Latest news with #GlobalCitiesIndex
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'Hidden European gem' is 'world's most liveable city' and great for cycling
A study from Oxford Economics has named the 10 top cities offering to the highest quality of life to residents, and the top spot goes to a gem in the French Alps A study from Oxford Economics has revealed the most liveable cities around the globe - with the number one spot going to a hidden treasure in Western Europe. The top ranking city was highlighted for its walkability, cycling paths and overall quality of life. In 2024, the Global Cities Index evaluated numerous cities to name the " most liveable destination" in the world. The study took into consideration six crucial criteria: life expectancy, income per person, income equality, recreational and cultural sites, internet speed, and housing costs. Every city in the top 10 list is located in Western Europe, with the exception of one Australian city. According to Oxford Economics, the cities at the top of the Quality of Life category are those with lower inequality and residents that live long lives. It comes after a British man claimed 'I moved from UK to Benidorm – price of a pint and Full English left me floored'. 10) Nantes Located in western France, Nantes is known for its rich history, cultural attractions, and urban life. One must-visit destination is the Château des Ducs de Bretagne which houses the Nantes History Museum. It sheds light on the city's medieval past and features well-preserved architecture and exhibitions. 9) Ghent Ghent in Belgium is well-known for its medieval charm, cultural scene, and architecture. It is also the most walkable town in the country. Ghent's canal side streets are lined with historical buildings and are perfect for a leisurely and picturesque stroll. 8) Zurich Zurich - Switzerland's largest city - has earned an impressive global reputation for its high quality of life and stunning natural surroundings. Locals and visitors can enjoy walks along the shores of Lake Zurich, enjoy delicious cheese and relax in one of the lakeside parks. 7) Reykjavik A booming tourist destination, the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik is one of the world's best places to live. Tjörnin, a pond located in the heart of Reykjavik, is surrounded by charming buildings and is a great spot for a relaxing walk. 6) Luxembourg Luxembourg, the capital of the eponymous country, is known for its low crime rates and exceptionally clean streets. These factors have created a distinct sense of safety and well-being for its residents. Luxembourg City also has an efficient and comprehensive public transportation network and the introduction of free public transport has only enhanced accessibility. 5) Basel The Swiss city of Basel is lauded for its practical, high-quality living conditions. The city also provides excellent healthcare services with renowned medical facilities such as the University Hospital Basel, known for its cutting-edge treatments. 4) Bergen Bergen, in Norway, is renowned for its breathtaking natural scenery, including fjords, mountains, and coastal landscapes. The city offers numerous outdoor activities, from hiking in the surrounding mountains like Mount Fløyen and Mount Ulriken to sailing and kayaking in the fjords. The city is known for its safety, cleanliness, and low crime rates. 3) Bern The Swiss capital city of Bern boasts historic charm and modern-day conveniences. The city's medieval old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and landmarks like the Zytglogge clock tower and the Bear Park contribute to its unique atmosphere. Bern is also known for its low crime rate and exceptional infrastructure. 2) Canberra The only non-European city on the ranking, Australia's capital city of Canberra is a standout for its natural beauty and intuitive urban design. Canberra is known for its high standard of living, with clean and safe environments, well-maintained public spaces, and efficient public services. As of 2024, the city also has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world and high levels of income per person. 1) Grenoble A gem located in the French Alps, Grenoble has the ultimate combination of natural beauty, vibrant cultural life, and high quality of life. The city has become a hub for scientific research and technological innovation, but is also a model of urban design. Grenoble is known for its bike-friendly initiatives, including comprehensive bike lanes and rental services.
Time Out
23-06-2025
- General
- Time Out
Youth homelessness is the silent threat to Sydney's future – here's how you can help
As one of the wealthiest cities in the world, recently ranking as the sixth most liveable city in the world (cost of living aside) and ranking seventh on the prestigious Global Cities Index, Sydney is often considered as one of the most privileged cities in the world. But there's a major issue facing our city, and the futures of a lot of young Sydneysiders are under threat. According to new research by YFoundations, 40 per cent of homeless people in Australia are under the age of 24. The housing crisis is a problem that Sydneysiders of all ages have to confront, but the issue of youth homelessness is one that has huge ripple effects, and one that experts in the field believe could be "absolutely resolved". According to YFoundations, the peak body for youth homelessness in NSW, around 43,000 young Australians seek help from homelessness service providers every year, and many of those are right here in Sydney. We spoke with YFoundations CEO John MacMillan, who said that the 43,000 figure is only scratching the surface, with the majority of youth homelessness going unrecorded. 'Youth homelessness is a substantial issue, but no one knows the true extent because it's a very difficult thing to measure. We rely primarily on data from the Commonwealth and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and we know that last financial year there were about 43,000 unaccompanied children and young people that presented to specialist homelessness services seeking assistance. But the reality is, the predominant form of homelessness isn't recorded, young people are couch surfing without a permanent home and not seeking assistance.'When explaining the extent of the issue, John said that even the Australian Bureau of Statistics doesn't even know how to measure the amount of couch surfing that young people are engaging in. YFoundations exists to advocate for the needs of the thousands of young people facing homelessness in NSW, and for the service providers seeking to help them. Though we covered a lot of issues in our conversation, the fact that struck me most was that 50 per cent of the young people facing homelessness are turned away from crisis accommodation because the system isn't adequately funded to respond to their needs. With the right funding, crisis accommodation services and transitional housing models could provide a place for young people facing homelessness to not only live, but to thrive. 'Community housing broadly is set up to respond to the needs of adults in need of a place to live, but children and young people need so much more than a roof over their heads. When you're a 16-18 year old, even up to 23 year old, you need support from people who care about you to help you develop the skills needed to live independently.''The kinds of housing models we're advocating for – medium term and transitional housing models – include the support component,' explained John. 'The simple fact is, when a young person gets the support that they need when they experience homelessness, they can go on to escape the cycle and not return to homelessness. The reverse of that is also true: the statistics show that 50 per cent of street sleepers – the people we generally think of when we hear the term 'homeless – began their homelessness experience as a young person or as a child. Support is a form of early intervention – if you don't get those services that you need early on, then the crisis becomes more entrenched.' When I ask him how Sydneysiders can help, John explains that it's primarily about the voting public becoming aware of how significant this issue is.'It's about having an expectation that in a country as wealthy as Australia, we don't have 43,000 children and young people a year seeking assistance. With the political will and the right investment into the right types of services, we can absolutely end youth homelessness.' 'The majority of people don't know the extent of the issue of youth homelessness, and when they learn about it, they're shocked that more isn't being done. Homelessness is a terrible breach of a young person's rights, but when they get the services that they need, they can flourish and reach their full potential.' Some of the tangible actions that John and I discussed include writing letters to your local MPs, financially supporting crisis accommodation service providers and volunteering for homelessness charities and organisations.
Time Out
17-06-2025
- Time Out
The Scandinavian capital named the world's most liveable city right now
At Time Out, we have a pretty good idea of where in the world is a good place to live. After all, we annually produce roundups of the best cities for transport, green space, walkability and general good vibes, making it easy to decipher where you might want to relocate based on what's important to you. But the Global Liveability Index is a handy tool at your disposal, too, and its overall liveability score is based on five major factors. They are stability (such as the threat of conflict or prevalence of petty crime); healthcare (availability of over-the-counter drugs, quality of public healthcare); culture and environment (temperatures, levels of censorship); education (availability and quality of private education) and infrastructure (quality of road networks, public transport and water provision). In 2024, the crowning city was Vienna, but that has now been knocked off the top spot by none other than (drum roll, please!) Copenhagen. Shocked? No, neither are we. Copenhagen has been in the limelight of late, and for all the right reasons. It claimed a spot in the top 20 of the Global Cities Index published last month, and was also recently named the world's happiest city. But what makes Copenhagen so liveable? Well, it was beaten by its Austrian counterpart in the healthcare category, but scored perfectly in stability, education and infrastructure, garnering it a solid 98 out of 100 overall. And the Danes are clearly proud of their happy, liveable culture. Back in November we reported that Copenhagen was offering people who moved there 'life quality insurance', which you can read all about here. After Vienna in second place, Zurich, Melbourne and Geneva round out the top 10, with Europe claiming four places in the ranking, and Australia claiming three. These are the 10 most liveable cities in the world Copenhagen Vienna Zurich Melbourne Geneva Sydney Osaka Auckland Adelaide Vancouver Plus: The European island nation named the world's safest country to travel to in 2025.
GMA Network
08-06-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Manila ranks 206th out of 1,000 in 2025 Global Cities Index
Manila, Philippines was ranked the 206th best city to live in out of the 1,000 largest cities in the world based on several metrics that include quality of life and environment, according to the 2025 Global Cities Index released by independent economic advisory firm Oxford Economics. Graded across the key metrics, Manila was ranked 206th overall after it was ranked 158th in economics, 93rd in human capital, 373rd in quality of life, 30th in environment, and 604th in governance. It is possible that the study may be referring to Metro Manila or the National Capital Region as a whole, however, because it also includes "Manila" in the list's 25 'Developing Megacities,' or large urban areas with over 10 million residents with infrastructure investments that have 'often struggled to keep up with increasing population,' and 'have low levels of income per person.' Rankings were determined after total scores for each category were normalized, with the overall score calculated by taking a weighted average—economics with 30%, human capital with 25%, quality of life with 25%, environment with 10%, and governance with 10%. 'The indicators included in the Global Cities Index are not an exhaustive list of the characteristics to consider when comparing cities. Rather, they are among what we believe to be the most relevant traits, as well as a reflection of the harmonized data available at the city level across 163 countries,' the report read. 'The result is an overall score for each of the 1,000 Global Cities that considers not only the city's economic performance, but also how well educated it is, the wellbeing of its residents, the volatility of its climate, any political risks facing the city, and much more,' it added. Another Philippine city included in this year's list was Cebu City at 470th, which was also included in 'Emerging Standouts' or cities that outperform their respective countries, and attract residents due to their 'fast productivity growth,' and higher levels of income per person than the national average. Also included were Angeles City at 488th, Bacolod City at 518th, Davao City at 519th, Cagayan de Oro City at 577th, Dagupan City at 581st, General Santos City at 835th, and Zamboanga City at 861st. This year's list was topped by New York in the United States, followed by London, United Kingdom; Paris, France; San Jose, US; Seattle, US; Melbourne, Australia; Sydney, Australia; Boston, US; Tokyo, Japan. — BM, GMA Integrated News
Time Out
06-06-2025
- Business
- Time Out
Toronto just surpassed Montreal in this world's top cities list
Don't look now, but Toronto has officially surpassed Montreal as one of the top cities in the world. According to the 2025 edition of the Global Cities Index, cities across the planet were evaluated across five core categories: Economy, Human Capital, Quality of Life, Environment, and Governance. Toronto showed up strong, coming in at 20th place, while Montreal barely made the top 50. Could it have anything to do with Montreal's high transport emissions, or the post-tropical cyclones and torrential downpours forecasted (again) for this summer? Oxford Economics is the world's foremost independent economic advisory firm, covering over 200 countries, 100 industrial sectors, and 8,000 cities and regions. Drawing on top-tier urban economic forecasts and a range of publicly available datasets, the Index builds a consistent global profile of the 1,000 largest cities. What is the world's top city? It should come as a surprise to absolutely no one that New York City topped the list as the world's top city. The urban giant ranked first in the Economics category as the economic capital of both the U.S. and, arguably, the world—boasting the largest metro economy globally, nearly double that of Los Angeles. While heavily reliant on finance, its stable GDP growth and future outlook remain strong. It also scores high in Human Capital, with a population of over 20 million, top universities, major corporate headquarters, and a highly educated, diverse population—though future growth may slow due to stricter immigration policies. What are the top 50 cities in 2025? Here are the top 50 countries according to the Oxford Economics' Global Cities Index 2025: 1. New York 2. London 3. Paris 4. San Jose 5. Seattle 6. Melbourne 7. Sydney 8. Boston 9. Tokyo 10. San Francisco 11. Los Angeles 12. Washington, D.C. 13. Dublin 14. Stockholm 15. Seoul 16. Zurich 17. Oslo 18. Copenhagen 19. Dallas 20. Toronto 21. Singapore 22. Munich 23. Brisbane 24. Chicago 25. Geneva 26. Denver 27. Amsterdam 28. Atlanta 29. Berlin 30. Houston 31. Perth 32. Luxembourg 33. Philadelphia 34. Brussels 35. Minneapolis 36. Vienna 37. Vancouver 38. Helsinki 39. Hamburg 40. San Diego 41. Phoenix 42. Basel 43. Montreal 44. Madrid 45. Miami 46. Tel Aviv 47. Austin 48. Bern 49. Gothenburg 50. Portland Why did Toronto surpass Montreal in this global ranking? Toronto is the top-ranked Canadian city thanks to its role as a national hub for business, finance, culture, and education. Scoring in the top 20 globally for both Economics and Human Capital, the city boasts strong GDP and employment growth, fuelled by high levels of international immigration. Home to Canada's largest banks and major universities like the University of Toronto, it's a centre for innovation and research. However, rapid population growth has strained housing supply, leading to affordability challenges and impacting its Quality of Life score. Environmental challenges and extreme weather also weigh on its overall ranking. Still, with strong governance, high life expectancy, and continued global appeal, Toronto is expected to remain a top performer for years to come. Meanwhile Montreal, the third Canadian city in the top 50, stands out for its strong Human Capital score, bolstered by world-renowned universities like McGill and a growing tech sector focused on AI and video games. It's also a key transport hub, home to major companies like Air Canada and Canadian National Railway. Once Canada's economic capital, Montreal now has the country's second-largest GDP, though lower wages in its dominant sectors contribute to some of the lowest incomes in North America. Still, housing is more affordable than in other Canadian cities, inequality is low, and residents enjoy high life expectancy and rich cultural offerings. Montreal's main weakness lies in the Environment category, due to high transport emissions and weather volatility. As climate change intensifies, reducing carbon output remains a key challenge for the city's economy.
