10 Cleanest Cities
Imagine stepping onto your front porch with the delectable aroma of a freshly brewed cup of coffee in one hand while you bend down to pick up the morning paper with the other. Suddenly you inhale a pungent whiff of that “delightful” aroma of the city, with it’s own delectable blend of garbage, methane emissions and straight-up filth. There are beautiful cities all around us, in every country, but the quality that counts the most in a city is the one that affects our health: congestion. Whether it is seen on the streets, the highways or in the air, we equate blockages of all sorts with filth.
Granted, a clean city may seem like a paradox, but there is such a thing and it does exist, especially for those afflicted with asthma and other respiratory problems seeking refuge in the city. And while congested streets and parks may inspire some to create great works of art or otherwise, the following, a survey completed by researchers at William M. Mercer Human Resources, should inspire those seeking clarity to take refuge:
- Zurich, Switzerland – a country of prosperity and with a consistently high quality of living should come as no surprise when ranked number one on the annual survey. It continues to hold the top spot as it was ranked number one in last year’s survey and from what fellow visitors have to say is generally along the same vein, “Zurich is beautiful and very clean. Very organized. It was very easy to get around by train."
- Geneva, Switzerland – comes in at number two as it did last year proving that not only is Switzerland a cosmopolitan city steeped in business and finance, again, it is a very clean and efficient place.
- Vancouver, Canada – what quality of life survey is complete with a high-ranking spot just for Canada, the land of the free and beautifully multi-cultural. The west is known for it’s beautiful oceans and scenery but the West coast of Canada is now known for another year in a row as the third cleanest city in the world.
- Vienna, Austria – with it’s plentiful mountains and breath-taking scenery, it’s no wonder why Vienna is ranked fourth.
- Auckland, New Zealand – is a city where you have to make a certain amount of money in order to live, and for good reason. How else would a city be able to stay so clean as well as green? This eco-city is bent on remaining faithful to the environment and the world should take a leaf from their book.
- Düsseldorf, Germany – is a big city with a small-town feeling, which begs the question, what better way to make visitors feel welcome and others want to stay.
- Frankfurt, Germany – it is not hard to see that if a country ranks once, why not twice!
- Munich, Germany – or three times! Efficiency often breeds cleanliness and a strong work ethic, which inevitably feeds off of itself and creates a cycle of productivity. Granted, by looking at the ranking of Germany on this survey, they are strong in their places.
- Bern, Switzerland – if these ranks were Olympic medals, Switzerland would be tied with Germany for winning three gold medals! No wonder they continue to rank so high and so consistently.
- Sydney, Australia – last but by no means least on the list. Australia may be tucked way down under, but the quality that attracts so many tourists is felt round the sparkling city, home to such celebrities as Naomi Watts, Heath Ledger, and Watts’ friend, Oscar winner, Nicole Kidman.
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