Uploaded on 2016-05-17 by LabLL

Geneva in Switzerland ![Geneva1][1] Zürich in Switzerland ![Zurich][2] London in United Kingdom ![london LabLL][3] Berlin in Germany ![berlin LabLL][4] Amsterdam in Netherland ![amsterdam, LabLL][5] **Step 2:** five major characteristics making a city liveable **HOUSING** I would separate this criteria in two parts: **Housing** means the panel of the offers in a town, in terms of habitation accessibility (for sale, for rent, size, form, quality, place, prices) **Access to housing is a complement to housing.** Even a city has a very large offer in terms of housing, sometimes THE ACCESS to HOUSING is very difficult. The market is very closed, the people move less than in other cities or countries, the owners have hard conditions for new applicants for a rent, or the prices asked for a flat or an house are situated into luxury spheres. **International connectivity** is a sort of freedom. The city can be wonderful, have a fantastic access to nature with parks, trees, work and sport facilities. Do you think this town is liveable while you need to use bus or car for many many kilometers if you wish to reach, first the next train station, and second the next airport. **Architecture and urban design.** One of the key criteria. Could you imagine you live in a city, where hou have work, connectivity facilities, good health with large medical facilities, nature all aroud, but the architecture and design you have to walk through from school to home, or from home to office is awful and horrible, hum? Is it in that case a liveable city? where you have NO fun to look around you? **Transportation and public services.** Other key criteria. The first actions to make a city liveable is to reduce the noise, the pollution, the energy consumption… logically, REDUCE THE CARS. How could we achieve this goal with lack of transportation ? **Natural environment and access to the nature**. Humans, we are elements of the nature. It’s a crucial choice for the cities to make the green choice. The cities could develop the presence of the nature through three manners : - more trees and green elements in the private housing - more trees and green elements in the new constructions with a minimum of green surfaces for each complex - more trees and green elements in the town itself, with the demolition of unused and old constructions, and implementing a minimum of green surfaces for each new complex **Step 3:** description of the status of my own city in terms of the five characteristics I have listed **Own city, Switzerland, Geneva** access to housing is **very restricted** 42597 building are the housing in Geneva 24830 are houses and villas 87% of the people are renting their home 4,5% of the inhabitants are in cooperative housing Geneva **built only 1400** new housing each year, when the **necessity is asking for 3400** new ones each year, due the city benchmarking.... You can rapidly imagine what happens : - many of small flats are awful and very expensive - it builted a sublocation system with surprising prices - long waitings lists **What can be done ?** Reduce a little bit the agriculture surface, and built sustainable smart small new "city parcels" on it. The accessibility is already here, with a good connection with buses. More tramways are necessary, but while the town in a compact one, each new "city parcel" would be less that one hour ON FEET from the city center. (or less than 30 minutes with a bus, or 10/15 with a bycicle) **International connectivity :** It can’t be better, the airport if ONLY 5 minutes from city center by train **Architecture and urban design** : old stones Calvinist style, and a fantastic mix with contemporary green and passive buildings such as the WMO (World Meteorological Organization) with his well known double-skin facade "Trombe Wall", and the ex Serono head quarter, using the water and pumps to warm the building, surrounded by a botanical garden, and pathways to the lake!… for a already good.... **Natural environment and access to the nature.** :) As a complement to this exercise, I would like to add here some additional questions and subject to reflexion : *How could we estimate the liveability of a city ? Are the traditional criterias to estimate this liveability enough? Are these criterias useful for individuals, firms, councils or any group of persons wishing to use these datas ?* I listed below (A-Z) some of the major criterias already used to organize surveys, and collect datas and informations about the most liveable cities in the world. Could we add the bold ones to the existing criterias ? (Your comments are welcome) **access to administration** architecture and urban design business opportunities city benchmarking climate consumer goods culture environment development levels economy uncertainties, economic environment education, schools and universities expatriate relocation healthcare medical housing and **access to housing** infrastructure international connectivity **language and access to the informations** medical infrastructure natural environment, access to the nature personal safety recreation, sport, leisure, restaurants social environment and tolerance stability in political environment stability in social environment **suicide rate** transportation and public services visitors atractivity work possibilities Thank you if you share your thoughts, kind regards LabLL [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14635110402424015.jpg [2]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14635110592723688.jpg [3]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14635111572776506.jpg [4]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14635111823169401.jpg [5]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14635112039158463.jpg