Copenhagen rated best life quality

A British magazine has picked Copenhagen as the best city in the world for quality of life and design, according to a recent article in Copenhagen Post

Copenhagen has been dubbed the world's best city to live in, says UK magazine Monocle, which has awarded Copenhagen the title of the top city in the world for quality of life, as well as being the best city for design.

The magazine's 2008 list of the top 25 cities in the world evaluates inhabitants' overall happiness and welfare based on selected indicators. A city's cultural life, entrepreneurial possibilities, transportation system, communication, crime rates, architecture and public welfare system were all taken into consideration in the ratings.

Canadian trendsetter and editor of Monocle magazine, Tyler Brûlé, revealed some of the unique things that brought Copenhagen to the top of the list. Not only was he impressed by the integration of cyclists into the city's planning, but also by how safe it was for parents to leave their children in prams outside when they visit a café.

These accolades have been warmly welcomed by the capital's tourist organisations.

'Monocle is not a huge magazine, but it is very opinion-forming and can influence everything, from where designers will hold their fashion shows to modern people with a large experience economy who are looking for somewhere to live. This is exactly what we want to feed on,' said Lars Bernhard Jørgensen, managing director of Wonderful Copenhagen.

Last year Copenhagen took second place to Munich on Monocle's list, but the situation was reversed this year.

One of the factors that pushed Copenhagen to the top of this year's list is its environmental awareness. The magazine praised Copenhagen for its clean harbours, where it is safe to swim, and also the city's many green areas. The food culture in Copenhagen also featured prominently.

'The number of Michelin-star restaurants in Copenhagen in relation to the city's size is truly fantastic. Everyone in the world is beginning to open their eyes up to the restaurant environment in Copenhagen,' said Brûlé to Politiken newspaper.

The award compliments the image of the capital city that Wonderful Copenhagen wants to communicate to the rest of the world.

'Copenhagen does not have large monuments and cathedrals. Yet, it has something unique in a global world; we call it 'Copenhagenism'. It refers to the harmonised lifestyle we lead in a society that is designed in a single and intelligent way with room for its people,' said Jørgensen.

In addition to the title for best quality of life city, Monocle chose Copenhagen above other world cities when it came to the prize for best design city. The award was based on, which city had the most rounded approach to design within business, culture, design, retailing and globalisation.