The only test of ‘best city’ is not a position in a league table, but some very personal answers to a complex set of questions, which may include….
- Is this the ‘best city’ for me and my loved ones?
- Is this the best place for me to make a life of fulfilment, dignity and pride?
- Will I find people that are willing to challenge and support me with compassion?
- Will I find opportunities to be stimulated, provoked and changed?
- Will I find it possible to connect with others with whom I share a common cause?
- Will I find the space and support to do my best work?
- Will I find myself in a political, social and cultural system that accepts my values and beliefs?
- Will it encourage the production of goods and services necessary for a becoming existence or will it do almost anything in pursuit of growth?
- Will it respect and nurture micro-enterprise, sole traders, makers, community groups and individual activists as much as it ‘establishes proactive relationships’ with ‘large corporate employers’?
- Is this a place where I can help to shape a better future for my children and theirs?
What kind of ‘city development’ processes would be necessary to allow the majority of us to be able to answer most of these questions with a yes?
Get those processes right and we might just be on course for somewhere exciting.