Uploaded on 2015-10-13 by nimedi

My top 5: (1) n. Safety (2) p. Transportation (3) c. Economy (4) b. Culture (5) h. Housing For me this five criteria are the most important factors. A safe environment for me and my family is crucial to enjoy the life in a city. I prefer to use public transport over car. Thus, transportation is more important than infrastructure. A healthy mix of a good economy and culture for daily activities increases life quality. The criteria housing means for me that housing is affordable and has a good accessibility to public transport. **2. Why do we live where we live?** I currently live in Suwon, a city with 1 million inhabitants close to Seoul. The reasons why I live there: (1) Work (2) Proximity to Seoul (3) Affordable and Good Quality Housing (4) Quiet Neighborhood (5) Amenities Close by The criteria for choosing Suwon differ because of personal reasons. Here a big influence plays actually criteria (2), the proximity to Seoul, a city with a high livability. Through a commute I can enjoy all qualities of Seoul without living there. **3. To what extend does your own place of residence fulfill your ideal livability criteria?** You can see that the reasons for living there differ from my ideal livability criteria. I would give my place of residence a 70/100. It is a new part of Suwon and the living/housing quality is better than in other parts of the city. New shops open every month and a subway connection is going to improve commuting to Seoul as well. ![Picture of my neighborhood, the whole area was built less than 5 years old][1] The whole city Suwon would receive 65/100, less than my neighborhood. . **4. What would you change?** First of all, I would improve safety in the city. In Suwon and generally in Korea, safety issues are not about burglars, gun attacks or kidnapping, it is about road safety. The current urban speed limit of 60 km/h is too high. The infrastructure is well-developed but many people don't follow the rules because law enforcement is relatively weak. I would introduce a comprehensive package of policies to improve transportation and enhance walking and cycling in the city. This would increase the livability drastically. **5. Why do we move?** Three places I would select to move: 1. Seoul, Korea 2. Bangkok, Thailand 3. London, United Kingdom Reasons for Seoul: The reason why I would love to move to Seoul is that if fulfills four of the five criteria that I selected at the beginning (safety, transportation, economy and culture). The expensive housing prices in Seoul make it very difficult to live in the city. Esp. the transportation system is outstanding and it's possible to live without a car in the city. ![Center of Seoul][2] 5 qualities about Seoul: 1. Transportation 2. Economy 3. Culture 4. Safety 5. Recreation Possibilities ![Car-Free Day in Seoul][3] Reasons for Bangkok: I visited Bangkok twice and I enjoyed it very much. As a tourist it is a great city. Here I would add the climate as a positive factor besides a good economy and an interesting culture. ![Great nightlife.][4] 5 qualities about Bangkok: 1. Climate 2. Economy 3. Culture 4. Recreation Possibilities 5. Transportation Reasons for London: London as a leading global city has one of the world's best economies. I think that the education in London is great as well and I could imagine myself to raise kids there or to study a graduate program there. ![London Streets][5] I enjoyed the urban landscape of London and the streets with a good walkability. ![London Underground][6] Public transport was also easily accessible. 5 qualities about London: 1. Economy 2. Education 3. Culture 4. Transportation 5. Safety All pictures are made by myself! [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14447138012494094.jpg [2]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14447154726095988.jpg [3]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14447154994930489.jpg [4]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14447138236515588.jpg [5]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/1444713945122614.jpg [6]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14447139719800371.jpg