Quality of Life
Live better: Behind-the-scenes snapshots of Monocle’s Quality of Life Conference in Lisbon
This year, Monocle's Quality of Life Conference returned to Lisbon, the host city of the first event in 2015.
Latest in Monocle Radio
Latest
Here’s how we compiled our 2026 Quality of Life Survey
Keen to know the questions that we ask Monocle correspondents and the data we used to compile this year’s results? Read on.
When it comes to quality of life, three Aussie cities are better than one
What we want out of a city changes as we age. Sydney, Melbourne and Perth show that quality of life means being in the right place at the right time.
Need an antidote to our times? Sow a garden, reap the rewards
I live in a mews in central London. These are the places where the owners of grand houses would have once kept their horses and carriages – two-floored buildings at the backs of posh…
Once the US’s kitschy capital in decline, Portland is bouncing back
After voting to professionalise the Oregon city’s government in 2022, Portlanders are reinvesting in the city with new shops, restaurants and cultural venues.
Why Copenhagen’s design culture is central to its high quality of life
Copenhagen consistently ranks highly on Monocle’s annual Quality of Life survey. The listing appears in our out-now July/August issue, in which the Danish capital comes in second place. Key to its success as a liveable city…
Listen up! For cities to thrive, they need to sound as good as they look
Noise pollution in urban environments is on the rise but better acoustic planning could help to silence the issue.
A local’s guide to the best swimming spots in Vienna
It was only my second week in Vienna when a resident took me to swim in the Danube. It was an experience that moved me – quite literally. After relocating to the Austrian capital,…
How Tokyo made it to the top of Monocle’s 2026 Quality of Life Survey
Our Tokyo bureau chief tells us about daily life in the calm, clean and ambitious Japanese capital.
Air-con has become the latest front in a culture war – but more hot air is the last thing our overheating cities need
Europe’s cities are woefully underprepared for rising temperatures. To stay competitive and comfortable in a changing world, they need to make bolder choices.
Cities are like theatres, we the actors. What part do you want to play?
Ask not whether your favourite city placed in Monocle’s Quality of Life Survey, ask what you can do for your city (and friends).
