Vienna is once again hailed as the “world’s most liveable city” as it successfully held off Melbourne to retain the title for the second time.
The Austrian capital was ranked number one in a global survey ran by the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index for 2019. The survey ranks 140 cities in total. Results of the survey further strengthened Vienna’s already established reputation as the “world’s most pleasant city”.
Vienna’s main attractions are its classical music and imperial history. These are credited for drawing flocks of tourists along with the capital’s abundant natural spaces and high-quality public services. Coming in second in the rankings is Melbourne which held the title for seven years until Vienna ousted the city last year.
Vienna and Melbourne have been head-to-head in the said survey for years and this time, the former only scored 0.7 ahead of the latter.
Sydney closely tails Melbourne in the survey ranking third overall as it rose from the fifth spot. The huge jump is credited for the city’s proactive measures in improving its culture and environment score according to the EIU. Sydney, Australia’s most populous city, has increased its focus on sustainability to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Osaka placed fourth subsequently followed by three cities from Canada–Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto. The last tied with Tokyo both placing seventh in the rankings. Tying for the 10th spot is Copenhagen and Adelaide–Australia’s third entry in the survey.
The 140 cities in total are ranked in five categories including:
Stability and Culture at 25%
Environment at 25%
Healthcare at 20%
Infrastructure at 20%
Education at 10%