World s best cities

The Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) most recent global liveability report^[1] shows cities in Canada, Australia, Austria, Finland and New Zealand as the ideal destinations, thanks to a widespread availability of goods and services, low personal risk, and an effective infrastructure. It does not take into account climate or the cost of living as a factor in 'liveability.' The Economist Intelligence Unit has been criticized by the New York Times for being overly anglocentric, stating that "The Economist clearly equates livability with speaking English."^[4]

Their August 2012 report placed Melbourne, Australia as the most livable city in the world, with Vienna, Austria taking second place, followed by Vancouver, Canada^[2], unchanged from the top three the previous year.^[5] There was controversy related to the lowering of Vancouver's rating due to traffic congestion, as the example given was a location on the Malahat Highway, 90 kilometers away from the city and on Vancouver Island. A clarifying statement on the website stated that "The Malahat closures were meant to provide an example of the congestion that has affected the region as a whole."^[6]

Other Canadian cities also ranked highly in the survey, with Toronto holding the 4th position, and Calgary tied with Adelaide at 5th. Two other Australian cities, Sydney at 7th and Perth at 9th, were ranked among the top ten.