Vancouver 3rd best place to live in world
City places first in Canada in international survey

Wency Leung
Vancouver Sun
Monday, April 10, 2006

Vancouver is the best city in Canada in which to live, and the third-best in the world, according to an annual quality of life survey.

Of 215 cities polled, Vancouver came behind only the Swiss cities of Zurich and Geneva, Mercer Human Resource Consulting said in its annual Worldwide Quality of Living Survey.

Vancouver kept the same ranking as last year, while Toronto edged up one spot to 15th and Ottawa climbed three spots to 18th. Montreal ranked 22nd and Calgary 25th.

Mercer consultant Rebecca Powers said Vancouver topped the other Canadian cities due to its natural environment and recreational sites.

"It's the relative nearness of the mountains, skiing, the ocean... as well as the moderate climate relative to the rest of the country," Powers said by telephone from San Francisco.

But, she added: "The rest of Canada shouldn't fee that slighted (by Vancouver's high ranking). The difference... in the scheme of things, isn't that large."
The survey is tailored to help governments and multinational companies place employees on international assignments.

It is based on 39 indicators, including political, social, economic factors, personal safety, and health, education, transportation and public services. It also examines environmental factors, such as climate and each city's record of natural disasters.
While the survey did not directly factor in the cost of housing, it does consider the availability and quality of housing.

Canadian cities scored higher that all U.S. cities included in the survey.

New York City, which was used as a base against which all other cities were compared, rated 46th.

Honolulu, the top city in the U.S., dropped two positions to 27th, while San Francisco remained at 28th.

"Overall, U.S. cities continue to slip slightly or remain stable in the rankings, except Chicago, which has moved up 11 places due to decreased crime rates," Mercer stated in a report accompanying the survey results.

It noted that declines south of the border have often been the result of increased air pollution, crime, natural disasters or terrorism.

Canada's natural environment is seen as better that the U.S., while crime in the U.S. is generally considered a bigger issue, Powers said.

Baghdad scored the worst place in the world expatriates to live, unchanged from last year. Congo's capital of Brazzaville was the second-worst.

Broadening instability in the Middle East also affected Cairo's rating, causing it to plummet.

Rankings for most of western Europe either improved or remained unchanged, but Dublin fell two places to 24th, mostly due to traffic congestion.

The quality of living in Eastern Europe cities showed gradual improvement, as did scores for Asia-Pacific cities.

Mercer anticipated Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai will see higher quality of living scores in the next few years due to increased foreign investment, while India would also benefit from improved political relations with other countries.

Shanghai placed 103rd, the highest rank in China, and Mumbai ranked 150th.

THE GOOD AND BAD:

BEST CITIES IN WHICH TO LIVE (SEVERAL CITIES TIED):

1. Zurich, Switzerland
2. Geneva, Switzerland
3. Vancouver, Canada
4. Vienna, Austria
5. Auckland, New Zealand
6. Dusseldorf, Germany
7. Frankfurt, Germany
8. Munich, Germany
9. Bern, Switzerland
9. Sydney, Australia

WORST CITIES IN WHICH TO LIVE:

1. Baghdad, Iraq
2. Brazzaville, Congo
3. Bangui, Central African Republic
4. Khartoum, Sudan
5. Pointe Noire, Congo
6. Ndjamena, Chad
7. Sanna, Yemen Arab Republic
7. Port Harcourt, Nigeria
7. Nouaakchott, Mauritania

Source: 2006 Worldwide Quality of living Survey, conducted by Mercer Human Resource Consulting

 

Vancouver is 'best city to live'

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Vancouver is the world's most desirable place to live, according to a new survey, while Papua New Guinea's Port Moresby is at the other end of the scale.

The Canadian city, nestled on the Pacific coast, was one of four locations in that country to rank at the top of the Economist Intelligence Unit's livability survey, which looked at conditions in 127 cities.

The other top-ranking Canadian cities were Toronto, Calgary and Montreal.

Australia also fared well in the survey by the London-based group, with Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Sydney scoring high marks along with Vienna, Austria, and Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland.

The EIU study assessed nearly 40 indicators in five broad categories -- stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

"In the current global political climate, it is no surprise that the most desirable destinations are those with a lower perceived threat of terrorism," said Jon Copestake, editor of the report.

Joining Port Moresby at the bottom of the list were Algiers, Algeria, and Dhaka, Bangladesh. Karachi, Pakistan, and Lagos, Nigeria, also ranked poorly. The EIU said 10 cities -- all in Asia, Africa or the Middle East -- had aspects of daily life that "present challenges."

By contrast, the EIU said 63 cities fell into the top livability bracket.

"This reflects the fact that many global business centers have a developed infrastructure and widespread availability," the report states. "Still, the overwhelming majority of cities in the top livability range are based in western Europe and North America."

The report said Canada, "with low crime, little threat from instability or terrorism and a highly developed infrastructure," is the most livable destination in the world.

"Although higher crime rates and a greater threat of terror puts U.S. cities below those of Canada, U.S. cities are still among the world's most livable." Cleveland and Pittsburgh had the highest American scores.

Only three cities in eastern Europe fall into this bracket along with 13 cities from Asia, the EUI said.

Vancouver named 'world's best city'
CTV.ca News Staff

For the fourth year in a row, Vancouver has claimed the top spot on an international ranking of the world's most livable cities.

In its annual survey of world cities, the think-tank division of London-based Economist magazine ranks the British Columbia metropolis first among 127.

To create its list, the Economist Intelligence Unit surveyed the cities, assigning each one a 'hardship rating' based on such factors as infrastructure, health care, public safety and access to goods and services.

Vancouver scored a mere one per cent.

With three Canadian cities in the Top 10, residents of Toronto and Calgary also have reason to cheer, as their cities are ranked ninth and tenth respectively.

The EIU's top 10 cities are as follows:

Vancouver
Melbourne
Vienna
Geneva
Perth
Adelaide
Sydney
Zurich
Toronto
Calgary

According to the report's editor, cities in Canada, Australia and Western Europe topped the list, largely because they are not perceived as targets for terror attacks.