it could be one house a post office corner shop,but it must have a cathedral [[church of england)

wells in somerset has a cathedral but it isnt anybody's idea of a city,and it is a city, its a [[very) small town,by modern standards.
ely is a city too.its a "market town"
how do other countries measure cities from towns.

robbk would love wells [[cheddar cheese) and ely[[carrot crunchers) it sticks out above the fens like a beacon btw

his tredder [[bike) would lap it in 10 minutes!

This is no longer the case Tamla617.

There is no modern day requirement for a "City" to have a Cathedral, the rules changed in the nineteenth century .. there are "cities" that have no Cathedral [[Sunderland and Brighton spring to mind) and there are "towns" that have cathedrals, such as Chelmsford, Essex, that are not "cities". Nottingham does not have an [[Anglican) Cathedral, though nowadays there is a Roman Catholic one. The [[Anglican) Cathedral that covers the Nottingham area is in Southwell and Southwell is not a "city".

This site explains the rules ..

http://www.lovemytown.co.uk/CityStatus/index.htm

Roger

[Doug-Morgan]

Hockey riots don't bother me about Vancouver as much as the tourists do. On the other hand, even though I don't like The Stampeders [[GO RIDERS!) or The Flames, Calgary is a wonderful city in an ideal location with regards to the Rockies, in the same way Denver is.

[marv2]

Hockey riots don't bother me about Vancouver as much as the tourists do. On the other hand, even though I don't like The Stampeders [[GO RIDERS!) or The Flames, Calgary is a wonderful city in an ideal location with regards to the Rockies, in the same way Denver is.

I lived in Denver for 6 years when it was truly a great city. It is overbuilt now and has traffic and air quality issues now.

[144man]

she couldn't find a jar of mustard at the grocery store either

That's strange. I've never known a British grocery shop not to sell mustard. Maybe it had run out. If your friend was looking for American mustard, she might have had some difficulty as the smaller stores tend to stock only English or French.

[jobeterob]

This group lowered Vancouver this year because of congestion on the Malahat Highway! The Malahat Highway is on VANCOUVER ISLAND. Vancouver people would never use it unless they went on holiday.

So, their criteria are a little suspect.

I agree with Robb. The real issue about Vancouver is that it is congested and the commutes are horrible. But the setting is pretty as is that of Calgary. The house prices of Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto are all terrible; and unlike the USA, we never had a housing crisis in Canada so prices are very high.

Small cities are where I would head too.

[marv2]

I think Montreal is a VERY livable city. I think New York City is also.

[robb_k]

I like Montréal very much, as well. And, unlike a lot of "English" Manitobans, I can speak French. So, I wouldn't mind living there. If I were to live in The Greater Vancouver Area, I would probably like North Vancouver. if I could afford a house there.

Seattle would be my favourite big city in USA. I used to live in Bellevue for 3 years, and liked it quite a bit. San Francisco used to be nice, but their metro area is far too crowded now. Minnesota is a pretty nice place. But if I'm going to be in that general area, I might as well return to Winnipeg. I prefer a village in Noord Holland with only 300 people [[sheep for neighbours) and no shops, lots of canals and bridges and windmills, and within a 15 minute bicycle ride of a small city with shops and pubs and such.

[ms_m]

That's strange. I've never known a British grocery shop not to sell mustard. Maybe it had run out. If your friend was looking for American mustard, she might have had some difficulty as the smaller stores tend to stock only English or French.

144man, I didn't make that clear. It's not that she didn't find mustard but not what she was use to here in the States. I think she said Mustard Seed or something along those line is what she found. I'm guessing more real mustard than what we're use to here, outside of gourmet/specialty type groceries. I'll have to check with her.

She did mention she shopped at Tesco and that's a rather large chain from what I understand.

[Doug-Morgan]

Marv2.....
.....I think the cloest I'd live to Denver anymore would be Sedalia.

[marv2]

Marv2.....
.....I think the cloest I'd live to Denver anymore would be Sedalia.

Which may be a good choice. During my years in Colorado, I've liked Boulder, Ft. Collins, Greeley, Colorado Springs, Aspen etc,but since I've been back East, I've never had a thought of living out West again.

I would live just about anywhere in Ontario, Canada. I have always liked London, Toronto, Mississuaga, Kitchner-Waterloo and even North like little towns like Sudbury, Sarnia or Thunder Bay.

[robb_k]

Thunder Bay is nice. But it might be tough to find a job. Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and even Prince Edward Island are all nice. too, but also difficult for a stranger to find a job. But I send my work over The Internet, so I can go anywhere and still work, as long as I meet with my editors in The Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany during a few intense periods each year. That's why I can visit my sister in Winnipeg, and sister in L.A. for a few months each, each year. I guess I don't live in one place long enough to worry about it being in a highly-rated place!

[marv2]

Thunder Bay is nice. But it might be tough to find a job. Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and even Prince Edward Island are all nice. too, but also difficult for a stranger to find a job. But I send my work over The Internet, so I can go anywhere and still work, as long as I meet with my editors in The Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany during a few intense periods each year. That's why I can visit my sister in Winnipeg, and sister in L.A. for a few months each, each year. I guess I don't live in one place long enough to worry about it being in a highly-rated place!

Definitely P.E.I! Winnipeg is ok, but isn't their crime rate creeping up lately?

[robb_k]

Where do you live, now, Marv?

[marv2]

Where do you live, now, Marv?

I live in New York. Long Island.