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Monocle's definitive list of the world's best small cities to live spotlights Porto!

Monocle's definitive list of the world's best small cities to live spotlights Porto!
16 Jan 2020

This is it, this is the bucket list of the best small cities to catch up with in 2020, according to Monocle, and Porto ranks 9 out of 20.Monocle's global network of correspondents delivered the shortlist of the world's best small cities. The key words are "rich cultural experiences" and "space to breathe".

This is a fair question: a new decade, a new city? Monocle raises the issues of "all things possible" regarding jobs, social life, family, a well-connected airport, and has presented a shortlist of cities to consider, Porto being ranked 9 out of 20.

Porto changed and it managed to surface from a dull fate to full speed innovation and entrepreneurship city of the future. And now Porto echoes life quality in all its quadrants; from housing to infrastructure, from tourism to trade, from culture to economy.

The "shift in priorities - restoring the historic cobbled and tiled centre, spending on infrastructure and opening up to foreign investment - has propelled Porto forward", as stated by Monocle.

Indeed, Porto has it all: innovation hubs, entrepreneurship character, technology companies, design thinking platform, excellent University and Polytechnic, world-class events, sunshine (Oh yeah!), and a world-leading cuisine, just to mention a few.

How one defines "small-city living" makes all the difference because, for some, it is all about space and comfort, the vegetable garden and the more community-minded place; for others, the hustle and bustle of big cities are elemental and big cities offer "real modern living".

However, and research shows this, largest cities can be deceitful as they offer people a fake sense of community, with unavoidable isolation and loneliness. Also, health awareness, when it comes to mental and physical wellbeing, has become a growing concern among urban dwellers.

Bottom line, it all depends on what you are looking for, and that balance between advantages and disadvantages has to be crafted by you!