LAUSANNE NAMED WORLD’S BEST SMALL CITY

The AISTS has been located in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Olympic Capital, for over 20 years. With stunning scenery, plenty to do, excellent quality of life and close ties to the international sports world, it came as no surprise to us to discover that the city has been named the World’s Best Small City.

According to The Independent, Lausanne topped the chart in Monocle’s inaugural Small Cities Index, which ranked the best 25 small cities in the world with a population under 200,000.

The ranking was compiled by Monocle’s correspondents, editors and researchers who looked at factors such as the quality of public transport, rail and air connections, lively metabolism and progressive local government, among other things.

Lausanne took the top spot for a host of reasons including its global outlook, diverse population, home to big business and natural setting, said Monocle.

The publisher added that Lausanne’s efficient public transport network as well as key employers in the city, including the International Olympic Committee, were key to its win.

The top 25 small cities in the world

1. Lausanne, Switzerland

2. Boulder, USA

3. Bergen, Norway

4. Hobart, Australia

5. Chigasaki, Japan

6. Bolzano, Italy

7. Bordeaux, France

8. Innsbruck, Austria

9. Porto, Portugal

10. Aachen, Germany

11. Reykjavik, Iceland

12. Savannah, USA

13. Potsdam, Germany

14. Basel, Switzerland

15. Chiang Mai, Thailand

16. Victoria, Canada

17. San Sebastián, Spain

18. Eindhoven, Netherlands

19. Bath, UK

20. Aalborg, Denmark

21. Wiesbaden, Germany

22. Trieste, Italy

23. Haarlem, Netherlands

24. Annapolis, USA

25. Salzburg, Austria