Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide overtake Sydney as ‘world’s most livable cities’

AUSTRALIA performed exceptionally well in the Economic Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) annual livability report which ranks cities around the world based on living standards.

“It is an exciting time in Melbourne: We’ve got many major infrastructure projects under way, including the Metro Tunnel, and the proposed renewal of the Queen Victoria Market precinct,” he told The Age.

Melbourne is the world’s most livable city for the sixth time. Pic: Where To Tonight

South Australia’s capital Adelaide tied with Calgary to take fifth spot. The city – though sleepy – is the center of some of Australia’s most important wine regions.

Climbing up one spot to sixth place is Perth, which scored perfect 100s across healthcare, education and infrastructure.

State Premier and Tourism Minister Colin Barnett said, “Perth is a vibrant city with clear skies, fresh air and beautiful beaches, where people can still enjoy the benefits of a modern, sophisticated city and a relaxed lifestyle.”

Perth scored perfect 100s across healthcare, education and infrastructure. Pic: Daniel Lee/flickr

Meanwhile, Sydney slipped to 11th place this year because of a heightened perceived threat of terrorism. Also suffering sharp declines in rankings this year are Paris and Athens in 32nd and 69th places respectively.

Up one spot from last year is Auckland, the only New Zealand city on the list.

Here’s the full list of the world’s most livable cities:

1. Melbourne, Australia
2. Vienna, Austria
3. Vancouver, Canada
4. Toronto, Canada
5. Adelaide, Australia/Calgary, Canada
6. Perth, Australia
7. Auckland, New Zealand
8. Helsinki, Finland
9. Hamburg, Germany

The carefully calculated rankings take into account factors such as safety, infrastructure, healthcare, educational resources and environment.

According to the EIU, the most livable cities in the world tend to be mid-sized cities in wealthier countries with a relatively low population density. This explains the low rankings of megacities such as London, New York and Tokyo.

Megacities like Tokyo performed poorly on the list. Pic: B Lucava/flickr

Although those cities may be considered prestigious business and finance hubs with a wealth of recreational activity, they also suffered from higher crime rates, congestion and public transportation problems.

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Source: travelwireasia.com