Congratulations to us… Fukuoka City has once again ranked very high in London-based Monocle Magazine’s well respected index. Last year Fukuoka ranked 10th of 25, so we did slip two positions. The editors praised the city for its plans to stimulate redevelopment of the city center (Meiji-dori), job creation, population growth, investment in refuelling stations (electric and fuel cell), and the new cruise ship terminal. Their advice to the City includes more bicycle lanes and parking spaces, reduction of underused bus services that clog up traffic, and more planning for the growing population. Other Japanese cities in the top 25 were Tokyo – #1, and Kyoto at #14. The full report will be in the July/August double issue – on newsstands, June 18, Thursday. http://monocle.com/
2015 Ranking (2014 ranking, 2013 ranking)
01. Tokyo (02, 04)
02. Vienna (06, 05)
03. Berlin (14, 20)
04. Melbourne (03, 02)
05. Sydney (11, 09)
06. Stockholm (04, 07)
07. Vancouver (15, 19)
08. Helsinki (05, 03)
09. Munich (08, 08)
10. Zürich (07, 06)
10. Copenhagen (01, 01) – joint 10th with Zürich
12. Fukuoka (10, 12)
13. Singapore (16, 15)
14. Kyoto (09, 13)
15. Paris (18, 14)
16. Madrid (17, 18)
17. Auckland (12, 10)
18. Lisbon (22, not ranked)
19. Hong Kong (13, 11)
20. Amsterdam (19, 22)
21. Hamburg (20, 16)
22. Geneva (not ranked, not ranked) – happy return to the list
23. Oslo (24, not ranked)
24. Barcelona (21, 21)
25. Portland (23, 23)