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
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