Brussels, 08/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - It is not all that easy to find a job in the city. Accommodation there is expensive and the quality of education leaves a lot to be desired. These are the feelings expressed by 41,000 city dwellers answering questions in a Eurobarometer survey. In a follow-up to the Open Days at the European Week of Cities and Regions in Brussels, the European Commission presented on Tuesday 8 October, this study on The Quality of Life In European Cities. It was carried out over a three-year period in 79 municipal areas.
The Eurobarometer survey highlighted wide disparities between cities on how people assess the quality of public transport and health care services. The study also demonstrates that city dwellers' main concerns are employment, education, training and health care. High satisfaction with public spaces, green areas, cleanliness and feeling safe seems closely linked with the overall satisfaction felt by people about in their city. On a more positive note the survey finds that a majority of the respondents agree with the statement that the presence of foreigners is good for the city and that cities are actively combating climate change. The European Commissioner for Regional Development, Johannes Hahn, said that the study provided, “a useful snapshot of how Europeans feel about the cities that they live in… I hope the results will inspire and guide policymakers, urban planners and civil society to address urban problems through a more holistic and integrated manner as we are now encouraging in the next period of Regional and Urban Policy for 2014-2020”. (MD/transl.fl)