Uploaded on 2017-08-19 by Maksymilian Macur

1. Which are your top liveability criteria? 1. Safety 2. Health Care 3. Job Opportunities 5. Infrastructure 2. Environment. 2. Why do we live where we live? I live in Gdansk, Poland. It’s hard for me to choose 5 reasons why I live here, because I wouldn’t if I could, I want to move out, I’m just preparing for this moment. So this would be more - 5 reasons why this city is quite “ok”. 1. Safety – Gdansk as a city is very safe, there are not many violent crimes here, just like robberies. The neighbourhood in which I live is safe after dark, but there are certain districts, especially in the suburbs of the city, where it is better not to walk after midnight if you are not a resident. 2. Culture - as a city with more than 750 years of history, there are many sights and places related to culture. First of all, during the summer, many cultural events are organized. Gdansk is located on the Gulf of Gdansk, which affects a very large number of tourists in the summer, about 8 million per year. As a result, the cultural infrastructure is constantly being developed. 3. Transportation - the road layout is one of the better developed in Poland, Gdansk has the second fastest average speed in the city. A large grid of trams and buses running 24 hours, plus two lines of high-speed terrestrial rail, that ties the whole city to the surrounding towns. 4. Environment - as I mentioned earlier, Gdansk is situated on the Gulf of Gdansk and is surrounded by large forests and moraine lakes. Thanks to that there is very good ventilation of the city and no problem in the centre with smog. In addition, the water supplied to the city is very clean, making it easy to drink straight from the tap. 5. Recreation Possibilities - Gdansk is part of the Tri-City agglomeration, which together forms the second most populous "city" after the capital, Warsaw. This has resulted in the development of many cultural, recreational and sports centres. In addition, thanks to its position at the same time over the water and near the forest, it gives a lot of opportunities for active spending time. The Gdansk area has been adapted for clubs and restaurants, Sopot is a health resort, and Gdynia attracts many young people with many restaurants and cafes by the sea. 3. To what extend does your own place of residence fulfil your ideal liveability criteria? 1. Safety – 79 2. Health Care – 42 3. Job Opportunities – 21 4. Infrastructure – 48 5. Environment – 78 4. What would you change? First of all, the most important thing that would have to be changed for me is the ability to work. As an architect in Poland, wages are at the lowest national rate. Similarly, in many other professions, the wage-to-price movement is incomparable to any other European country, so many young people go abroad because even when working as bartenders, talkers or cleaners, they have a much better life than in Poland. In addition, health care in all post-communist countries is low, multi-million investment in medical infrastructure and the treatment system itself is needed. In addition, the sense of security is uplifted by the possibility of war, Poland as the worst located country in the world is always in the centres of the world's greatest conflicts, as demonstrated by two world wars. But these are things that cannot be changed and depend on the policies of the whole of Europe. 5. Why do we move? Vancouver(Canada); New York(USA); Zurich(Switzerland) 1. Job Opportunities 2. Safety 3. Health Care 4. Recreation possibilities 5. International Connectivity The main thing in these cities that decided on my choice was the opportunity to find a job in my profession, that would grant me the ability to live above average living standard. In addition, each city offers something else, Vancouver is a beautifully located city with access to water, kitesurfing and also close to the mountains, which allows skiing in winter. New York is the capital of the world, and Zurich is the most reminiscent of Gdansk urban tissue and additionally meets all other criteria.