where's Seattle? - 25 most liveable cites...

2009-06-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

Browsing one of my addictive magazines lately, Monocle. [www.monocle.com]

Looking at an old issue, I came across this.

25 most liveable cites.

Criteria -

"What do you really want out of a city? And what can you do without? With the environment top of the agenda in mayors' offices around the world,Monocle looks beyond the recycling bins and congestion charges to see what makes for a liveable city. Tolerance, punctual transit, plenty of sunshine and the ability to get a drink in the wee hours all count for something." - monocle.

1. COPENHAGEN, DENMARK -

Copenhageners rejoice: your city

(and its design) has our gold medal

Good looks, brains, perfect proportions,

a sunny disposition and a sense of

humour are always a winning combination

– no matter what the competition.

In the urban quality of life stakes a mix of

all these, plus a firm grasp of environmental

issues, regional transport and a

variety of subjective elements (food culture,

housing design, retail mix and quality

of cocktails) all helped pull the city up

from second place last year to global

leader for 2008.

Copenhagen treats residents to a

lifestyle that’s hard to match:manageable

scale, a clean harbour for brisk dips and

abundant green space.The development

of the Metro system and a commitment

to cycling makes urban navigation swift

and seamless. Some recent residential

developments have created neighbourhoods

lacking the street life that makes

the rest of the city tick but it appears that

developers have learnt from these mistakes.

We’d happily move house if the

right offer came along.—

2. MUNICH, GERMANY -

Pipped to the post this year, 2007’s

champ still charms us every time

Ever since the BerlinWall fell, Munich

has been caught between the thriving

new capital, which is attracting a young

crowd, and Dresden, the capital of

German baroque in the east. Throw in

the fact that Siemens, one of the city’s

largest employers, is embroiled in scandal

and that for the first time since 1945

the dominance of Bavaria’s arch-conservative

Christian Socialist Union party

looks seriously threatened, and it’s easy

to understand why Munich has been

going through some soul-searching.

But through it all,Munich stands up

to the competition (although it’s a shame

they dropped the plan for theTransrapid

airport link). While the club scene is

making creative types think twice about

fleeing to Berlin,Munich’s pull is still its

unrivalled quality of life. It combines a

strong economy with rich cultural offerings.

The city’s workforce is highly qualified;

its universities world class. And if

the walls start closing in you’ve got the

Alps on your doorstep.

3. TOKYO, JAPAN -

Behind the fast-fwd stereotype lies

a big city getting the basics right

Tokyo is a vast city, which means it can

be maddeningly difficult to know.Astonishingly,

a third ofTokyo’s buildings have

been erected since 1985, which means

the city is always brimming with new

ideas and architecture. It’s also a city of

unsurpassed service – stores and hotels

outdo each other to attractTokyo’s fickle,

demanding citizenry.Yet, despite lacking

an obvious centre, this is a city that gets

the basics right. Public transport runs

with digital precision, people are mindful

of others, and the crime rate is low.

Japan’s deep-seated conservatism is

slowly giving way to a new generation of

well-travelled, job-hopping twenty and

thirtysomethings who are changing

Tokyo, challenging stereotypes and creating

an even more dynamic city.—

4. ZURICH, SWITZERLAND-

Our continental European seat still

impresses but occasionally irritates

It’s not just liberal fiscal policies that have

enticed international corporations such

as hewlett Packard, GM, Google and

many others to set up in Zürich. The

city’s world-class education facilities and

cultural offerings, great local public

transport and well-connected airport

mean it can satisfy even the most demanding

employees.

All this may seem perfect, but the city

should not rest on its laurels. Its lack of

buzz and slightly unwelcoming atmosphere

have led us to shift it down a notch

this year. Zürich needs to be more flexible

– its old-fashioned regulations for

business and shopping hours should be

challenged and revised. It’s still up there

with the best. But it needs to relax if it

wants to stay there.—

5. HELSINKI, FINLAND -

Waterside revival, civic pride and a view to Asia bode well for the city

Six months of ice, snow and rain a year

haven’t stopped helsinki,which has gone

through a marked change over the past

10 years. new schemes are turning the

city’s harbours into urban spaces,making

better use of helsinki’s position on the

waterfront. Fresh names in fashion, such

as Jasmin Santanen and Paola Suhonen

give Finnishness a new meaning abroad,

while at home in music and cinema an

admiration for all things American has

given way to domestic talent. The city

could be more diverse ethnically – but

even there, the situation is improving.

If only the shops could keep their

doors open on Sundays even in the

winter – we all love a day of non-commercial

relaxation, but allowing some

shopping doesn’t take that away.

6. VIENNA, AUSTRIA -

Rooted in a rich but dark history,

today’sVienna is looking forward

Don’t be deceived by Vienna’s apparent

bourgeois rectitude. The capital of

Austria has always been a frontier town,

where cultures meet, clash and spawn

new syntheses. The Viennese love to

party and not just because the city hosts

123,000 students. Proud of its intellectual

heritage,Vienna’s art scene thrives each

summer when it puts on a four-month

street party at the MuseumsQuartier.

The complex boasts more than 50 cultural

institutions including the worldrenowned

Museum of Modern Art.

Vienna’s local government is ecofriendly,

and public transport is cheap,

clean and reliable.The city has more than

1,000km of bicycle lanes. It’s also one of

Europe’s greenest cities, with around 90

parks and gardens.—

7. STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN -

Stockholm has stopped resting on its

laurels and is booming once more

Stockholm, with its archipelago, pristine

parks and old architecture, is pretty as a

princess cake – the Swedes’ favourite

birthday treat. But it’s also a bit like a

powdered corpse, in the words of architect

Anders Wilhelmson.now a change is

taking place, as the city experiences its

biggest building boom since the 1970s.

The challenge is to keep the things all

Stockholmers cherish – the open spaces,

water views and small neighbourhoods –

while at the same time providing enough

housing for future generations. Almost

50,000 new flats are being built or

planned and 33 skyscrapers are in the

pipeline. Stockholm’s art scene is booming,

too. new galleries are opening up

and theModernaMuseet is having some

of the best years in its history.—

8. VANCOUVER, CANADA -

Culturally diverse Vancouver is

gearing up for a greener Games

By accepting increased building density

as official city policy,Vancouver believes

it is leading the continent in addressing

climate change. Last year, 7 per cent

fewer cars made the daily commute to

the city core.

host of the 2010Winter Olympics,

the city is ahead of schedule in construction

of infrastructure and preparation. A

specialised drug unit is aimed at the city’s

estimated 4,000 hydroponic marijuanagrowing

operations. Police are also

charged with reducing homelessness,

begging and the open drug market in

time for the opening ceremonies.

Vancouverians are ethnically diverse,

tolerant and slow to divulge that they

have access to the freshest and most

affordable sushi on the west coast.

9. MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA -

Vibrant, art-loving Melbourne is

booming – and sprawling

Melbourne’s economy is humming, its

arts scene is thriving, and more than

1,000 new people a week are calling the

city home. however, this influx has

forced the state government to release

more housing land on Melbourne’s

fringe and the city’s 30-year development

plan is being largely ignored as urban

sprawl continues.

Public transport is already stretched,

with no major investments planned and

the city’s relaxed drinking laws are causing

a moral panic about alcohol-fuelled

violence.To top it all off, house prices are

starting to look positively Sydney-like

(they jumped 25 per cent last year).The

question for Melbourne is whether the

city can cope with the growing pains

brought on by its own success.

10. PARIS, FRANCE -

Paris has picked itself up, ready to

reclaim its place as a global city

The French capital has headed up our

chart this year in recognition that it is setting

benchmarks in urbanism that have

officials from around the world heading

to meet mayor Bertrand DelanoeÅN.

The city’s revitalised confidence

(bruised after it lost out to London in the

battle to host the 2012 Olympic Games

and was hit by race riots in 2005) has

prompted a shift in attitude: the city feels

less uptight. Seeing Parisians of all varieties

whizzing around on the city’s

20,000 VeÅLlib’ bikes (the world’s biggest

bike hire scheme), you sense a more

playful, inventive city in the making.Add

to that the celebrated cafeÅL culture, independent

retail and that classic architecture

and you have a ga^teau-sized slice of

quality of life.

11.SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

It has its problems, but changes are

promised for the harbour city

What’s not to love about Sydney? Amazing

views, an outdoor lifestyle, beaches

on your doorstep and restaurants in

abundance. In short, life is good. Unless,

say many Sydneysiders, you happen to

live here. Residents suffer public transport

that barely works, clogged roads and

outrageous property prices.

But change is in sight. The council

(this is not a city usually associated with

dynamic leadership) has introduced the

first comprehensive review of Sydney’s

development in years.The state government

has chipped in with the promise of

a metro rail line to the city’s northwest

and the redevelopment of an old port

into housing, entertainment venues and

parks. Sydney seems to have realised that

good looks aren’t always enough.

12. HONOLULU, USA -

Sun and surf make up for the 50th

state’s occasional problems

near-perfect weather and breathtaking

natural scenery keep this city in our rankings

in spite of overdevelopment and occasional

under-funding.

Ask a honolulu government employee

about affirmative action, and

you’ll get an immediate slap on the wrist:

“The minorities are a majority here, so

we are not aware of any such policies.”

Indeed, the city’s various ethnic skeins

are so interwoven it’s often impossible to

untangle them.Only the native hawaiian

heritage is prized above all others

with various incentives and programmes

geared toward preserving it.

Locals are passionate about sports –

particularly surfing. Teachers say that

they know when the waves are good, because

half the students call in sick.—

13. MADRID, SPAIN -

State regeneration on a huge scale is

making Madrid more appealing

having lost out to Barcelona in other

league tables in the past, Madrid set its

sights on international elevation with the

Madrid Global campaign.

Mayor Alberto Ruiz-GallardoÅLn is

also fulfilling his promise to Madrilenos

to change the face of their city. After

burying the unpopular M-30 ring-road

and promoting liberal thinking (he even

officiated the gay wedding of an employee),

Ruiz-GallardoÅLn has shifted his

focus to a huge regeneration scheme.

Dubbed Madrid RiÅLo, the 820-hectare

park will traverse six central districts and

reclaim theManzanares river banks,with

surrounding streets adapted as pedestrian

tributaries.All this regeneration is putting

pressure on coffers, but residents seem to

be enjoying the results.—

14. BERLIN, GERMANY -

A thirst for radical ideas makes

Berlin our culture leader

To paraphrase the writer and Berlin lover

karl Scheffler, “Berlin is a city damned

to be forever changing, but never

become.”More than 80 years on the sentiment

still holds true – if maybe not for

much longer. Berlin’s centre has been

reinivigorated by ad agency executives,

gallerists and the diplomats and government

bureaucrats who moved here when

Berlin once again became the capital of

Germany in 1999. Until the financiers

come, Berlin remains a laboratory for

artists, a playground for international

nomads and an increasingly attractive

business location for Germany’s creative

and media classes. But who knows? In a

few years Berlin might be more than a

city that, in the words of its inimitable

mayor, is “poor, but sexy”.

15. BARCELONA, SPAIN -

Instead of pandering to tourists, the

city is putting residents first

Barcelona’s Ajuntament has reacted well

to claims that the city is losing its edge to

the capital. Little can be done to slough

the resentment felt by Catalans toward

the vast numbers of tourists, but the city

is shifting its focus away from tourism.

A new law to regulate the use of apartments

in the centre has seen almost 600

properties revert from short-term holiday

rentals to permanent apartamentos.

Transport and infrastructure is also receiving

more funding.Use of bicycles has

risen a staggering 81 per cent since last

year, thanks largely to the citywide rental

business, and an additional 28km of cycle

lanes are under construction. Jean

nouvel’s Parc Central in the developing

district of Poble nou is the latest in a

series of green space initiatives.

16. MONTREAL, CANADA -

Canada’s French capital steals our

hearts, but leaves us less than green

Like MontreÅLal’s traditional greeting – a

two-cheek kiss – life in la belle ville retains

a Gallic flair. MontreÅLalers are famed for

their love of wine, cigarettes and poutine,

though they’ve begun to embrace healthier

living – two years ago, smoking was

banned in bars and resaurants.

As Canada’s cultural capital, fashion

designers, musicians and writers are a

major export. There are also booming

video game, special effects and aerospace

industries. The gap between rich and

poor, however, is growing – one-quarter

of families live on low incomes.MontreÅLal

lags behind when it comes to recycling,

but eco-consciousness is rising: the

Lachine Canal is being cleaned up for

boating and biking, while sustainable

housing is popping up.

17. FUKUOKA, JAPAN -

Japan’s quality-of-life and shopping

capital lives up to its sizeable hype

Every so often the Japanese media hone

in on a city and proclaim it to be the new

place to live; and these days it’s all about

Fukuoka. Some 889 km from Tokyo,

Fukuoka sits on the northern tip of

kyushu, one of Japan’s further-flung

islands. It has all the advantages of a big

city – excellent shopping, outstanding

food, good transport links – with all the

cosiness of a smaller, provincial town.

Friendly, safe and clean, its proximity to

East Asia – Shanghai is closer thanTokyo

– means that Fukuoka is one of the most

cosmopolitan cities in Japan. Fukuoka

has good museums, a symphony hall and

a multi-storey 24-hour book shop. Best

of all, Fukuoka has a feeling of openness

in its sea air and green spaces – a rarity

in Japanese cities.

18. AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS -

Tolerance and innovation are key to

the Dutch city’s appeal

Amsterdam’s combination of canals, bicycles,

green spaces and stunning old

and new architecture is hard to beat.

And, despite some locals’ concerns over

immigration, it remains a tolerant haven

amid Europe’s urban discontents.

Because of its dynamic, can-do atmosphere,

Amsterdam has successfully

transformed itself from a traditional

transport and trade hub into a centre for

science and technology.

With its cycling tradition – there’s

almost one bike per person – Amsterdam

had a head start in environmental terms.

It is one of the first cities in the world to

switch on to energy-saving street lighting.

The city will continue to be a magnet for

business and a good place to lead a relatively

stress-free life.

19. MINNEAPOLIS, USA -

A rustbelt revival is attracting young

art, new money – and old problems

For the first time in a generation, population,

housing and jobs all climbed last

year. Corporate giants have bankrolled

multimillion-dollar redesigns of cultural

buildings and near-weekly festivals.The

Twin Cities’ culinary reputation is on the

rise, artists are staking out rehabbed

warehouses, and young professionals are

moving in, attracted by the low costof-

living-to-culture ratio.

Minneapolitans pride themselves on

their community ethos, with two-thirds

of neighbourhoods organising block

clubs to prevent crime and connect citizens.

Yet they’re often segregated by race

and class, especially in schools.There is

also an infrastructure problem. Public

transport is weak, and leaders spar over

who can do the most to remedy it.—

20. KYOTO, JAPAN -

Green and arty Kyoto has been setting

the agenda for centuries

Despite its image abroad as a buttonedup

temple town, this city of almost 1.5

million is home to some of the world’s

most forward-thinking firms, including

nintendo, kyocera andWacoal, a thriving

art scene and bars and nightclubs

that stay open till sun-up and offer something

for everyone, from jazz to hip-hop.

As one would expect, the home of the

kyoto Protocol on climate change is

taking the lead on environmental issues

too. Since introducing buses to Japan

about 100 years ago, kyoto’s public

transport system has grown into one

of the best in the nation, with a reach

that sees every one of its 25,000 local

government workers use subway, trains,

buses and trams to travel to and

from work.

21. HAMBURG, GERMANY -

Germany’s liberal publishing hub

has to work harder to keep the talent

With its coalition of CDu and Greens,

hamburg is emblematic of Germany’s

new Bürgerlichkeit, or middle class. It

demonstrates a will to solve problems

rather than be bound by ideological rifts.

A seaport city with centuries-old

international links, hamburg’s openness

and liberal world view can be felt from

the gritty bars on the Reeperbahn to the

editorial offices of Germany’s leading

newspapers and magazines that have

their headquarters here. A number of

advertising companies, musicians and

artists have left for the capital, but the

hanseatic port is fighting back, reasserting

itself with aggressive urban renewal,

and a new research centre focusing on

the threat posed by the rising sea.—

22. SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE -

High futurism is being met by more

civic freedom in Singapore – at last

Since gaining independence from Britain

in 1965, Singapore has leapfrogged to

FirstWorld status in barely two generations.

Today, it is shifting its social and

cultural mores at a rate that bewilders

even its citizens.There is a growing political

outspokenness that, 10 years ago,

would have been unthinkable under the

famously censorial government. But there

is still much more to be done here.

The careful stockpiling of reserves

and a prudent fiscal policy that has

shielded the economy from the worst of

the global financial crisis, and a canny

immigration policy have lured in many

bold-faced investments; among them an

F1 leg, the 2010Youth Olympics and two

massive casino resorts.—

23. GENEVA, SWITZERLAND -

Geneva is lovely but a little staid: the

canton could afford a few changes

While the likes of Procter & Gamble and

nissan enjoy the attractive incentives

offered by the canton, employees love the

quick journey-times to the slopes, the

lake and the generally high standards that

underline daily life.

Geneva didn’t do anything wrong

over the past year but it didn’t do much

that’s new either. In many ways this is the

city’s blessing – and curse. For a town as

affluent as Geneva, it could tear down its

airport and start again, it could loosen up

its retail hours and shake things up

architecturally. On a dazzling sunny day

it’s near unbeatable, but on a rainy

Sunday in July its lack of diversions can

be suffocating. All that said, it’s still a

global leader for global leaders.

24. LISBON, PORTUGAL -

Don’t tell themallrats, but Lisbon is

becoming an Iberian cultural hub

Despite the recent surge in supersize

retail, Lisbon has maintained its appeal.

The tessellated sidewalks remain, as does

the rich cafeÅL culture and the modest inhabitants.

Then there’s the exhilarating

approach over the old bridge and beige

apartment blocks. Most cite the climate

with cool breezes and lots of sun; the long

beaches and the vibrant nightlife where

Djs don’t get going until 03.00.

Today, the city famous as a port for

storied navigators is looking to its waterfront.

Officials plan to convert dock areas

into parks, the Santos area has become a

design hub and museums dedicated to

Asian art have opened. Problems: lacklustre

education and healthcare systems

and the limited metro system.

25. PORTLAND, USA -

Portland skis into our good books,

but needs better connections

It’s not just Oregon’s numerous Douglas

fir thatmake Portland a green city. It’s also

its 20-plus leeD-certified buildings, the

70kmof light rail, 37 farmersmarkets, and

its exemplary cycle culture. Situated on

the shores of two rivers, Portland sits

back-dropped by the fir-flecked West

hills, in the shadow of Mount hood, one

the highest peaks in the US.

Most of the year the trees and peaks

remain shrouded by grey but in summer

residents head 30 minutes east to windsurfer’s

haven, the Columbia RiverGorge,

or 90 minutes west to the Pacific’s swells

for surfing.Within Portland are 267 parks

and leisure facilities and 500km of biking

paths. Issues: dealing with the terrible traffic

Were does Seattle rank?

I'm thinking mid-30's if not 40's. Because....

*Light Rail? Only just getting it.

"Do you think they're going to build it?!?!"(blink blink)...BTW bitch, they built it.

*Elevated viaduct that cuts the waterfront from the city? Check.

*Antiquated above ground "Monorail"that breaks down. Check.

*Disgusting skyscrapers that looks like a carbon copy of those going up in China. YUP.

* Parks devoted to homeless people. Totally.

GOOD JOB SEATTLE!

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