09-25-2018, 09:23 PM
The criteria used to define 'liveable city', 'quality of living', and 'greatest / best city to live' are quite different across EIU, Forbes, Mercer, Monocle, etc.
The Economist is ranking Toronto as #1 "Best City" because Toronto is indeed the fastest growing area for (tech) jobs, ahead of Seattle, NYC, Bay Area, and DC.
They do consider cost-of-living, but I think they've weighted this lower - because PPP and BMI clearly prove that Toronto is more expensive (housing, food, dining, insurance, etc.) than other top contenders.
Of course, the "most liveable / quality" cities are usually the 'dream' cities - the most expensive places to live: Zurich, Vienna, Munich, Copenhagen, etc. These places are culturally beautiful and socially dynamic; attracts ambitious people; provides all the essentials, except for the really important point that it's too expensive for average middle-class people of the 1st world. It doesn't consider disposable/dispensable income rates, how difficult it is to find (affordable) housing (for single income vs. family), or cost of housing (rent / buy), dining-out cost --> falls under PPP or BMI. Without those things being satisfied, it's quite difficult to 'live well' somewhere.
This article makes some good points why the liveable cities index are wrong: https://www.forbes.com/2009/08/10/cities...be8a3a2181
Monocle's Quality of Life Index:
- Safety/crime
- International connectivity
- Climate/sunshine
- Quality of architecture
- Public transport
- Tolerance
- Environmental issues and access to nature
- Urban design
- Business conditions
- Pro-active policy developments
- Medical care
Mercer Quality of Living Index:
- Political and social environment (political stability, crime, law enforcement)
- Economic environment (currency-exchange regulations, banking services)
- Socio-cultural environment (media availability and censorship, limitations on personal freedom)
- Medical and health considerations (medical supplies and services, infectious diseases, sewage, waste disposal, air pollution)
- Schools and education (standards and availability of international schools)
- Public services and transportation (electricity, water, public transportation, traffic congestion)
- Recreation (restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports and leisure)
- Consumer goods (availability of food/daily consumption items, cars)
- Housing (rental housing, household appliances, furniture, maintenance services)
- Natural environment (climate, record of natural disasters)
The Economist is ranking Toronto as #1 "Best City" because Toronto is indeed the fastest growing area for (tech) jobs, ahead of Seattle, NYC, Bay Area, and DC.
They do consider cost-of-living, but I think they've weighted this lower - because PPP and BMI clearly prove that Toronto is more expensive (housing, food, dining, insurance, etc.) than other top contenders.
Of course, the "most liveable / quality" cities are usually the 'dream' cities - the most expensive places to live: Zurich, Vienna, Munich, Copenhagen, etc. These places are culturally beautiful and socially dynamic; attracts ambitious people; provides all the essentials, except for the really important point that it's too expensive for average middle-class people of the 1st world. It doesn't consider disposable/dispensable income rates, how difficult it is to find (affordable) housing (for single income vs. family), or cost of housing (rent / buy), dining-out cost --> falls under PPP or BMI. Without those things being satisfied, it's quite difficult to 'live well' somewhere.
This article makes some good points why the liveable cities index are wrong: https://www.forbes.com/2009/08/10/cities...be8a3a2181
Monocle's Quality of Life Index:
- Safety/crime
- International connectivity
- Climate/sunshine
- Quality of architecture
- Public transport
- Tolerance
- Environmental issues and access to nature
- Urban design
- Business conditions
- Pro-active policy developments
- Medical care
Mercer Quality of Living Index:
- Political and social environment (political stability, crime, law enforcement)
- Economic environment (currency-exchange regulations, banking services)
- Socio-cultural environment (media availability and censorship, limitations on personal freedom)
- Medical and health considerations (medical supplies and services, infectious diseases, sewage, waste disposal, air pollution)
- Schools and education (standards and availability of international schools)
- Public services and transportation (electricity, water, public transportation, traffic congestion)
- Recreation (restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports and leisure)
- Consumer goods (availability of food/daily consumption items, cars)
- Housing (rental housing, household appliances, furniture, maintenance services)
- Natural environment (climate, record of natural disasters)