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[GCX]

Because we all know how much GAF loves and hates these lists.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/21/us-cities-liveable-idUKTRE71K0NS20110221?pageNumber=2

In the annual survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the Canadian west coast city and 2010 Winter Olympics host scored 98 percent on a combination of stability, health care, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure -- a score unchanged from last year.

It has topped the list from 2007.

Although Melbourne pipped the Austrian capital for silver medal, there was no other major change near the top of the list of 140 cities worldwide. Auckland, New Zealand, came in 10th.

"Mid-sized cities in developed countries with relatively low population densities tend to score well by having all the cultural and infrastructural benefits on offer with fewer problems related to crime or congestion," said Jon Copestake, editor of the report, in a statement.

Pittsburgh was the top U.S. city with 29th place -- just ahead of Honolulu -- while Los Angeles moved up three places to 44th and New York held onto the 56th spot.

London moved up one place to 53rd while Paris came in at number 16.

The top Asian city was Osaka at number 12, tying Geneva, Switzerland and beating out the Japanese capital of Tokyo, which came in at 18.

Hong Kong came in at 31 but Beijing, capital of the world's most populous nation and No. 2 economy, straggled in at 72.

There was also little change at the bottom, with Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, once again claiming the worst position with a rating of 37.5 percent, narrowing beating out the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka.

The Economist Intelligence Unit survey ranks cities based on 30 factors such as healthcare, culture and environment, and education and personal safety.

Top 10:

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

Bottom 10:

1. Harare, Zimbabwe
2. Dhaka , Bangladesh
3. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
4. Lagos, Nigeria
5. Algiers , Algeria
6. Karachi, Pakistan
7. Douala, Cameroon
8. Tehran, Iran
9. Dakar, Senegal
10. Colombo, Sri Lanka

Poor Colombo.

 

[legend166]

Melbourne?


Pffft.

 

[polyh3dron]

You mean poor Harare.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Woot Toronto represent.

 

[GCX]

You mean poor Harare.

Yeah.. In my mind it sort of made sense that the the bottom one would be at the bottom.

 

[SoccerGoaliePro]

Toronto is da bomb.

 

[srst]

Toronto is boring.

EDIT: If you're a hipster, clubber, artist, or musician, you'll love Toronto. -_-

 

[weekend_warrior]

1. New York City.

/thread

 

[SnakeXs]

1. New York City.

/thread

Toronto is boring.

Both posts are fact.

Shitty criteria = shitty list. *yawn*

 

[MidnightScott]

What, Houston Texas isn't on that list? blasphemy!

 

[Dresden]

Toronto is boring.

That sounds nice to me, actually.

I've been thinking about moving to Canada for a while. It's like America but colder, with less Republicans. Perfect.

Well, not really, but always seemed like a nice place to live.

 

[Kaako]

Aussies n milk-bag people killing it on that list. Well done.

 

[Jake.]

i live in adelaide (#8) and whilst its a perfect city for a young family with kids, for singles in their 20's-30's (sup) its pretty much balls.

 

[Brinbe]

Hooray, #4, fuck the haters.

 

[Sub_Level]

Expected more Scandinavian places. Pleased to see mostly English-speaking cities. Going to Australia or New Zealand would be awesome. I could have my own pet funnel web spider.

 

[Korey]

Have those judges ever been to Orange County?

 

[Entropia]

Weird they have Vancouver over Calgary. I fucking loved living there.

 

[Concept17]

That sounds nice to me, actually.

I've been thinking about moving to Canada for a while. It's like America but colder, with less Republicans. Perfect.

Well, not really, but always seemed like a nice place to live.

Or you could just come move to Montana where its like Canada, cold, and filled with republicans.

 

[Anth0ny]

Yay #4.

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

4 of the top 10 are Australian cities.

1 is in New Zealand (which, let's face it, is culturally, economically and historically so close to Australia, they could almost be considered a bloc). So that's 5 Australasian cities.

3 of the cities are Canadian, which like Australia and New Zealand, is a British Commonwealth country. So that's 8 Commonwealth cities.

1 city is Finnish.

1 city is Austrian.

So basically, if you want a good city, look in the British Commonwealth outside of Britain.

 

[whitehawk]

w00t go Toronto.

 

[Dies Iræ]

Hmmm.... this list is unusual to me. I was born and raised in Vancouver (#1), and I've spent the last four years living in Toronto (#4). Both cities are great, though for widely divergent reasons and it strikes me as highly unusual that both would score highly on a poll that privileges one set of indicators over others (as any poll necessarily does). I would also imagine that this poll has to omit or underwrite the significance of, among other factors, the cost of living in both Vancouver and Toronto - which is hugely prohibitive. They're some of the most expensive cities in the world.

Also, dunno what Calgary's doing up there.

Weird list.

Edit: and while I like Toronto, it's really undeserving.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

This list sure does love white people.

 

[nib95]

Great, my other second home capital is 2nd WORSE lol. Dhaka of Bangladesh. I was there just a month ago, didn't seem that bad to me tbh. And I stayed in the very poorest parts all the way through to the very richest, for an entire month no less.

Worst thing about it was the traffic (INSANE, with tonnes of road rage and no traffic code to boot) along with the intense pollution. My throat was fucked after just a few weeks and I was coughing all sorts of nastiness.

But tbh, could have been a lot worse.

 

[IrishNinja]

miami gets the snub again, as latina ass is somehow denied its rightful place on the list of criteria.

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Both posts are fact.

Shitty criteria = shitty list. *yawn*

I've been to New York a couple of times and I can proudly say that Toronto >>>> New York.

Oh and I can confirm that Karachi is a hell to live in.

 

[snack]

Go Vancouver!

 

[Hylian7]

What, Houston Texas isn't on that list? blasphemy!

Crime rate.

 

[SnakeXs]

I've been to New York a couple of times and I can proudly say that Toronto >>>> New York.

Oh and I can confirm that Karachi is a hell to live in.

And I've been to Toronto dozens of times and I can say it's NYC, without any of the stuff, with a ton of spread out suburbs to boot.

Toronto, in all seriousness, has nothing on NYC.

Besides a bigger sports arena.

 

[Router]

Fuck yeah Melbourne. We got trams up in this shit.

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

Fuck yeah Melbourne. We got trams up in this shit.

Brisbane used to have trams. ;_;

Damn it Jo Bjelke-Petersen!

 

[zero_suit]

Canada and Australia dominating

 

[crimzonflame]

These lists always suck. Calgary in the top 10? Really? I lived in Toronto almost all my life and I really love living here but Toronto (and every other Canadian city) has nothing on the major global cities.

 

[lunarworks]

And I've been to Toronto dozens of times and I can say it's NYC, without any of the stuff, with a ton of spread out suburbs to boot.

Toronto, in all seriousness, has nothing on NYC.

Besides a bigger sports arena.

NYC's an awesome place to do stuff. Toronto's a great place to live.

 

[srst]

Fuck yeah Melbourne. We got trams up in this shit.

So do we!

 

[trinest]

Melbourne?


Pffft.

As the only Australians in this thread- we can city fight together.

Melbourne is 100x better then Sydney. But Sydney is 100x better then Brisbane- which is why I'm glad its not on the list. And all of them are 100x better then the other capitals.

 

[BowieZ]

Naturally, my Australian home city doesn't make the cut.

CURSE YOU COMPLEXLY INTERTWINING BRISBANE RIVER FUCKING US OVER ON MANY LEVELS

 

[slidewinder]

Pittsburgh was the top U.S. city

Given that, at least, I think they ought to have a look at their scoring system. Not that I'd mind living in Vancouver.

 

[GraveRobberX]

Bottom 10:

6. Karachi, Pakistan

Hey my country made the list awesome, come on Pak'si lets try next year to be the best at being at the bottom

 

[Aegus]

So do we!

Why do Canadian trams look different from Australian trams?

/popcorn.gif

 

[KHarvey16]

Pittsburgh? The hell?

 

[The Storyteller]

Woo Sydney!

Toronto is boring.

EDIT: If you're a hipster, clubber, artist, or musician, you'll love Toronto. -_-

Sounds like Melbourne. Fucking trendy hipster douche land.

Spoiler

I love Melbourne.

 

[SnakeXs]

NYC's an awesome place to do stuff. Toronto's a great place to live.

Still not hearing advantages, unless health care is enough for you to forego having fun and having an infinite amount of stuff to do.

 

[j_k_redtail]

...might be in Pittsburgh for the next several years, at least. I'm guessing the low-ish cost-of-living is a point in its favor. Local gaffers, tell me what it's like.

 

[The Internet]

Top 10:

5. Calgary, Canada

 

[Buba Big Guns]

Lived in both the #4 city and #6 worst city.....

 

[GCX]

Why do Canadian trams look different from Australian trams?

/popcorn.gif

Helsinki has different trams too!

 

[i_am_ben]

tram-gaf unite <3

 

[LQX]

Thank goodness no European country was in the top ten. We would not hear the end of it for 5 pages.

 

[Meadows]

Anyone have the rest of the top 50?