Forbes, Laura Begley Bloom, Senior Contributor - July 21, 2023

Looking for the best cities to live in the world, as well as the best places to live in the U.S.? Every year, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ranks the best places to live in the Global Liveability Index 2023.

This year, the Index covers 172 cities, with rankings based on a number of categories, including stability, healthcare, culture, education and infrastructure.

The Winners: The Best Cities to Live in the World

For the second year in a row, Vienna, Austria, has been named the best city to live in the world. The authors of the report called Vienna out for its “unsurpassed combination of stability, good infrastructure, strong education and healthcare services, and plenty of culture and entertainment.” The rest of the top 10 included three Canadian cities (Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto), two Swiss cities (Zurich, Geneva) and one Japanese city (Osaka).

Joanne Lee-Young, Vancouver Sun, June 11, 2023 

The testing will include how panels respond to different loads of weight and vibration, and how the responses change over time as the panels age. Structural engineer Thomas Wu remembers scribbling his initial calculations for a new kind of floor panel for high-rise buildings on a kitchen cloth. “I did them from a sketching,” said Wu, whose portfolio includes Vancouver projects such as the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, the Shangri-La Hotel, and the Shaw Tower.

Amir Ali, DH News, June 7, 2023 

A Vancouver business operating on West Broadway for nearly 20 years is shuttering its physical store and suggesting that construction, COVID-19, and rising rent are to blame. Alpine Start Outfitters, located on 68 West Broadway, has been a fixture in that neighborhood since September 28, 2007. The general manager of Alpine Start Outfitters told us that her father started the business when he immigrated to Vancouver from Korea. 

Sammy Hudes, Vancouver Sun, June 7, 2023

TORONTO — Nine in 10 Canadian construction companies say they are dealing with a shortage of skilled labour or trades — and it’s affecting their ability to bid on projects and meet deadlines amid unprecedented demand. The industry widely views digital technology as a solution to addressing those shortages, according to a survey of 275 construction companies released June 6 by KPMG Canada. 

Simon Little & Aaron McArthur, Global News, March 21, 2023 

British Columbia is facing an acute shortage of property managers as a growing number of people make their homes in strata properties.

More than 1.5 million people are estimated to live in B.C.’s 30,000 strata properties.But finding people to manage those properties is getting increasingly difficult, according B.C.’s Condominium Home Owners Association (CHOA).“We could easily use 200 or 300 managers in the industry tomorrow and it probably wouldn’t fill the gaps,” CHOA executive director Tony Gioventu told Global News.“It is getting dire, and it’s not just B.C., it’s across the country.”

In British Columbia, strata property managers must be licensed, a process that involves passing an exam and a criminal record check.

 Amy Judd , Global News, Feb 8, 2023 

Work to upgrade the Granville Bridge, part of the Granville Connector project, is set to begin this month.The City of Vancouver said this work will create a “safer, more accessible crossing for walking, rolling and cycling.” Two west-side travel lanes on the bridge will be converted to create separate routes, similar to the protected lanes on the Burrard Bridge.