4. The most liveable place in the world

It’s Monday morning and I am back in at work after a drive through the streets of Melbourne. I usually take the tram, which has been great. In the mornings and afternoons, the trams are frequent and fast. Certainly a lot nicer than driving across Melbourne, which is now a city of some 4 million people and probably even more cars!? Melbourne is consistently ranked as one of the most liveable cities in the world. But what does this mean? No doubt Melbourne is a vibrant city with many parks and jam-packed with restaurants, cafes and city-activity. But is it really one of the best places to live in the world? To begin with most rankings of cities tend to focus on large urban centres and overlook smaller cities/towns or regional centres. And this immediately raises some questions.

Turning to Sweden, this is a country that ranks as one of the best places to live in the world across a whole range of criteria from life expectancy to educational opportunities. I have been living in Lomma, a small town of some 10,000 people, which is consistently ranked among the top communities in Sweden with the best living standards. I think the contrast between large cities, like Melbourne, and small towns, like Lomma, throw up many important lessons and questions for sustainability and liveability. How should we measure and compare cities on sustainability and quality of life? And what are the key aspects in cities or towns that we value? I am supervising an international Masters student working on this very topic. The results will be interesting indeed. Stay tuned.