The Economist’s 10 Most Liveable Cities for 2019
- By Peter Gordon
- •
- 19 Sep, 2019
For the second year running Melbourne has been pipped by 0.7 of a percentage point as the best city in the world to live by Austrian capital Vienna.
The index by the Economist Intelligence Unit analysed the most liveable cities for 2019 with mid-sized cities in wealthier countries coming out on top.
Vienna has ranked as the world's most liveable city for the second year running, topping the table with almost perfect scores for infrastructure, stability, education, healthcare and culture and environment.
Melbourne, having clinched the title for the previous seven editions, was undone by Austrian capital's low crime rate, which nudged Vienna into top spot, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit.
With a score of 98.4 in 2019, Melbourne has once again fallen just short of the top spot, but still achieved scores of 100 in healthcare, education and infrastructure. Thanks to its thriving arts scene, Melbourne is often dubbed Australia's cultural capital.
Vienna and Melbourne scored maximum points in the healthcare, education and infrastructure categories.
Melbourne extended its lead in the culture and environment component, but that was outweighed by Vienna's improved stability ranking.
Sydney — Australia's second-highest Australian city, ranking third — like Melbourne, achieved a perfect 100 for healthcare, education and infrastructure, it scored 95 for stability and 94.4 for culture and environment.
“This is attributable to an improvement in Sydney’s culture and environment score, reflecting an increased focus on combating and mitigating the impacts of climate change, as outlined by the city’s 'Sustainable Sydney 2030' strategy,” Economist analysts said.
Sydney, Australia's most populous city, jumped from fifth the previous year to third and for a sixth straight year Adelaide made the top five.
Osaka and Calgary made up the top five on the annual index of 140 cities around the world.
Other Australian and New Zealand cities in the top 20 included Auckland in 12th, Perth in 14th and Brisbane in 18th.
Of other major cities, London and New York ranked 48th and 58th as “they wrestle within the stability class, owing to perceptions of the danger of crime and terrorism”.
Article courtesy The Urban Developer 4/9/19
Melbourne still has a very impressive ranking in this study and is still one of our recommended areas to invest in.
| Quiet simply, the Palms is the place to buy! |
Sydneysiders and Melburnians, put aside your equally outstanding flat whites for a moment. Stop bickering about whether great beaches beat cool laneways (they do) and desist from debating whether all baristas require waxed moustaches (ideally).
Because Brisbane is closing in on the title of Australia’s best city, and we must join forces to keep this subtropical upstart in its place.
Time magazine recently named Brisvegas on its “World’s Greatest Places” list, and omitted our cities. It’s a huge shock (and who knew they still published Time magazine?). But they might be onto something.
Time points to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which will be hosted in the maroon metropolis. Brisbane will do a fine job, even though it’ll baffle the world when rugby league is added to the schedule and Queensland is allowed to field its own team.
Time’s most radical claim is that Brisbane is worth visiting now, but tourism is surging. Not only did Lin-Manuel Miranda recently drop in to catch Hamilton , but hundreds of Hamilfans flew up to watch his interview with Leigh Sales (presumably unaware that it would subsequently arrive on iView for free).
A leading local agent has appraised each side of these duplex's to be worth $665k on completion and rent for $495 per week. So that is massive potentail instant equity of up to $390K on completion, which is incredibly hard to find.