Helsinki Most Liveable; But Loveable?
Monocle magazine has released its annual survey of the world’s most livable cities, and Helsinki comes out on top. As usual, the well-run northern European cities dominated the list (Copenhagen, Zurich, Munich). I like all these places, but I’ve always felt that if you want order and harmony, then you should move to a small town or to the country. Cities are more interesting when they are loud and boisterous and exciting, which is why I so appreciated the recent article by my Financial Times colleague, Edwin Heathcote, who argued that he prefers loveable cities to liveable cities, meaning that he’d rather live in New York or London — the world capitals of Western culture — than in Helsinki or Copenhagen any old day. I agree!
