Edinburgh has won another quality of life accolade in a new study called PlaceIndex by respected opinion pollster YouGov. The study is based upon interviews with a representative sample of 10,000 respondents drawn from YouGov's online panel. The fieldwork was undertaken in July 2009.
Cities were ranked on 11 key indicators which include - cultural experience, atmosphere, friendliness, ease of getting around, shops and restaurants and the media ‘buzz' that a city generates.
Other indicators used are whether the city is considered a safe
investment, whether it is considered expensive, whether it is
considered safe and whether people would recommend the city to others.
According to the PlaceIndex report, Edinburgh is perceived to be a
city with lots to offer. It is considered safe to visit, easy to get
around (in spite of the tram works) and has a friendly and helpful local population. Aside from its
entertainment and leisure offerings, it is also viewed as a city worth
investing in.
When scores for all indicators were combined, Edinburgh emerged the
highest ranked city in the index, beating off its nearest rivals of
York, London, Cambridge and Bath.
Council Leader, Cllr Jenny Dawe, welcomed the results as further
confirmation of the capital's positive reputation: "Edinburgh has much
to be proud of and provides an enviable quality of life. We all
contribute to the city's success and, while the Council has an
important role, there are many others who need to be given credit."
Edinburgh's rankings included:
- Atmosphere - 1
- Heard something positive - 1
- Cultural experience - 2
- Easy to get around - 2
- Visit yourself / recommend to a friend - 2
- Good cuisine / restaurants - 2
- Safe to invest in - 3
- Varied choice of shops - 3
- Local population friendly and helpful - 3
- Expensive - 3
- Safe to visit - 5