Vancouver tops list of world’s most livable cities


According to the Economist Intelligence Unit — a research arm of the renowned business magazine The Economist, Vancouver is the “most attractive” city and tops the list of livable locations in the world

The Economist Intelligence Unit surveyed 127 cities and found Canada to have the world’s most livable cities — with low crime, little threat from instability or terrorism and a highly developed infrastructure. The magazine ranked Vancouver highest of all 127 cities surveyed, with Calgary and Toronto also making the survey’s top five.

The survey’s livability rankings assessed living conditions by examining just under 40 individual indicators that were grouped into five categories: stability; healthcare; culture and environment; education; and infrastructure.

The survey gave ratings of 0-100 per cent and cities judged with the lowest scores were considered the more attractive destinations. Vancouver rated a one per cent score.

The recognition is hardly news to anyone familiar with Vancouver, especially someone like John Tylee, Senior Associate with the International Centre for Sustainable Cities in Vancouver.

“Part of it is related to livability,” says Tylee of Vancouver’s ranking. “Another element is long-term sustainability. There’s a far greater concern about sustainability in this town than pretty much any other place that I’ve worked or traveled to. Part of that is around being in a place that has such incredible natural beauty and, therefore, a wish to maintain that beauty.”

Tylee participated in another competition that features Vancouver’s long-term sustainability. In 2003, the International Gas Union held a worldwide competition that called for the best 100-year plan to make cities more sustainable.

“Vancouver won that competition,” he says. “It was a collaboration between the Greater Vancouver Regional District, the International Centre for Sustainable Cities, and a Vancouver consulting company. We produced a 100-year plan for Vancouver that was felt to be the strongest of all the international plans submitted. That’s another development we are very proud of here in Vancouver.”

The City of Vancouver has made its own bold commitment to sustainability. The City has developed a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations to 20 per cent below 1990 Kyoto levels, and it has embarked on a community-wide engagement program to encourage Vancouver residents and businesses to reduce their energy consumption. The program, One Day, calls for Vancouver to become the cleanest, greenest, healthiest city in the world.

In 2004, the City hired Tom Osdoba, its first Manager of Sustainability and leader of the new Office of Sustainability. Osdoba says the City of Vancouver’s commitment to social, economic and environmental sustainability stems from the values that Vancouver residents share and care about.

“Our research shows that Vancouver residents overwhelmingly value the sense of this place — the clean air, our safe streets, the natural surroundings that allow us to be fit and active — and they’re willing to be part of the movement to protect and preserve all that,” he says. “Through One Day, we’re encouraging people to take small first steps, and as we gain momentum and success, we hope to become a model for how major urban centres use and consume energy.”