They're going to have to retire this trophy, once again Vienna has won the title for world's most livable city. And since I was there just last year it would have gotten my vote if they had asked, I thought it seemed pretty darn nice.
Oddly a bunch of German cities fell down the latest list. Apologies in advance for a link!
phred,
Vienna is definitely a beautiful and historic city and I tend to agree with all the accolades, although my opinion is limited to being a visitor there. I'm sure those that live there have a much more comprehensive view.
The poll is about the livibility of a city which has some shared values with tourism but is still a different thing. For instance, does a tourist care about the quality of education in Vienna? I guess being around well educated people might make the experience a bi nicer, otherwise ... not to relevant.
I am surprised that some of the most expensive cities in Europe made the top ten. Begs the question, "livable" for who?
But I cant be too judgmental or it deprives me of the right to brag that my adopted hometown ranked 32nd in the world (score of 92 vs Vienna's 93.5).
The German cities fell on the chart due to "civil unrest" which is interesting but may be the same factor that made Budapest rise on the list (the lack of civil unrest). Whch brings up the question, will the Canadian cities in the top 10 on the index fare as well in next years ranking because of civil unrest?
But its a fun survey. If you want to know the details behind the ranking you can purchase them for under $1000.00.
Last fall in Vienna a tour guide was explaining how Austria needs immigration, they're "looking for smart people". Later, he introduced some sights by asking questions (what year, how many, etc.). I kept answering the questions so he told me I could immigrate to Austria if I wanted. ;-)
I like Vienna/Austria. If I were moving to Europe, I'm not sure it would be my first choice. Easy immigration is certainly a plus.
Some surprises (though I did not look at the criteria used if they were listed): Amsterdam, London, and Stockholm not included.
Five English-speaking cities--none in the US.
The source article behind the euronews site from the OP is the Economist's Global Liveability Index for 2024. The index ranks the liveability of 173 cities across five key categories, including stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.
