dboy

Sure we had a few shoot-outs, but life is still good here in Lotus Land:

http://www.citymayors.com/features/quality_survey.html

andrewrb143

Vancouver tops list of being in most lists.

iaink

It didnt top the list, it was 4th, but top in N America.

It unclear how mercer factor in cost of living considerations.

dboy

Yep, that what i meant at the topish. Not sure how cost of living is factored in. Although, I find that it's really only homeownership that is a problem. Plus prices drop a lot east of Vancouver proper.

Rent, for the most part is relatively good value and i find downtown vancouver is cheaper than city centre manchester where i'm from. So the values may look at overall factors rather than just homeownership. There was a study that put homeownership - relative to wages and cost of real estate - in Vancouver amongst the worse in the world.

dboy

Vancouver also tops most of my lists (other than real estate).

Calgal

Since when has Rick Mercer been the authority on the subject?

Brownstar

Calary in at 26, not bad

Souvenir

Ottawa faring well, as usual. Not bad for a place reputed to be boring as f*** and with a crap climate and prone to earthquakes.

Canada2006

Brussels is higher than Montreal in this list. There are only two things better in Brussels than MTL:
- availability of organic food
- access to healthcare

Definitely prefer MTL...

gryphea

I find this survey quite amusing. My step sister and family have just moved to Vienna. They love the city but he cannot bear the fact that everyone smokes in the office. It has a serious impact, and so I think its funny that health scores in this survey and yet its not illegal to smoke at work!

brizzle

'In terms of city infrastructure, Vancouver (6) again tops the ranking for the whole of the region'

Herein, is a great reason to take these surveys with an huge pinch of salt. Seriously, there are many reasons why people may say that Vancouver is great, but city infrastructure certainly isn't one of them. Vancouver has a poor road system (littered with potholes) and few signs. Public transport is ropey at best and you can't even take a train to the airport (yet).

If Vancouver has the best infrastructure in the Americas (and 6th overall - jesus) then gawd knows what some of these places are like ??? Do people out there really believe that Vancouver has a better infrastructure than London.

Tangram

Double yawn.

Novocastrian

Mine's a double double.

Tangram

with a sprinkle of so effing what on top ..... to go please.

Novocastrian

Quite. Without wanting dignify this (or any similar list) by undue attention, it's interesting that 3 of the top 4 world cities have rampant street drug problems.

Perhaps mercer has a "discarded needles per capita" criterion?