Edinburgh UK's "Most Desirable City" In YouGov's PlaceIndex
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