Uploaded on 2017-03-27 by Victoria Gutkovich

1. My top livability criteria, in the order of importance, are the following: 0 (a pre-requisite for living in a city at all) - Safety 1 - Environment (levels of pollution, view of a city, proximity to natural surroundings etc) 2 - Economy & Job Opportunities 3 - Culture & Recreation Possibilities 4 - Education (on all levels) 5 - Transportation & International Connectivity In my opinion, these factors contribute the most to a city's livability. 2. I currently live in Moscow, near the Orekhovo metro station and close to a big national park «Tsaritsyno» (you can see the location in the photo). Why do I live here? First of all, I study at University getting a Master's degree in Urban Studies and Planning. That's the primary reason. Secondly (and consequently), I am provided with very cheap housing in a quite favourable location by my University. Thirdly, I choose to reside in Moscow because of the great diversity of goods and services available here, combined with vast job opportunities and the highest levels of income in Russia. So, Economy is another reason. Fourthly, I enjoy great cultural & recreational opportunities such as concerts, theatres, cinemas, museums, open lectures and various interesting public events. Finally, transportation is a good reason for me to choose Moscow over other places: you can easily travel from here to many russian cities as well as abroad. 3. Honestly, my current place of residence does not fulfill all my ideal livability criteria. My detailed evaluation: Safety - 10 out of 20 Environment - 7 out of 20 Economy & Job Opportunities - 15 out of 20 Culture & Recreation Possibilities - 20 out of 20 Education - 18 out of 20 So, my overall score is 70. As for a general livability score for Moscow, it is around 60 out of 100 now, according to some rankings. 4. If I was a mayor of Moscow, firstly I would stop the uncontrollable housing construction on the outskirts of the city. This kind of greedy development spoils the view, endangers the environment and turns the capital of Russia into an ugly dense sleeping area. Afterwards, I would concentrate most of the urban renewal programs on re-development. 5. If I decided to change a place of residence, I would move to Saint-Petersburg, New York or Prague. My first choice is based on the fact that Saint-Petersburg is breathtakingly beautiful, full of creative people, there are lots of cultural places and events to visit, and there are also job prospects for a young professionalas well as fair education possibilities. As for the New York City, it is without a doubt a modern, dynamic and alive megapolis, offering fantastic career prospects, great variety of economic goods and services, with thousands of extremely talented and creative people from all over the world living in it and with this incredible Central Park. I would absolutely love to live and work there. My third option was Prague because of its cultural and historical richness, good location in Europe, education & job prospects, attractive environment and possibilities for growing a business.