Tokyo tops AkzoNobel-sponsored most liveable city survey

Tokyo is the best city in the world according to Monocle's 2015 Quality of Life survey, which has been complied in association with AkzoNobel.

The influential ranking placed Tokyo in top spot, based on a combination of culture, tolerance, green space, connectivity and safety. All these factors also contribute to making the Japanese capital more human, which is the key aim of AkzoNobel's global Human Cities initiative.

"We've made a clear commitment to helping urban areas become more inspiring, energizing and vibrant for people across the world," explained Dr. Lin Liangqi, China President of AkzoNobel. "So we're delighted to support this survey of the world's most liveable cities, which offers inspiration for urban communities everywhere to create more human environments."

A total of 25 cities are named on the list, with Hong Kong placed in 19th. The rest of the top five is made up of Tokyo in Japan, Vienna in Austria, Berlin in Germany, Melbourne and Sydney in Australia.

The 2015 survey continues to use the same unique Quality of Life metrics for which it has become famous, while new metrics have also been introduced which take into account factors including housing and access to outdoor activities.

"We've added 22 new metrics, including several that look at housing and the cost of living, from the price of a three-bed house to the cost of a coffee, glass of wine and decent lunch," explained Monocle editor-in-chief Tyler Brûlé. "We've also put more emphasis on access to the outdoors."

Monocle rankings are prescriptive in that they don't just collect data, but also suggest what each city needs to do to grow or maintain their rankings.

Here's the top 25 in full: 1. Tokyo; 2. Vienna; 3. Berlin; 4. Melbourne; 5. Sydney; 6. Stockholm; 7. Vancouver; 8. Helsinki; 9. Munich; 10. Zurich; 11. Copenhagen; 12. Fukuoka; 13. Singapore; 14. Kyoto; 15. Paris; 16. Madrid; 17. Auckland; 18. Lisbon; 19. Hong Kong; 20. Amsterdam; 21. Hamburg; 22. Geneva; 23. Oslo; 24. Barcelona; 25. Portland.