Why Are Small Towns More Livable

By Ma Xiaodan

When I was conducting interviews concerning the most livable cities in the United States, John Smith, a local resident from Arlington,Virginia, asked, “I hear that half of the Korean population lives in the capital city and a huge amount of Thai people live in Bangkok,while the number of people living in big cities like Tokyo is even more staggering. Is it true? ” I replied, “I have not been to these cities, but in China, there are many metropolitan cities with a population of millions, and even tens of millions.”

“Why are most big cities in Asia?” John asked continually.

His question is quite typical,yet acceptable. New York, with a population of more than 7 million,is an international metropolis in every aspect, but it is by no means a livable city in most American people’s minds. On the list of “the most livable cities” in the United States, New York falls at the bottom.

Almost all livable cities ranking high on the list are small towns.Americans today are increasingly inclined to a lifestyle different from that in a metropolis. They prefer to live in small towns.

Small towns that are especially favorable with Americans are mostly hubs of higher education.Charlottesville, Virginia, is rated as the most livable place in the United States, where the famous University of Virginia is located, neighboring the beautiful Shenandoah National Park. Apart from the superior natural environment, the town also provides ample employment opportunities and boasts a healthy economic environment.

Two other university towns,Ann Arbor, Michigan and Corvallis, Oregon are also listed among the top ten livable cities in the United States.

美国华盛顿州的双桥岛市Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA

Bainbridge Island, Washington also enjoys a good landscape.44-year-old Casey said: “Life here is like on holiday every day.” She and her husband were sightseeing in Seattle 10 years ago and were immediately attracted to the beautiful small town. Its towering trees and diverse sea views attracted them to settle there.

A city’s livability is largely owed to its human-friendly atmosphere,manifested by the local residents’satisfaction and loyalty.

美国弗吉尼亚州的夏洛茨维尔市Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

我在美国进行有关宜居城市的采访时，弗吉尼亚州小城阿灵顿的居民约翰·史密斯反问我：“据说，韩国人口的一半都生活在首都，泰国的曼谷也在全国人口总数中占大头，东京一带大城市的人多得更是骇人听闻，有这么回事吗？”我说，这些地方没去过，但在中国，人口几百万甚至上千万的大城市也有不少。

“为什么大城市多数在亚洲？”约翰执着地问。

约翰的问题很有代表性。七百多万人口的纽约，是名符其实的国际大都市，但在美国人心中，纽约根本就不是宜居城市。在美国“最适合居住的城市”排行榜，纽约排名靠后。

排在美国宜居城市榜前列的几乎全都是小城。如今的美国人，越来越倾向于寻找一种不同于大都市的生活方式，他们更愿意住在小城镇里。

受到美国人青睐的小城多是高等教育中心。弗吉尼亚州的夏洛茨维尔市，被评为全美最适宜居住的地方。这里有著名的弗吉尼亚大学，大学旁边有风景秀丽的雪兰多国家公园。除了优越的自然环境，这个城市还提供稳定的就业机会，经济生态健康。密歇根州的安娜堡和俄勒冈州的科瓦利斯市，也因为是大学城的缘故，跻身全美十大宜居城市。

华盛顿州的双桥岛（班布里奇）市，也不错，44岁的凯西说：“住在这里天天都像在度假。”她和丈夫10年前造访西雅图时，被旁边的这个小市镇所吸引，参天的树木和怡人的海景，让他们决心在这里安家。

一个宜居城市靠的是它对人的吸引力，这一点首先表现在当地居民对城市的满意度和忠诚度上。