Hamartia Antidote
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2013
- Messages
- 35,188
- Reaction score
- 30
- Country
- Location
http://www.zmescience.com/science/domestic-science/worlds-most-livable-cities-14032017/
Eight of the top ten are in Europe, with the highest city in the US coming at 29th — San Francisco.
Vienna tops the charts for the 8th year consecutively. Image via Pixabay.
Every year, Mercer, the world’s largest human resources consulting firm, creates their most livable cities ranking. City infrastructure plays a key role in determining a city’s “livability”, with easy access to transportation, reliable electricity and drinkable water also being major factors. Traffic congestion, pollution, public services, social environment, schools, and even access to international flights are considered.
The best cities
This year, much like in previous years, Europe dominates the rankings. Despite growing political instability, Europe keeps ensuring a great standard of living for its residents. For the 8th year straight, Vienna was crowned the most livable city, with Switzerland’s Zurich coming in second place. Interestingly, it was Central more than Western Europe that did well. Munich came in 4th, followed by Dusseldorf (6), Frankfurt (7), Geneva (8), Copenhagen (9), and Basel, a newcomer to the list, in 10th place. The only two non-EU cities in the list are Auckland (3) and Vancouver (5). For Asia, the best city seems to be Singapore (25) while in South America, Montevideo ranks best (79). Sydney came in at 10th.
In North America, Canada took the best spots. Vancouver (5), followed by Toronto (16) and Ottawa (18) are the best cities to live in on the continent, whereas San Francisco, the best US city, only ranks 29th. Interestingly, it is followed by Boston (35), Honolulu (36), New York (44), and Seattle (45). High crime rates in Chicago and Los Angeles dropped the cities significantly from last year’s ranking to 47th and 58th respectively.
Most European cities remained pretty stable with the notable exception of Brussels (27), which dropped six places largely due to terrorism-related issues. Rome also dropped to 57 due to its inability to tackle waste removal. The lowest ranking cities in the continent are St. Petersburg and Tirana (both ranked 176), along with Minsk (189).
San Francisco was the best ranking US city. Image credits: Basil D Soufi
Dubai (74) continues to rank highest for quality of living across Africa and the Middle East, rising one position in this year’s ranking, followed closely by Abu Dhabi (79), which climbed three spots. UK’s highest city, London, ranks 40th for quality of living, though it ranked 6th for infrastructure.
Ranking the world
Mercer analyzes 450 cities throughout the world, their work being aimed both at citizens and at multinational companies who want to establish new working relationships. Mercer says that their ranking is especially important for companies looking to send workers on international assignments. Asking someone to live in a particular city requires significant compensation, and knowing how well that city fares in terms of quality of living could ensure a just compensation.
“Economic instability, social unrest, and growing political upheaval all add to the complex challenge multinational companies face when analysing quality of living for their expatriate workforce,” said Ilya Bonic, senior partner and president of Mercer’s Career business.
Mr Parakatil added that they focused most on the aspects which influence the day-to-day experience of inhabitants. It should be kept in mind that this is not a touristic ranking — it’s about people who live in those cities, not travelers.
“A city’s infrastructure, or rather the lack thereof, can considerably affect the quality of living that expatriates and their families experience on a daily basis. Access to a variety of transport options, being connected locally and internationally, and access to electricity and drinkable water are among the essential needs of expatriates arriving in a new location on assignment. A well-developed infrastructure can also be a key competitive advantage for cities and municipalities trying to attract multinational companies, talent, and foreign investments.”
Here are the factors that determined the rankings:
ALSO READ Gem diamonds and 'worthless' ones likely have the same origin
1. Political and social environment (political stability, crime, law enforcement, etc.).
2. Economic environment (currency exchange regulations, banking services).
3. Socio-cultural environment (media availability and censorship, limitations on personal freedom).
4. Medical and health considerations (medical supplies and services, infectious diseases, sewage, waste disposal, air pollution, etc.).
5. Schools and education (standards and availability of international schools).
6. Public services and transportation (electricity, water, public transportation, traffic congestion, etc.).
7. Recreation (restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports and leisure, etc.).
8. Consumer goods (availability of food/daily consumption items, cars, etc.).
9. Housing (rental housing, household appliances, furniture, maintenance services).
10. Natural environment (climate, record of natural disasters).
-------------------------
https://www.mercer.com/newsroom/2017-quality-of-living-survey.html
1: Vienna, Austria
2: Zurich, Switzerland
3: Auckland, New Zealand
4: Munich, Germany
5: Vancouver, Canada
6: Dusseldorf, Germany
7: Frankfurt, Germany
8: Geneva, Switzerland
9: Copenhagen, Denmark
10: Basel, Switzerland
11: Sydney, Australia
12: Amsterdam, Netherlands
13: Berlin, Germany
14: Bern, Switzerland
15: Wellington, New Zealand
16: Melbourne, Australia
17: Toronto: Canada
18: Ottawa, Canada
19: Hamburg, Germany
20: Stockholm, Sweden
21: Luxembourg, Luxembourg
22: Perth, Australia
23: Montreal, Canada
24: Nurnberg, Germany
25: Singapore
26: Stuttgart, Germany
27: Brussels, Belgium
29: San Francisco, USA
31: Helsinki, Finland
31: Oslo, Norway
33: Calgary, Canada
34: Dublin,Ireland
35: Boston, MA, United States [
]
36: Honolulu, HI, United States
37: Brisbane,Australia
38: Paris, France
39: Lyon, France
40: London ,United Kingdom
41: Milan, Italy
42: Barcelona, Spain
43: Lisbon,Portugal
44: New York City, NY,United States [#9 biggest city world]
45: Edinburgh,United Kingdom
45: Seattle, WA,United States
47: Chicago, IL, United States
47: Tokyo, Japan [ #1 biggest city in the world]
49: Washington, DC, United States
50: Kobe,Japan
51: Madrid, Spain
51: Yokohama, Japan
53: Birmingham, United Kingdom
53: Glasgow, United Kingdom
55: Pittsburgh, PA, United States
56: Philadelphia, PA,United States
57: Rome, Italy
58: Aberdeen ,United Kingdom
58: Los Angeles, CA, United States [#20 biggest city world]
60: Osaka, Japan [#7 biggest city world]
61: Leipzig, Germany
62: Minneapolis, MN, United States
63: Nagoya,Japan
64: Dallas, TX,United States
65: Atlanta, GA,United States
66: Belfast,United Kingdom
67: Houston, TX,United States
68: Miami, FL,United States
69: Prague, Czech Republic
70: St. Louis, MO, United States []
71: Detroit, MI, United States []
71: Hong Kong, Hong Kong
73: Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe [What? Some French Island off South America? Population 16K. Why is it even here?]
74: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
75: San Juan,Puerto Rico
76: Ljubljana,Slovenia
76: Seoul,South Korea
78: Budapest,Hungary
79: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
79: Montevideo,Uruguay
81: Vilnius, Lithuania
81: Warsaw, Poland
83: Bratislava,Slovakia
84: Port Louis, Mauritius [Tiny island country off East Africa]
85: Taipei,Taiwan
86: Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia [impressive]
87: Athens,Greece
87: Durban, South Africa
89: Limassol,Cyprus
89: Tallinn,Estonia
91: Riga,Latvia
92: Busan, South Korea
93: Buenos Aires,Argentina [#13 biggest city world. very impressive for a 15M population South American developing country city]
94: Cape Town,South Africa
95: Santiago, Chile
96: Johannesburg,South Africa []
97: Panama City,Panama
98: Victoria,Seychelles [Another tiny island country off East Africa]
98: Zagreb,Croatia
100: Wroclaw,Poland
101: Taichung, Taiwan
102: Shanghai, China [ #3 biggest city in the world]
103: Johor Bahru, Malaysia
104: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
105: Tel Aviv, Israel
106: Muscat, Oman
107: Bucharest, Romania
108: Doha, Qatar
109: Brasilia, Brazil
110: Monterrey, Mexico
110: San Jose, Costa Rica
112: Noumea, New Caledonia
113: Nassau, Bahamas
114: Tunis, Tunisia
115: Asuncion, Paraguay
116: Sofia, Bulgaria
117: Rabat, Morocco
118: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [#17 biggest city world]
119: Amman, Jordan
119: Beijing, China [#8 biggest city world]
121: Guangzhou, China
121: Quito, Ecuador
121: Sao Paulo, Brazil [#5 biggest city world. WOW for Brazil]
124: Lima, Peru
125: Casablanca, Morocco
126: Kuwait City, Kuwait
127: Manaus, Brazil
128: Mexico City, Mexico [#4 biggest city world. WOW for Mexico!]
129: Bogota, Colombia
130: Windhoek, Namibia
131: Bangkok, Thailand
132: Colombo, Sri Lanka
133: Istanbul, Turkey [#15 biggest city world]
134: Manama, Bahrain
135: Manila, Philippines [#18 biggest city world]
136: Shenzhen, China
137: Chengdu, China
138: Belgrade, Serbia
139: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
140: Nanjing, China
141: Gaborone, Botswana
141: Xian, China
143: Jakarta, Indonesia
144: Hyderabad, India
145: Pune, India
146: Bangalore, India
147: Chongqing, China [#16 biggest city world]
147: Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
149: Qingdao, China
150: Lusaka, Zambia
151: Chennai, India
152: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
153: Kingston, Jamaica
154: Mumbai, India [#6 biggest city world]
155: Guatemala City, Guatemala
156: Hanoi, Vietnam
157: La Paz, Bolivia
158: Shenyang, China
159: Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
160: Kolkata, India
161: New Delhi, India [#2 biggest city world]
161: Skopje, Macedonia
163: Dakar, Senegal
164: Libreville, Gabon
165: Cairo, Egypt [#10 biggest city world]
166: Accra, Ghana
166: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
168: Moscow, Russia
169: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
170: Jilin, China
171: Vientiane, People's Dem. Republic of Laos
172: Yerevan, Armenia
173: Kampala, Uganda
174: Kiev,Ukraine [wow below Uganda]
174: Managua, Nicaragua
176: St. Petersburg, Russia
176: Tirana, Albania
178: Almaty, Kazakhstan
179: Blantyre, Malawi
180: Beirut, Lebanon
181: Cotonou,Benin
181: Maputo, Mozambique
183: San Salvador, El Salvador
184: Algiers, Algeria
185: Banjul, Gambia
186: Nairobi, Kenya
187: Tbilisi, Georgia
188: Tegucigalpa, Honduras
189: Caracas, Venezuela
189: Djibouti, Djibouti
189: Minsk, Belarus
192: Havana, Cuba [???? Really]
192: Kigali, Rwanda
194: Islamabad, Pakistan
194: Yaounde, Cameroon
196: Baku, Azerbaijan
196: Douala, Cameroon
198: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
199: Dar Es Salaam,Tanzania
199: Tehran, Iran
201: Luanda, Angola
202: Lahore, Pakistan
203: Yangon, Myanmar
204: Karachi, Pakistan [#12 biggest city world]
205: Tashkent, Uzbekistan
206: Lome, Togo
207: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
208: Abidjan, Côte D'Ivoire
209: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
210: Harare, Zimbabwe
211: Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan
212: Lagos, Nigeria [#19 biggest city world]
213: Abuja, Nigeria
214: Dhaka, Bangladesh [#11 biggest city world]
215: Dushanbe, Tajikistan
216: Antananarivo, Madagascar
217: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
218: Tripoli, Libya
219: Niamey, Niger
220: Bamako, Mali
221: Nouakchott, Mauritania
222: Conakry, Guinea
223: Kinshasa, Democratic Rep. of the Congo
224: Brazzaville, Congo
225: Damascus, Syria
226: N'djamena, Chad
227: Khartoum, Sudan
228: Port au Prince, Haiti
229: Sana'a, Republic of Yeman
230: Bangui, Central African Republic
231: Baghdad, Iraq
Eight of the top ten are in Europe, with the highest city in the US coming at 29th — San Francisco.
Vienna tops the charts for the 8th year consecutively. Image via Pixabay.
Every year, Mercer, the world’s largest human resources consulting firm, creates their most livable cities ranking. City infrastructure plays a key role in determining a city’s “livability”, with easy access to transportation, reliable electricity and drinkable water also being major factors. Traffic congestion, pollution, public services, social environment, schools, and even access to international flights are considered.
The best cities
This year, much like in previous years, Europe dominates the rankings. Despite growing political instability, Europe keeps ensuring a great standard of living for its residents. For the 8th year straight, Vienna was crowned the most livable city, with Switzerland’s Zurich coming in second place. Interestingly, it was Central more than Western Europe that did well. Munich came in 4th, followed by Dusseldorf (6), Frankfurt (7), Geneva (8), Copenhagen (9), and Basel, a newcomer to the list, in 10th place. The only two non-EU cities in the list are Auckland (3) and Vancouver (5). For Asia, the best city seems to be Singapore (25) while in South America, Montevideo ranks best (79). Sydney came in at 10th.
In North America, Canada took the best spots. Vancouver (5), followed by Toronto (16) and Ottawa (18) are the best cities to live in on the continent, whereas San Francisco, the best US city, only ranks 29th. Interestingly, it is followed by Boston (35), Honolulu (36), New York (44), and Seattle (45). High crime rates in Chicago and Los Angeles dropped the cities significantly from last year’s ranking to 47th and 58th respectively.
Most European cities remained pretty stable with the notable exception of Brussels (27), which dropped six places largely due to terrorism-related issues. Rome also dropped to 57 due to its inability to tackle waste removal. The lowest ranking cities in the continent are St. Petersburg and Tirana (both ranked 176), along with Minsk (189).
San Francisco was the best ranking US city. Image credits: Basil D Soufi
Dubai (74) continues to rank highest for quality of living across Africa and the Middle East, rising one position in this year’s ranking, followed closely by Abu Dhabi (79), which climbed three spots. UK’s highest city, London, ranks 40th for quality of living, though it ranked 6th for infrastructure.
Ranking the world
Mercer analyzes 450 cities throughout the world, their work being aimed both at citizens and at multinational companies who want to establish new working relationships. Mercer says that their ranking is especially important for companies looking to send workers on international assignments. Asking someone to live in a particular city requires significant compensation, and knowing how well that city fares in terms of quality of living could ensure a just compensation.
“Economic instability, social unrest, and growing political upheaval all add to the complex challenge multinational companies face when analysing quality of living for their expatriate workforce,” said Ilya Bonic, senior partner and president of Mercer’s Career business.
Mr Parakatil added that they focused most on the aspects which influence the day-to-day experience of inhabitants. It should be kept in mind that this is not a touristic ranking — it’s about people who live in those cities, not travelers.
“A city’s infrastructure, or rather the lack thereof, can considerably affect the quality of living that expatriates and their families experience on a daily basis. Access to a variety of transport options, being connected locally and internationally, and access to electricity and drinkable water are among the essential needs of expatriates arriving in a new location on assignment. A well-developed infrastructure can also be a key competitive advantage for cities and municipalities trying to attract multinational companies, talent, and foreign investments.”
Here are the factors that determined the rankings:
ALSO READ Gem diamonds and 'worthless' ones likely have the same origin
1. Political and social environment (political stability, crime, law enforcement, etc.).
2. Economic environment (currency exchange regulations, banking services).
3. Socio-cultural environment (media availability and censorship, limitations on personal freedom).
4. Medical and health considerations (medical supplies and services, infectious diseases, sewage, waste disposal, air pollution, etc.).
5. Schools and education (standards and availability of international schools).
6. Public services and transportation (electricity, water, public transportation, traffic congestion, etc.).
7. Recreation (restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports and leisure, etc.).
8. Consumer goods (availability of food/daily consumption items, cars, etc.).
9. Housing (rental housing, household appliances, furniture, maintenance services).
10. Natural environment (climate, record of natural disasters).
-------------------------
https://www.mercer.com/newsroom/2017-quality-of-living-survey.html
1: Vienna, Austria
2: Zurich, Switzerland
3: Auckland, New Zealand
4: Munich, Germany
5: Vancouver, Canada
6: Dusseldorf, Germany
7: Frankfurt, Germany
8: Geneva, Switzerland
9: Copenhagen, Denmark
10: Basel, Switzerland
11: Sydney, Australia
12: Amsterdam, Netherlands
13: Berlin, Germany
14: Bern, Switzerland
15: Wellington, New Zealand
16: Melbourne, Australia
17: Toronto: Canada
18: Ottawa, Canada
19: Hamburg, Germany
20: Stockholm, Sweden
21: Luxembourg, Luxembourg
22: Perth, Australia
23: Montreal, Canada
24: Nurnberg, Germany
25: Singapore
26: Stuttgart, Germany
27: Brussels, Belgium
29: San Francisco, USA
31: Helsinki, Finland
31: Oslo, Norway
33: Calgary, Canada
34: Dublin,Ireland
35: Boston, MA, United States [
]36: Honolulu, HI, United States
37: Brisbane,Australia
38: Paris, France
39: Lyon, France
40: London ,United Kingdom
41: Milan, Italy
42: Barcelona, Spain
43: Lisbon,Portugal
44: New York City, NY,United States [#9 biggest city world]
45: Edinburgh,United Kingdom
45: Seattle, WA,United States
47: Chicago, IL, United States
47: Tokyo, Japan [ #1 biggest city in the world]
49: Washington, DC, United States
50: Kobe,Japan
51: Madrid, Spain
51: Yokohama, Japan
53: Birmingham, United Kingdom
53: Glasgow, United Kingdom
55: Pittsburgh, PA, United States
56: Philadelphia, PA,United States
57: Rome, Italy
58: Aberdeen ,United Kingdom
58: Los Angeles, CA, United States [#20 biggest city world]
60: Osaka, Japan [#7 biggest city world]
61: Leipzig, Germany
62: Minneapolis, MN, United States
63: Nagoya,Japan
64: Dallas, TX,United States
65: Atlanta, GA,United States
66: Belfast,United Kingdom
67: Houston, TX,United States
68: Miami, FL,United States
69: Prague, Czech Republic
70: St. Louis, MO, United States [
]71: Detroit, MI, United States [
]71: Hong Kong, Hong Kong
73: Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe [What? Some French Island off South America? Population 16K. Why is it even here?]
74: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
75: San Juan,Puerto Rico
76: Ljubljana,Slovenia
76: Seoul,South Korea
78: Budapest,Hungary
79: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
79: Montevideo,Uruguay
81: Vilnius, Lithuania
81: Warsaw, Poland
83: Bratislava,Slovakia
84: Port Louis, Mauritius [Tiny island country off East Africa]
85: Taipei,Taiwan
86: Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia [impressive]
87: Athens,Greece
87: Durban, South Africa
89: Limassol,Cyprus
89: Tallinn,Estonia
91: Riga,Latvia
92: Busan, South Korea
93: Buenos Aires,Argentina [#13 biggest city world. very impressive for a 15M population South American developing country city]
94: Cape Town,South Africa
95: Santiago, Chile
96: Johannesburg,South Africa [
]97: Panama City,Panama
98: Victoria,Seychelles [Another tiny island country off East Africa]
98: Zagreb,Croatia
100: Wroclaw,Poland
101: Taichung, Taiwan
102: Shanghai, China [ #3 biggest city in the world]
103: Johor Bahru, Malaysia
104: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
105: Tel Aviv, Israel
106: Muscat, Oman
107: Bucharest, Romania
108: Doha, Qatar
109: Brasilia, Brazil
110: Monterrey, Mexico
110: San Jose, Costa Rica
112: Noumea, New Caledonia
113: Nassau, Bahamas
114: Tunis, Tunisia
115: Asuncion, Paraguay
116: Sofia, Bulgaria
117: Rabat, Morocco
118: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [#17 biggest city world]
119: Amman, Jordan
119: Beijing, China [#8 biggest city world]
121: Guangzhou, China
121: Quito, Ecuador
121: Sao Paulo, Brazil [#5 biggest city world. WOW for Brazil]
124: Lima, Peru
125: Casablanca, Morocco
126: Kuwait City, Kuwait
127: Manaus, Brazil
128: Mexico City, Mexico [#4 biggest city world. WOW for Mexico!]
129: Bogota, Colombia
130: Windhoek, Namibia
131: Bangkok, Thailand
132: Colombo, Sri Lanka
133: Istanbul, Turkey [#15 biggest city world]
134: Manama, Bahrain
135: Manila, Philippines [#18 biggest city world]
136: Shenzhen, China
137: Chengdu, China
138: Belgrade, Serbia
139: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
140: Nanjing, China
141: Gaborone, Botswana
141: Xian, China
143: Jakarta, Indonesia
144: Hyderabad, India
145: Pune, India
146: Bangalore, India
147: Chongqing, China [#16 biggest city world]
147: Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
149: Qingdao, China
150: Lusaka, Zambia
151: Chennai, India
152: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
153: Kingston, Jamaica
154: Mumbai, India [#6 biggest city world]
155: Guatemala City, Guatemala
156: Hanoi, Vietnam
157: La Paz, Bolivia
158: Shenyang, China
159: Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
160: Kolkata, India
161: New Delhi, India [#2 biggest city world]
161: Skopje, Macedonia
163: Dakar, Senegal
164: Libreville, Gabon
165: Cairo, Egypt [#10 biggest city world]
166: Accra, Ghana
166: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
168: Moscow, Russia
169: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
170: Jilin, China
171: Vientiane, People's Dem. Republic of Laos
172: Yerevan, Armenia
173: Kampala, Uganda
174: Kiev,Ukraine [wow below Uganda]
174: Managua, Nicaragua
176: St. Petersburg, Russia
176: Tirana, Albania
178: Almaty, Kazakhstan
179: Blantyre, Malawi
180: Beirut, Lebanon
181: Cotonou,Benin
181: Maputo, Mozambique
183: San Salvador, El Salvador
184: Algiers, Algeria
185: Banjul, Gambia
186: Nairobi, Kenya
187: Tbilisi, Georgia
188: Tegucigalpa, Honduras
189: Caracas, Venezuela
189: Djibouti, Djibouti
189: Minsk, Belarus
192: Havana, Cuba [???? Really]
192: Kigali, Rwanda
194: Islamabad, Pakistan
194: Yaounde, Cameroon
196: Baku, Azerbaijan
196: Douala, Cameroon
198: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
199: Dar Es Salaam,Tanzania
199: Tehran, Iran
201: Luanda, Angola
202: Lahore, Pakistan
203: Yangon, Myanmar
204: Karachi, Pakistan [#12 biggest city world]
205: Tashkent, Uzbekistan
206: Lome, Togo
207: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
208: Abidjan, Côte D'Ivoire
209: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
210: Harare, Zimbabwe
211: Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan
212: Lagos, Nigeria [#19 biggest city world]
213: Abuja, Nigeria
214: Dhaka, Bangladesh [#11 biggest city world]
215: Dushanbe, Tajikistan
216: Antananarivo, Madagascar
217: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
218: Tripoli, Libya
219: Niamey, Niger
220: Bamako, Mali
221: Nouakchott, Mauritania
222: Conakry, Guinea
223: Kinshasa, Democratic Rep. of the Congo
224: Brazzaville, Congo
225: Damascus, Syria
226: N'djamena, Chad
227: Khartoum, Sudan
228: Port au Prince, Haiti
229: Sana'a, Republic of Yeman
230: Bangui, Central African Republic
231: Baghdad, Iraq
Last edited:
