Is Copenhagen the world’s most liveable city?

cities — By Bob Riel on June 12, 2008 at 7:35 am

According to a global survey sponsored by the British magazine Monocle, the Danish city of Copenhagen has the highest quality of life in the world, edging out Munich and Tokyo. The U.K. Independent published a story about the survey.

For many it conjures up little more than beer and Lego, but Copenhagen has been crowned the best city in the world in a survey of global urban treasures.

The Danish capital was awarded top spot for its quality of life and status as a cutting-edge design centre, said the authors of the report, which looked at factors from the ease of buying a good glass of wine at 1am to the quality of architecture and the number of cinema screens.

Researchers … praised the city’s compact planning, its “frictionless” transport system and infrastructure, as well as its contemporary buildings, top-notch restaurants and renewed focus on environmental issues.

Seven of the top 10 cities in the quality of life survey were European. Tokyo was the top Asian city at #3, Vancouver led the North American list at #8 overall, and Australian cities Melbourne and Sydney came in at #9 and 11.