Uploaded on 2017-03-13 by Joseph

As previously discussed in the previous course, FC-01x, these are my top criteria that contribute to livability: 1. Culture & Environment – This is the most important because it influences the all other criteria. 2. Safety – As a father of three children, safety is of utmost importance. A city cannot be livable if it is not safe. 3. Infrastructure - Key here is the adequate provision of basic utilities (food, water, electricity) affordable housing and an efficient and reliable transportation network. A city needs to be able to manage these stocks and flows effectively. 4. Education - Whether it be public or private sector, availability, quality and affordability must be considered. 5. Healthcare - Just as in education, availability, quality and affordability must be considered. 80 Currently, we live in Wassenaar, the Netherlands, as we are on an International Assignment through my wife’s employer. Wassenaar is a located about 15 minutes drive away from The Hague city centre. Below are some of the criteria we considered when we moved to Wassenaar: 1. Education – Location of a good international school was the primary consideration 2. Culture – Laid back and tolerant attitudes, good governance of the town. 3. Environment – Lots of care is taken in the town to safeguard the environment (recycling programs, preservation of green spaces, etc) 4. Safety – It’s generally a safe town at any time of the day. However, there have been some concerns as the town seems to attract home theft due to the big expat community 5. Housing – Housing is affordable and of good quality. Based on the ideal livability criteria, I would rank Wassenaar as follows: Culture & Environment – 90 Safety – 85 Infrastructure – 90 Education – 100 Healthcare – 80 Total average score would be 89, and that’s consistent with our general feeling that we are very satisfied with the livability in this town. Of course, there are improvements that can be made. I feel that safety could be improved due to the increasing instances of home theft. One way the town could address this is come up with a framework for a neighborhood watch system similar to towns in the US. It would have to adapt to the culture of the town. If we were to move to another location, the three cities I would choose would be based on the ideal living criteria mentioned earlier. These cities would be Singapore, Hong Kong & London. Singapore would be the top choice as I’ve lived there before and the political governance is top notch.