In the summer of 2007, Monocle launched its inaugural Quality of Life Survey as we searched for the best cities in the world to call home. Though other city-ranking indexes existed, we felt that they came to some poor conclusions. Had their compilers, we wondered, ever looked up from their spreadsheets of metrics to ask a few simple questions: is this city, which sounds good on paper, a fun place to live? Is it accepting of outsiders? Can you go to a bar at 01.00? Is it easy and pleasant to get around by foot, tram or bicycle? We were suspicious that the authors of these reports, well-meaning statisticians, hadn’t visited all of the cities that they lauded. So we saw an opportunity to create a survey that homed in on true liveability – what it was really like to reside in a place. Yes, we would gather statistics but we would also ask our network of correspondents and editors to tell us what was really happening in their hometowns.

Not surprisingly, some cities have always flourished in our survey – often medium-sized metropilses that have invested wisely in infrastructure for generations, have nature on their side and sit in wealthy nations. So, this year, we wanted to put more cities in the spotlight – places that might struggle to get to the front of the pack if you take in every data point but are clear winners when you consider one key metric. I won’t spoil all of the fun here but for 2025 we have chosen 10 winners – yes, we have an overall champion but also nine more cities that deserve to be garlanded for their safe streets (without having your every move watched on CCTV), start-up culture and nightlife. Congratulations to all of the upstarts that made the podium this year.

While we’re on the topic of Quality of Life, are you coming to our annual conference on this very subject? It’s taking place in Barcelona from Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 September. There’s a welcome reception on the first day, followed by a day of talks and panels looking at how we can improve our cities, retail, hospitality and the world of work – and a fun dinner that night. Then, for the final day, after breakfast, we have organised trips to ateliers, galleries and more, all with special access. There’ll be no lanyards; you’ll be looked after by Monocle staff; and, by the end of the event, you will have met numerous people with ambitious ideas and great perspectives on the world. You can sign up at monocle.com/events or email my colleague – and head of events – Hannah Grundy at hg@monocle.com.

In 2023 we organised another one of our talk series, The Weekender, in Asheville, North Carolina. We had a great few days exploring the city as we met chefs, campaigners and ceramicists, and we had a pop-up shop at Citizen Vinyl. Being in this lush outpost in the Blue Ridge Mountains was a special experience. It’s why last September’s news that whole parts of the city had been washed away in the floods that followed Hurricane Helene really hit home at Monocle. For this issue, Alexis Self visited the city to see how it has responded and how the determination of people to rebuild has come to the fore, even as huge challenges remain. Perhaps that’s something else we should evaluate when creating our city survey: the ability of a community to come together, to find common purpose.

This being summer – in the northern hemisphere, at least – we have also ensured that this issue has plenty of moments of pure joy. We have dedicated our Expo to 21 things to make your summer pop (from the perfect sliders to the best outdoor cinema) and, in our culture pages, have compiled a sunny checklist of music, books and films to entertain you on your poolside lounger.

And there’s one final story, also in culture, that’s important to highlight: our report on kiosks. Magazines such as Monocle only thrive in cities that care about having an informed and entertained citizenry. It’s painful to watch as city halls hand the licences for their kiosks to people who just want to use them to sell soft drinks. The reason why kiosks fail is that they don’t have inspirational owners. If you don’t believe me, meet the people who keep their city’s kiosks thriving. We need these media stars.

Finally, thank you for reading Monocle – whether purchased from a newsstand or as a subscriber (well, you do get a discount on your conference ticket). As always, feel free to drop me an email – at@monocle.com – with ideas, feedback or just your Barcelona confirmation.