Uploaded on 2015-11-08 by SimonObendorf

This is a really interesting exercise. My first impulse was to prioritise things like culture, connectivity, economy etc (what Saskia Sassen might call the "glamour zone" criteria for a liveable city). But on thinking more deeply about it, and in light of the lectures so far, I've ordered my list this way: 1. Safety 2. Job Opportunities 3. Sanitation Standards 4. Housing 5. Health Care **Why I Live Where I Live** Fundamentally this has to do with work. I live in the city in which I work and I work in the city in which I live. My fundamental reason for moving to this city was to take up a job opportunity. What keeps me here has been a mixture of job security, inertia, waiting out a period of time in order to regularise my migration to the UK, and comfort. So my top 5 reasons for living here are (in order): 1. Income Security 2. Immigration/Citizenship Opportunities 3. Personal Comfort 4. Safety/Security 5. Culture (both of my own city and of the country/continent in which it is located) ![Great Central Library, University of Lincoln (where I work)][1] ![Six years waiting to get a British Passport!][2] ![Lincoln Cathedral seen from Lincoln Castle][3] [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14469976872871555.jpeg [2]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14469977154916469.jpg [3]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/1446997750348799.jpg **To What Extent Does Lincoln Fulfil Livability Criteria** In terms of my own TOP livability criteria Lincoln scores pretty high - maybe a 80% But in terms of general livability I would rate it lower, maybe 60% Here the tension is between the basics (safety, security, income) and the marginal improvements that could be made either in the city or by moving (lifestyle, comfort, climate, connectivity etc). **What Would I Change** If I were Mayor of Lincoln (and with unfettered authority and budget) I would focus on the transport links within the city and linking it to the outside world. Direct train links to major cities are limited, road infrastructure is less than ideal, access to major airports (especially for intercontinental destinations) is difficult, public transport options within the City and its broader metropolitan area are very poor. This is something that city authorities are currently working on but progress has been very slow. Better transport links would boost the local economy, improve citizens' lives and ameliorate some of the negative aspects of living in a small rural city. See: http://thelincolnite.co.uk/2015/10/councillors-unanimously-approve-lincoln-transport-hub/ **Why Do We Move?** If I were to move, my destinations of choice would be as follows: 1. Melbourne 2. Hong Kong 3. Singapore Two of these (Melbourne and Singapore) are cities in which I have lived previously and the third (Hong Kong) is a city in which I have spent considerable time. All three offer significant improvements over my current situation in the following areas: 1. lifestyle 2. income possibility/career opportunities 3. access to culture/arts 4. ease of international travel opportunities 5. closeness to family members (in Australia)