Vienna is 2018’s Most Livable City in the World

Category: Lifestyle/Entertainment

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. livable / ˈlɪvəbəl / (adj) – referring to a place where people can comfortably live in
    Example:

    I don’t think this house is livable; it has no water and electricity.


  2. dethrone / dɪˈθroʊn / (v) – to remove someone/something from a top position
    Example:

    The team dethroned last year’s champion after winning the final match.


  3. years running / jiɚs ˈrʌnɪŋ / (idiom) – successive or consecutive years
    Example:

    I was nominated as the organization’s president for three years running.


  4. commend / kəˈmɛnd / (v) – to give praise to someone/something
    Example:

    I commend the government for coming up with projects that can improve the country’s tourism.


  5. make the cut / meɪk ðə kʌt / (idiom) – to meet a certain standard
    Example:

    I feel so happy that I made the cut in the first round of auditions.


Article

Read the text below.

A recent survey has recognized Austrian capital Vienna as this year’s most livable city.


The annual survey was conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research and analysis sector of London-based multimedia company Economist Group. The survey assessed the livability of 140 countries around the world. Among the 30 livability-related categories examined were stability, healthcare, culture, environment, education, and infrastructure.


Vienna, 2017’s second most livable city, dethroned Melbourne this year. The Australian city held the top spot for seven years running. Although the two cities were in a tight competition in most categories, Vienna outperformed Melbourne in the stability rating, which looked into the occurrence of security-related issues like crime, conflict, and terrorism. Roxana Slavcheva [SLAV-cheh-vuh], the editor of the survey, said that Vienna has a low crime rate and is considered one of Europe’s safest cities.


People also commended Vienna’s public transportation system for being affordable and efficient. Passengers reportedly spend only around US$415 for a year’s worth of commute.


The world’s top 10 livable cities this year also included Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver from Canada, Sydney and Adelaide from Australia, and Copenhagen from Denmark. Two Japanese cities—Tokyo and Osaka—also made the cut.


Osaka ranked third, while Tokyo placed seventh with Toronto. Last year, these Japanese cities ranked fourteenth and thirteenth, respectively. The EIU’s global chief economist noted that this is the first time that Asian cities made it to the top 10. Factors like decreasing crime rate and enhanced public transportation improved the stability and infrastructure ratings of Osaka and Tokyo, thus boosting their ratings.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• In your opinion, what is the importance of the EIU’s ranking of the world’s most livable cities?
• How do you think the result of this ranking will affect Vienna (e.g. increased number of immigrants, improved tourism)?

Discussion B

• What are the characteristics of an ideal place (e.g. city, province) to live in? Discuss.
• If you were to improve the place you currently live in, what improvements would you make? Why?