According to Monocle, these are the criteria which considers a city liveable:
- Good flight connections & airport
- Low crime rate
- Strong public services such as education and health care
- Ample sunshine and bearable average annual temperature
- Excellent communications and connectivity
- Tolerance of different races and lifestyles
- Attractive architecture
- Quality, affordable public transport and taxis
- Strong local media and availability of international media
- Access to nature and green areas
- Innovative environmental initiatives
- Cultural vibrancy
- Ease of opening a small business
- Ease of getter a drink after 1am
- A shopping street to challenge Orchard Road
A second hub would keep the retail scene "interesting and dynamic". Singapore should take its cue from Tokyo which is three times larger and has many shopping districts including the upmarket Omotesando avenue, the integrated live-work-shop Ropponggi Hills development, bustling Shinjuku and youth fashion mecca Shibuya.
- Get life onto the streets round-the-clock
Brule's vision of a perfect high street is that it has something for youg and old, early risers and night owls, seven days a week. He thinks Singapore could take a leaf from Taipei known for its teeming night markets selling street food as well as 24-hr bookshops, snack bars, businesses and convenience stores.
- Add a little light industry into the mix
Brule bemoans the fact that in many if the world's major cities, "you've got these design industries but they can't make anything" because the carpentry or tailoring has been outsourced elsewhere. A good neighborhood should also make tinngs and not just generate ideas.
- Develop your own architectural vernacular
Create distinctive indoor and outdoor spaces suited to the weather and lifestyle.
- Leave some tinkgs to chance
More on Singapore, he said that what the infastructure-rich, efficient city state excels in is giving a great first impression. Citing the tree-lined expressway from Changi Airport to the city centre, he said "is one of the most beautiful drives to and from any airport, anywhere in the world".
Monocle's July 2008 issue's most liveable cities:
01 Copenhagen
02 Munich
Pipped to the post this year, 2007’s champ still charms us every time
03 Tokyo
Behind the fast-fwd stereotype lies a big city getting the basics right
04 Zurich
Our continental European seat still impresses but occasionally irritate
05 Helsinki
Waterside revival, civic pride and a view to Asia bode well for the city
06 Vienna
Rooted in a rich but dark history, today’s Vienna is looking forward
07 Stockholm
Stockholm has stopped resting on its laurels and is booming once more
08 Vancouver
Culturally diverse Vancouver is gearing up for a greener Games
09 Melbourne
Vibrant, art-loving Melbourne is booming - and sprawling
10 Paris
Paris has picked itself up, ready to reclaim its place as a global city
11 Sydney
It has its problems, but changes are promised for the harbour city
12 Honolulu
Sun and surf make up for the 50th state’s occasional problems
13 Madrid
State regeneration on a huge scale is making Madrid more appealing
14 Berlin
A thirst for radical ideas makes Berlin our culture leader
15 Barcelona
Instead of pandering to tourists, the city is putting residents first
16 Montreal
Canada’s French capital steals our hearts, but leaves us less than green
17 Fukuoka
Japan’s quality-of-life and shopping capital lives up to its sizeable hype
18 Amsterdam
Tolerance and innovation are key to the Dutch city’s appeal
19 Minneapolis
A rustbelt revival is attracting young art, new money - and old problems
20 Kyoto
Green and arty Kyoto has been setting the agenda for centuries
21 Hamburg
Germany’s liberal publishing hub has to work harder to keep the talent
22 Singapore
High futurism is being met by more civic freedom in Singapore – at last
23 Geneva
Geneva is lovely but a little staid: the canton could afford a few changes
24 Lisbon
Don’t tell the mallrats, but Lisbon is becoming an Iberian cultural hub
25 Portland
Portland skis into our good books, but needs better connections
