Toronto typically scores well in global livability rankings, but this might be the first time the city has been ranked the "most youthful" before. In a recently released set of rankings from new initiative YouthfulCities, Toronto beat out 24 other cities to take the crown of most friendly to people under 30. Rounding out the top three were Berlin and New York. According to the YouthfulCities website, its "index ranks 25 global cities across 80 unique indicators. It looks at which cities are most attractive to youth between the ages of 15 to 29 and which cities will have a competitive edge in the future." The goal of the index "is to measure cities from a youth perspective, to ultimately engage youth and civic leaders to build better cities."

All noble pursuits - but on what basis did Toronto do so well? According to the report, we finished in the top five of nine of YouthfulCities 16 main categories, including Diversity, Digital Access, Youth Employment, Financial Access, Economic Status, Food and Nightlife, Music and Film, Fashion and Art, Public Space Sport and Gaming. Where we falter, according to this ranking, is in terms of Safety and Mental Health (18th overall) and Civic Participation (23rd overall). That last one is particularly noteworthy given the goal of this index. It's fairly common knowledge that youth activism and engagement has steadily declined since the 1960s, but this is a widespread North American phenomenon. Placed in this context, one wonders if we're just a complacent bunch of spoiled brats? Let's hope not.

You can read all about the ranking and criteria at the Youthful Cities page. What do you think? Does Toronto strike you as a particularly youth-friendly city?

Photo by John Kivell