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Vancouver Drops In Economist Rank Of Liveable Cities Due To Highway Closure On Vancouver Island

Melbourne Liveable Cities

The Huffington Post Canada   First Posted: 08/30/11 12:24 PM ET Updated: 10/30/11 06:12 AM ET

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Melbourne, Australia's second city, has edged out Vancouver for the title of "world's most liveable city."

But the reason for Vancouver's demotion -- a highway closure on Vancouver Island -- has many wondering whether the survey didn't make a mistake this time around.

Vancouver had enjoyed first-place rank in the Economist Intelligence Unit's annual 140-city Global Liveability Survey since 2002, but this year fell to third place, behind Melbourne and Vienna.

According to the Economist, Vancouver suffered "a small adjustment" in its score because of the closure of the Malahat Highway on Vancouver Island. As critics have pointed out, the Malahat Highway is separated by 60 kilometres and a large body of water from the city of Vancouver.

The Malahat Highway north of Victoria was closed for 22 hours in April after the crash of a fuel tanker truck.

However, the ratings were calculated before the Vancouver hockey riot this June, so there is no way to tell how that event would have affected the city's liveability score. The EIU says the riots could affect future ratings.

Nonetheless, Canada still dominated the list, with Toronto in fourth place and Calgary in fifth. Only Australia placed more cities in the top 10, with Sydney (sixth), Perth (eighth) and Adelaide (ninth) all placing on the list.

The Global Liveability Survey scores cities on the basis of stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

TOP 10 MOST LIVEABLE CITIES, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit:

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

10 LEAST LIVEABLE CITIES surveyed by the Economist Intelligence Unit:

131: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
132: Tehran, Iran
133. Douala, Cameroon
134. Karachi, Pakistan
135. Tripoli, Libya
136. Algiers, Algeria
137. Lagos, Nigeria
138. Port Moresby, PNG
139. Dhaka, Bangladesh
140. Harare, Zimbabwe

With files from The Canadian Press

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Melbourne, Australia's second city, has edged out Vancouver for the title of "world's most liveable city." But the reason for Vancouver's demotion -- a highway closure on Vancouver Island -- has ma...
Melbourne, Australia's second city, has edged out Vancouver for the title of "world's most liveable city." But the reason for Vancouver's demotion -- a highway closure on Vancouver Island -- has ma...
 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
stopgeorge
Paper Ballots WORK. Unverifiable e-voting doesn't
488 Fans
03:46 AM on 08/31/2011
I just visited Calgary the other week. I don't know how it got on the list.
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alphawing
1 Fans
12:55 AM on 08/31/2011
With such pitiful weather the last few years here in Van, I don't think it deserves all the hype it gets.
I grew up in T.O. and don't like the winters there, so this seemed like the logical choice. I still feel that the city peaked in the 90's. I've come to really dislike it's over populated, pretentious schlok running around with that lulu lemon, Louis Vuitton crap and actually wearing it at the same time, Tacky. There used to be a civil air to this town. It's all downhill from here. : (
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anneeger
Per aspera ad astra
242 Fans
 
08:01 PM on 08/31/2011
This is what always happens when something becomes trendy. The "Louis vuitton"crowd ruins what made the city so special and unique. I have seen it so many times. They do not only ruin the prices but also the atmophere.
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MyTake
Release the Hydrogen Economy now!
405 Fans
09:19 PM on 08/30/2011
But....But.... Vancouver has a POLLUTION FREE HYDROGEN HIGHWAY and this FAST FOOD magazine didn't even mention it.

I have never seen a HYDROGEN FUEL CELL ELECTRIC VEHICLE driving around Melbourne or Vienna and I have checked their highway road cams every day looking for them!

One would think Cities promoting the RELEASE of the HYDROGEN ECONOMY would be in first place.

Jeez, movie stars are getting arrested in Washington PROTESTING the TAR SANDS PIPELINE.

The CITY OF EDMONTON should have captured first place as the Alberta Government has WRAPPED the City up in ETHICAL OIL BANNER'S.

Vancouver is so lucky having those west winds blowing their city pollution over the mountains and landing in Alberta. If they had winds coming from the east, ALL OF THAT POLLUTION AND ACID RAIN coming off the Oil Cartel's Alberta Tar Sands would be landing in Vancouver and they would be rated down below Lagos, Nigeria in livability as a result.

This CITY rating agency needs some serious short courses on The Hydrogen Economy and which cites are encouraging its release. Then they hang the ribbon on those cities first.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
opprobrious
More speech. Less Flagging.
923 Fans
09:02 PM on 08/30/2011
The Malahat closes due to an accident and a city more than 3 1/2 hours away gets downgraded for it's livability? I'd hate to think what impact such an event might have on a city within much closer proximity (and way more "livable" BTW), Victoria.
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HossHumard
30 Fans
05:45 PM on 08/30/2011
The word from here in Vancouver is that exactly NOBODY is getting their gitch in a knot over this. Nobody.

Third, first, second...whatever, it's all good. Pass the sushi and let's head on down to Kits beach....last one to the Boathouse has to pump up the bike tires!!
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JAVA VB
30 Fans
 
05:23 PM on 08/30/2011
Everything is relative as Einstein once said; thus I personaly can't rely on these classification too much. Economics applicability in this field is not reliable. each City has its soul!! thanks
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LOLatGOP
155 Fans
05:14 PM on 08/30/2011
Vancouver lost because of a highway? Not the Downtown Eastside drug epidemic, nor the army of homeless wandering the streets, nor the serious affordability problems, but because of a highway two hours outside from Vancouver? Good god.
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anneeger
Per aspera ad astra
242 Fans
 
05:02 PM on 08/30/2011
I think it is very interesting that two huge countries like Canada and Australia, both still with a rather small population, have most of the most attractive cities. I hope that will not change if they get more crowded. Now I have never been to Australia (and New Zealand), but I certainly consider Vancouver the best city on the American continent. Toronto not so much and though I have been to Calgary, I know too little about it to judge it (I liked that Head-smash-in-center nearby :). Vienna and Helsinki I love too.

As I live in the U.S. I am not surprised that none of the U.S. cities made it. The developers created cities which are built for cars not for human beings. It is like they are planning to isolate everybody.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
oxjr
279 Fans
 
09:11 PM on 08/30/2011
Toronto is a better city to live in than a city to visit. The delights of Toronto is the small Jerk Chicken shack beside your work, the vintage Queen East place you got an Eames outdoor set for $100 bucks, the monthly dance party at Lee's Palace, etc etc. The tourist stuff is ok - but Toronto is no London or New York.
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anneeger
Per aspera ad astra
242 Fans
 
09:39 PM on 08/30/2011
Of course I cannot really judge these cities like somebody who lives there. And I immediately would like to come over and get an Eames outdoor set for 100 bucks, because I collect Eames stuff.
I have been to Toronto and Vancouver many times but never with my car, so I was a little bit limited in my explorations. And I always try to see more than the touristy stuff and I have to admit that I discovered some nice areas in Toronto too.
I am not such big fan of London or New York, actually I prefer smaller cities and maybe I liked Vancouver so much because I could walk to so many places and the setting is just breathtakingly beautiful. I also liked Quebec city and Ottawa.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
rickthaluddite
What noisy cats are we
426 Fans
 
04:05 PM on 08/30/2011
Toronto Rocks!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
stopgeorge
Paper Ballots WORK. Unverifiable e-voting doesn't
488 Fans
03:42 AM on 08/31/2011
I was born and lived in Toronto, but I found my home in Vancouver.

And Vancouver is WAY more livable than hogtown.
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Vikrim
90 Fans
04:00 PM on 08/30/2011
Vancouver lost its top spot because of what happened on the Malahat Hwy? That's like saying San Francisco should get a lower rating by what happens in Sacramento, and Sacramento takes less time to get to from SF than the Malahat does from Vancouver.

As much as I've enjoyed the bragging rights for the last decade this list just lost all credibility with me. I wonder what other cities have been knocked down a few notches by issues outside of their jurisdiction?
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informedconsent
198 Fans
03:07 PM on 08/30/2011
Why would posts in this section need moderation? It's about cities. I have no idea what outlandish extemist speach could possibly be expected here that could require comment review.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
nete peedham
154 Fans
 
04:17 PM on 08/30/2011
Because those who engage in moderation are capricious power-trippers
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informedconsent
198 Fans
05:27 PM on 08/30/2011
I agree, but I don't think they are all Capricious. Some are Gemini's
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1canview
1090 Fans
03:02 PM on 08/30/2011
Geography lesson.

Tsawwassen is about a 20 minute drive south of Richmond, BC which is about 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver.
The ferry terminal at Tsawwassen has boats going either to Sidney on Vancouver Island or Duke Point which is about 20 minutes from Nanaimo.
Sidney is about a 1/2 hour away from Victoria, BC, the province's capital.
The travelling time by ferry to get from Tsawwassen to Sidney is about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
In order to get to the now infmamous Mahahat one has to drive almost into Victoria to get there as Sidney is on the tip of the Saanich Peninsula.
The Malahat has huge hills and some of the Gulf Islands came be seen from the crest of the highway.
Bad weather and reckless driving are two of the hazards of this stretch of highway. In one area there is shoot that descends into angles. You can actually feel your ears pop going up the hills on this stretch of highway.
Disregarding the waiting time for the ferry to arrive, the Malahat is at best about 2-1/2 hours away from Vancouver proper including the ferry travelling time.
You could get from Philadelphia to Washington, DC quicker by car.
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1canview
1090 Fans
03:14 PM on 08/30/2011
Ooops... make that at best the Malahat is 4 hours away from Vancouver proper.
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peter aardvark
20 Fans
03:20 PM on 08/30/2011
I live in vancouver and it's 35 min drive to Tsawwassen.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Whistlejackett
Hey stop doing that
966 Fans
 
03:56 PM on 08/31/2011
then 2 hours by ferry then 2 hours to Malahat.
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LetsKeepitSimple
79 Fans
01:46 PM on 08/30/2011
When I lived in Vancouver I seldom went to the Island(not counting Grandeville:), but I used to run in Stanley park at lunch and from my office to Kitsilano beach for lunch was heaven.

For runners, virtually year round, tshirt and shorts
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Snerdgronk
co(R)po(R)atoc(R)acy plutoc(R)acy
1461 Fans
01:52 PM on 08/30/2011
... errr ... Just to 'jog' your memory, 'Granville' Island might have been easier to find if your spellin' weren't so 'grande'.

Snerd
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LetsKeepitSimple
79 Fans
01:43 PM on 08/30/2011
Have lived in Vancouver and Toronto, also visited Melbourne, fabulous city. Sydney is great too.

Calgary is a lovely city, winters a bit cold for me.

Im living in Mtl right now, dont know where it is on the list, but has some good things going for it, although I would certainly rank it well below Toronto
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Snerdgronk
co(R)po(R)atoc(R)acy plutoc(R)acy
1461 Fans
01:48 PM on 08/30/2011
Wouldn't paying your rent be cheaper ... ;-)

Snerd
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LetsKeepitSimple
79 Fans
02:25 PM on 08/30/2011
Maybe....Is that a pic of the Montreal Airport? You must be a fan......Have a friend(a lawyer) that had a couple of classes he taught.

PS: spelling aint my forte, and spellcheck wont correct Grandville, versus Grandeville. I have no excuse except it was 20 yrs ago I lived there, however have been back often, last time about a yr ago.
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LuisD
It's a wonder what you'll find with an open mind
227 Fans
02:49 PM on 08/30/2011
I'm surprised that Montreal isn't above Toronto on this list. It's far more lively, vibrant and rich culture-wise. Then again the infrastructure is in bad shape so I guess that knocked it down a bit.
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informedconsent
198 Fans
03:05 PM on 08/30/2011
Great for driving around the city to see the sights ... until a chink of the Ville-Marie Expressway falls on your car and kills you.

Great fun at restaurants and bars downtown ... until a chunk of highway overpass falls on your head and kills you.

Maybe it would be safer at the big O. Lots of fun watching a game ... until a chunk of cement from the upper level falls on your head and kills you.

Hmmm. Seems like a recurring theme.
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LetsKeepitSimple
79 Fans
03:07 PM on 08/30/2011
Im not sure where it is on the list, but there are many reasons IMO that it should not be even close to Toronto or Vancouver.
Montreal is a nice place to visit. I have lived in Mtl the last 5 years, in Toronto for 20 and Vancouver for 4, I travel a lot and out of the country for 4-5 months a year. If it were not for personal reasons I would be away from Montreal in a heartbeat(my house is up for sale right now) and come back to visit 1-2 times a year(for personal reasons).
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Tanrioldu
594 Fans
01:38 PM on 08/30/2011
C'mon... really? this is the front page headline article?!
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