Saturday, April 7, 2007
what do u believe are the most beautiful cities on earth
for me id say san francisco, sydney, buenos aires, florence,and paris you can list as much as u want [ in no order]>
Multicultural Paris
Here is an interesting discussion that took place in the French forum. I thought I would put it here for those who can't read French.
Paris is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world, and Greater Paris is home to the largest population of immigrants in Europe. As some of you already know, French censuses do not ask questions regarding ethnicity. They do, however, ask people to report their birthplace, so with this we can get an idea of the ethnic diversity and the size of the foreign-born communities in Paris.
At the 1999 census, there were 2,159,070 people in Greater Paris who were born outside of Metropolitan France. This is the largest such population in Europe. In Greater London, for example, at the 2001 census there were only 1,940,390 people who were born outside of the (metropolitan) UK.
According to the 1999 census, the 10 largest foreign and overseas-born communities in Greater Paris were as listed below. Please note that some categories of immigrants may be under-reported. This is particularly true for people born in Mainland China, who have flocked to Paris since the mid-90s and who seem to be underestimated in the 1999 census. The 1999 census reported only 25,500 people in Greater Paris who were born in Mainland China, but NGOs estimate that there are actually between 250,000 and 400,000 ethnic Chinese people living in Greater Paris, approximately 200,000 of whom were born in Mainland China. Even assuming that a lot of them arrived between 1999 and 2006, that's still a great underestimation on the part of the census authorities. They've promised the new census campaign which started in 2004 would be more accurate (the new census is now spread over several years so that census agents can count people more efficiently and conduct detailed investigation in immigrant neighborhoods).
With this caveat, here is a list of the 10 largest foreign and overseas-born communities in Greater Paris at the 1999 census:
1- born in Algeria: 340,273 (126,373 are Jewish (mostly) and Christian (a little) Pied-Noir refugees; 213,900 are Arabs and Berbers (mostly Kabyles))
2- born in Portugal: 255.798
3- born in Morocco: 205.135 (38,635 are Jewish (mostly) and Christian (a little) Pied-Noir refugees; 166,500 are Arabs and Berbers)
4- born in Tunisia: 120.302 (34,102 are Jewish (mostly) and Christian (a little) Pied-Noir refugees; 86,200 are Arabs; no Berbers)
5- born in Guadeloupe: 76.440 (the vast majority are black)
6- born in Martinique: 71.049 (the vast majority are black)
7- born in Italy: 66.444
8- born in Spain: 64.436
9- born in Vietnam: 52.677 (a large part are ethnic Chinese)
10- born in Turkey: 51.828 (a significant part are ethnic Kurds)>
Paris is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world, and Greater Paris is home to the largest population of immigrants in Europe. As some of you already know, French censuses do not ask questions regarding ethnicity. They do, however, ask people to report their birthplace, so with this we can get an idea of the ethnic diversity and the size of the foreign-born communities in Paris.
At the 1999 census, there were 2,159,070 people in Greater Paris who were born outside of Metropolitan France. This is the largest such population in Europe. In Greater London, for example, at the 2001 census there were only 1,940,390 people who were born outside of the (metropolitan) UK.
According to the 1999 census, the 10 largest foreign and overseas-born communities in Greater Paris were as listed below. Please note that some categories of immigrants may be under-reported. This is particularly true for people born in Mainland China, who have flocked to Paris since the mid-90s and who seem to be underestimated in the 1999 census. The 1999 census reported only 25,500 people in Greater Paris who were born in Mainland China, but NGOs estimate that there are actually between 250,000 and 400,000 ethnic Chinese people living in Greater Paris, approximately 200,000 of whom were born in Mainland China. Even assuming that a lot of them arrived between 1999 and 2006, that's still a great underestimation on the part of the census authorities. They've promised the new census campaign which started in 2004 would be more accurate (the new census is now spread over several years so that census agents can count people more efficiently and conduct detailed investigation in immigrant neighborhoods).
With this caveat, here is a list of the 10 largest foreign and overseas-born communities in Greater Paris at the 1999 census:
1- born in Algeria: 340,273 (126,373 are Jewish (mostly) and Christian (a little) Pied-Noir refugees; 213,900 are Arabs and Berbers (mostly Kabyles))
2- born in Portugal: 255.798
3- born in Morocco: 205.135 (38,635 are Jewish (mostly) and Christian (a little) Pied-Noir refugees; 166,500 are Arabs and Berbers)
4- born in Tunisia: 120.302 (34,102 are Jewish (mostly) and Christian (a little) Pied-Noir refugees; 86,200 are Arabs; no Berbers)
5- born in Guadeloupe: 76.440 (the vast majority are black)
6- born in Martinique: 71.049 (the vast majority are black)
7- born in Italy: 66.444
8- born in Spain: 64.436
9- born in Vietnam: 52.677 (a large part are ethnic Chinese)
10- born in Turkey: 51.828 (a significant part are ethnic Kurds)>
Article on Chicago, do other's agree? Disagree?
Read this in todays Sun Times, on the first page. Do other's feel this way??
Maybe we have a small chip on our big shoulders
July 28, 2006
BY DEBRA PICKETT SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST Advertisement
Must we now pretend to take seriously the city's campaign to land the 2016 Olympics? Is that really what we've come to?
This week's news that we beat out Houston and Philadelphia to make the top three finalists for a potential U.S. bid to host the Games was not exactly earth-shattering. (It is, after all, hard to imagine being a less-attractive summer destination than Houston.)
But we got all puffed up and celebratory about it anyway. Because, frankly, we've been feeling a little desperate lately.
It was not so long ago that it seemed like people loved us, well, just for us. Sure, it was slightly condescending, the way they affected such genuine surprise when remarking on our vibrant cultural life, our clean streets and our fabulous restaurants, like they expected our standards to be permanently stuck in "No fries, chips!" mode.
But, still, they fawned and fussed over us. They featured us in fancy, glossy magazines.
And we got used to it.
The Kirstie Alley effect
There's nothing quite like those first days after you've been on a big diet and made your debut in your new, skinny clothes. Everyone tells you how great you look. They all want to know how you did it. All the attention goes to your head and, without realizing it, you're prancing down the hallways of your office building and grinning flirtatiously with strangers on the street.
Then, in far, far less time than it took you to lose the weight, people stop noticing. And those super-expensive jeans you bought aren't looking quite as cute as they did originally, anyway. Without the blinding glow of positive reinforcement, you start to notice certain things that you'd been blocking from your mind: like how low-fat muffins taste like cardboard.
From there, it's a slippery slide into a needy kind of paranoia. You want people to notice how great you look, but you're also convinced they've begun to pick up on how, in ever-so-subtle ways, you've started to let yourself go.
Chicago's urban renaissance has followed the same pattern. We worked hard on ourselves. We got really beautiful. And even though we swore we were doing it for ourselves, that it didn't matter what other cities thought, that it was all about making positive changes, not just meeting some socially mandated aesthetic standard, we still loved the way it felt to be so suddenly glamorous.
We felt a little sorry, really, for Seattle, trying so hard to hang on to that whole '90s grunge and coffee thing, when it was clear that the fickle finger of trendiness had moved on. We promised ourselves we'd be more graceful about it when the time came for us to pass the torch to some other city. Of course, that sort of thing was easy to say when Boeing was hightailing it out of there to make its new corporate home here.
We're not quite so blithe about it now.
Now we find it newsworthy when some big organization -- the National Restaurant Association convention, United Airlines -- decides to stay here.
A cute slogan is probably next
It's making us feel a little anxious, the way we have to get all gussied up just to hold people's attention anymore. We've been furtively checking out those keep-the-spark-alive books, thinking about trying out some new seduction tricks, like maybe wrapping ourselves in Saran Wrap. (What is Christo doing these days, anyway?)
And we've begun to suspect that other cities might see through all this elaborate posturing.
"Hosting the Gay Games," we told them, with some swagger, "was practically the same thing as having the Olympics."
Was it just our imagination, or did the other two U.S. Olympic finalists, Los Angeles and San Francisco, roll their eyes at that one when they thought we weren't looking? Philadelphia said they did, but that was probably just sour grapes.
We've been trotting out every achievement we can find -- our airport is even busier than Atlanta's! -- but the fact is that people just don't seem as impressed with us as they once were.
Look, we're not naive. We can see how it's partly our fault. You get comfortable; let things slip a little. The tulips on Michigan Avenue probably weren't as impressive as they might have been this year.
But just because some of the magic's faded a little, that's no reason to dump us for some flashy young tart like Austin.
We'll admit we've been a little distracted lately, getting caught up in petty fights over goose livers and how best to express our contempt for Wal-Mart. And we've been losing sleep -- just a little -- over some of this corruption stuff, which seems not only morally hazardous but also tacky.
But, listen, we can change. Just tell us what you want.
Collapsible stadium? Absolutely.
Private money to pay for all the overhead costs? Not a problem.
Civic pride? Sure. We feel great about ourselves. Really.
You do believe us, don't you?>
Maybe we have a small chip on our big shoulders
July 28, 2006
BY DEBRA PICKETT SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST Advertisement
Must we now pretend to take seriously the city's campaign to land the 2016 Olympics? Is that really what we've come to?
This week's news that we beat out Houston and Philadelphia to make the top three finalists for a potential U.S. bid to host the Games was not exactly earth-shattering. (It is, after all, hard to imagine being a less-attractive summer destination than Houston.)
But we got all puffed up and celebratory about it anyway. Because, frankly, we've been feeling a little desperate lately.
It was not so long ago that it seemed like people loved us, well, just for us. Sure, it was slightly condescending, the way they affected such genuine surprise when remarking on our vibrant cultural life, our clean streets and our fabulous restaurants, like they expected our standards to be permanently stuck in "No fries, chips!" mode.
But, still, they fawned and fussed over us. They featured us in fancy, glossy magazines.
And we got used to it.
The Kirstie Alley effect
There's nothing quite like those first days after you've been on a big diet and made your debut in your new, skinny clothes. Everyone tells you how great you look. They all want to know how you did it. All the attention goes to your head and, without realizing it, you're prancing down the hallways of your office building and grinning flirtatiously with strangers on the street.
Then, in far, far less time than it took you to lose the weight, people stop noticing. And those super-expensive jeans you bought aren't looking quite as cute as they did originally, anyway. Without the blinding glow of positive reinforcement, you start to notice certain things that you'd been blocking from your mind: like how low-fat muffins taste like cardboard.
From there, it's a slippery slide into a needy kind of paranoia. You want people to notice how great you look, but you're also convinced they've begun to pick up on how, in ever-so-subtle ways, you've started to let yourself go.
Chicago's urban renaissance has followed the same pattern. We worked hard on ourselves. We got really beautiful. And even though we swore we were doing it for ourselves, that it didn't matter what other cities thought, that it was all about making positive changes, not just meeting some socially mandated aesthetic standard, we still loved the way it felt to be so suddenly glamorous.
We felt a little sorry, really, for Seattle, trying so hard to hang on to that whole '90s grunge and coffee thing, when it was clear that the fickle finger of trendiness had moved on. We promised ourselves we'd be more graceful about it when the time came for us to pass the torch to some other city. Of course, that sort of thing was easy to say when Boeing was hightailing it out of there to make its new corporate home here.
We're not quite so blithe about it now.
Now we find it newsworthy when some big organization -- the National Restaurant Association convention, United Airlines -- decides to stay here.
A cute slogan is probably next
It's making us feel a little anxious, the way we have to get all gussied up just to hold people's attention anymore. We've been furtively checking out those keep-the-spark-alive books, thinking about trying out some new seduction tricks, like maybe wrapping ourselves in Saran Wrap. (What is Christo doing these days, anyway?)
And we've begun to suspect that other cities might see through all this elaborate posturing.
"Hosting the Gay Games," we told them, with some swagger, "was practically the same thing as having the Olympics."
Was it just our imagination, or did the other two U.S. Olympic finalists, Los Angeles and San Francisco, roll their eyes at that one when they thought we weren't looking? Philadelphia said they did, but that was probably just sour grapes.
We've been trotting out every achievement we can find -- our airport is even busier than Atlanta's! -- but the fact is that people just don't seem as impressed with us as they once were.
Look, we're not naive. We can see how it's partly our fault. You get comfortable; let things slip a little. The tulips on Michigan Avenue probably weren't as impressive as they might have been this year.
But just because some of the magic's faded a little, that's no reason to dump us for some flashy young tart like Austin.
We'll admit we've been a little distracted lately, getting caught up in petty fights over goose livers and how best to express our contempt for Wal-Mart. And we've been losing sleep -- just a little -- over some of this corruption stuff, which seems not only morally hazardous but also tacky.
But, listen, we can change. Just tell us what you want.
Collapsible stadium? Absolutely.
Private money to pay for all the overhead costs? Not a problem.
Civic pride? Sure. We feel great about ourselves. Really.
You do believe us, don't you?>
Chicago's Weather......
This is the sort of news blurb that makes me homesick for Chicago weather, some of the most electric (literally) dramatic, and changeable weather on earth.
52,000 feet thunderheads!!!!! that's like what twice the height of Mt. Everest...
who needs mountains?
Heat wave breaks with downpours and lightning
Published August 3, 2006
Deadly heat surrendered its six day grip on Chicago grudgingly amid waves of thundery downpours from clouds 52,000 ft. tall--towering atmospheric behemoths which generated one of summer's most spectacular lightning shows to date. Area cloud to ground lightning strokes, which flashed at a rate of 300 every 10 minutes around 7 p.m. had quadrupled to some 1,200 strokes only an hour later, evidence of the stunning rate at which t-storms were multiplying.
Radar screens, completely free of precipitation through late Wednesday afternoon came to life in less than an hour as clusters of thunderstorms overcame the rain-suppressing atmospheric "cap" (warm air aloft).
Downpours swamped Berwyn with 1.50" in only 55 minutes while t-storm gusts downed trees and cut power in south suburban Matteson and Frankfort.
glad noone was hurt, but really, for those who have never experienced one, there is nothing like a midwestern hot summer thunderstorm to make you realize the power of mother nature.....>
52,000 feet thunderheads!!!!! that's like what twice the height of Mt. Everest...
who needs mountains?
Heat wave breaks with downpours and lightning
Published August 3, 2006
Deadly heat surrendered its six day grip on Chicago grudgingly amid waves of thundery downpours from clouds 52,000 ft. tall--towering atmospheric behemoths which generated one of summer's most spectacular lightning shows to date. Area cloud to ground lightning strokes, which flashed at a rate of 300 every 10 minutes around 7 p.m. had quadrupled to some 1,200 strokes only an hour later, evidence of the stunning rate at which t-storms were multiplying.
Radar screens, completely free of precipitation through late Wednesday afternoon came to life in less than an hour as clusters of thunderstorms overcame the rain-suppressing atmospheric "cap" (warm air aloft).
Downpours swamped Berwyn with 1.50" in only 55 minutes while t-storm gusts downed trees and cut power in south suburban Matteson and Frankfort.
glad noone was hurt, but really, for those who have never experienced one, there is nothing like a midwestern hot summer thunderstorm to make you realize the power of mother nature.....>
Multicultural Paris: census figures
The previous multicultural Paris thread was locked by ?? for no apparent reason, so I duplicate it here for those people who are interested in ethnic diversity in Paris and who wish to discuss it and express themselves. To the person who locked the previous thread: censoring people is not the best way to promote free expression and bolster the reputation of this forum.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
Here is an interesting discussion that took place in the French forum. I thought I would put it here for those who can't read French.
Paris is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world, and Greater Paris is home to the largest population of immigrants in Europe. As some of you already know, French censuses do not ask questions regarding ethnicity. They do, however, ask people to report their birthplace, so with this we can get an idea of the ethnic diversity and the size of the foreign-born communities in Paris.
At the 1999 census, there were 2,159,070 people in Greater Paris who were born outside of Metropolitan France. This is the largest such population in Europe. In Greater London, for example, at the 2001 census there were only 1,940,390 people who were born outside of the (metropolitan) UK.
According to the 1999 census, the 10 largest foreign and overseas-born communities in Greater Paris were as listed below. Please note that some categories of immigrants may be under-reported. This is particularly true for people born in Mainland China, who have flocked to Paris since the mid-90s and who seem to be underestimated in the 1999 census. The 1999 census reported only 25,500 people in Greater Paris who were born in Mainland China, but NGOs estimate that there are actually between 250,000 and 400,000 ethnic Chinese people living in Greater Paris, approximately 200,000 of whom were born in Mainland China. Even assuming that a lot of them arrived between 1999 and 2006, that's still a great underestimation on the part of the census authorities. They've promised the new census campaign which started in 2004 would be more accurate (the new census is now spread over several years so that census agents can count people more efficiently and conduct detailed investigation in immigrant neighborhoods).
With this caveat, here is a list of the 10 largest foreign and overseas-born communities in Greater Paris at the 1999 census:
1- born in Algeria: 340,273 (126,373 are Jewish (mostly) and Christian (a little) Pied-Noir refugees; 213,900 are Arabs and Berbers (mostly Kabyles))
2- born in Portugal: 255,798
3- born in Morocco: 205,135 (38,635 are Jewish (mostly) and Christian (a little) Pied-Noir refugees; 166,500 are Arabs and Berbers)
4- born in Tunisia: 120,302 (34,102 are Jewish (mostly) and Christian (a little) Pied-Noir refugees; 86,200 are Arabs; no Berbers)
5- born in Guadeloupe: 76,440 (the vast majority are black)
6- born in Martinique: 71,049 (the vast majority are black)
7- born in Italy: 66,444
8- born in Spain: 64,436
9- born in Vietnam: 52,677 (a large part are ethnic Chinese)
10- born in Turkey: 51,828 (a significant part are ethnic Kurds)>
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
Here is an interesting discussion that took place in the French forum. I thought I would put it here for those who can't read French.
Paris is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world, and Greater Paris is home to the largest population of immigrants in Europe. As some of you already know, French censuses do not ask questions regarding ethnicity. They do, however, ask people to report their birthplace, so with this we can get an idea of the ethnic diversity and the size of the foreign-born communities in Paris.
At the 1999 census, there were 2,159,070 people in Greater Paris who were born outside of Metropolitan France. This is the largest such population in Europe. In Greater London, for example, at the 2001 census there were only 1,940,390 people who were born outside of the (metropolitan) UK.
According to the 1999 census, the 10 largest foreign and overseas-born communities in Greater Paris were as listed below. Please note that some categories of immigrants may be under-reported. This is particularly true for people born in Mainland China, who have flocked to Paris since the mid-90s and who seem to be underestimated in the 1999 census. The 1999 census reported only 25,500 people in Greater Paris who were born in Mainland China, but NGOs estimate that there are actually between 250,000 and 400,000 ethnic Chinese people living in Greater Paris, approximately 200,000 of whom were born in Mainland China. Even assuming that a lot of them arrived between 1999 and 2006, that's still a great underestimation on the part of the census authorities. They've promised the new census campaign which started in 2004 would be more accurate (the new census is now spread over several years so that census agents can count people more efficiently and conduct detailed investigation in immigrant neighborhoods).
With this caveat, here is a list of the 10 largest foreign and overseas-born communities in Greater Paris at the 1999 census:
1- born in Algeria: 340,273 (126,373 are Jewish (mostly) and Christian (a little) Pied-Noir refugees; 213,900 are Arabs and Berbers (mostly Kabyles))
2- born in Portugal: 255,798
3- born in Morocco: 205,135 (38,635 are Jewish (mostly) and Christian (a little) Pied-Noir refugees; 166,500 are Arabs and Berbers)
4- born in Tunisia: 120,302 (34,102 are Jewish (mostly) and Christian (a little) Pied-Noir refugees; 86,200 are Arabs; no Berbers)
5- born in Guadeloupe: 76,440 (the vast majority are black)
6- born in Martinique: 71,049 (the vast majority are black)
7- born in Italy: 66,444
8- born in Spain: 64,436
9- born in Vietnam: 52,677 (a large part are ethnic Chinese)
10- born in Turkey: 51,828 (a significant part are ethnic Kurds)>
Does your city lack a river or major waterway?
Does the the city you live in lack a river, bay, or major waterway? Certain cities such as Las Vegas, Nevada or Mexico City, Mexico do not have one. Also, do you prefer cities with significant bodies of water within their bounderies or don't care either way?>
Salto, a city in Uruguay....its beautiful
Hello people.
Salto is a city in Uruguay (Uruguay is between Argentina & Brazil)
Salto is in north west of the country with coast to Uruguay River.
One of the most famous things in Salto is Salto Grande Dam, a binational hydroelectric complex.
In the city live 100.000+ inhabitants & the economic resouces, are the production of citruses & tourism..because in salto is the biggest acuatic park in South Am. Cause in salto, a decades ago, looking for oil, was discovered, thermal waters, being thus, one of the thermal places os quality in America.
With five-stars hotels, etc.
Flag of Salto
View from Google Earth
Access to Salto
The church & the fountain of the Sq.
Nigth view of the Sq.
Another of the cathedral
Larrañaga Theater, the biggest & historic in Salto
Palacio Gallino, today the museum of Arts
Fountain of "Treinta y Tres" Sq.
Historic "Palacio de Oficinas Públicas", where today is the National & Public Mail
A Sq.....I dont know the name..lol
Street @ nigth
Salto's streets
Statue of Artigas(Uruguay's Hero) in the Sq. that takes his name
Downtown St.
Skyline.>
Salto is a city in Uruguay (Uruguay is between Argentina & Brazil)
Salto is in north west of the country with coast to Uruguay River.
One of the most famous things in Salto is Salto Grande Dam, a binational hydroelectric complex.
In the city live 100.000+ inhabitants & the economic resouces, are the production of citruses & tourism..because in salto is the biggest acuatic park in South Am. Cause in salto, a decades ago, looking for oil, was discovered, thermal waters, being thus, one of the thermal places os quality in America.
With five-stars hotels, etc.
Flag of Salto
View from Google Earth
Access to Salto
The church & the fountain of the Sq.
Nigth view of the Sq.
Another of the cathedral
Larrañaga Theater, the biggest & historic in Salto
Palacio Gallino, today the museum of Arts
Fountain of "Treinta y Tres" Sq.
Historic "Palacio de Oficinas Públicas", where today is the National & Public Mail
A Sq.....I dont know the name..lol
Street @ nigth
Salto's streets
Statue of Artigas(Uruguay's Hero) in the Sq. that takes his name
Downtown St.
Skyline.>
Including Rent, New York, London Most Expensive Cities
Including Rent, New York, London Most Expensive Cities
By Bloomberg News
August 10, 2006
Oslo is the world's most expensive city followed by London and Copenhagen, while a worker in Copenhagen makes about 20 times more than one in Delhi, according to a UBS AG study on prices and earnings.
Oslo is three times as expensive as Kuala Lumpur, based on rankings of 71 cities cited in the study published today by Zurich-based UBS, Europe's biggest bank by assets. The last time the survey was completed in 2003, Oslo was also most expensive, followed by Hong Kong and Tokyo. One reason for Hong Kong's drop was China's controls on its currency, keeping it from rising against other currencies, UBS said.
The study excluded rent. "Including rent" in the rankings, "London and New York are the most expensive places to live by a wide margin," UBS analysts Andreas Hoefert and Pu Yonghao said in the study.
A worker in Copenhagen earned the highest wages, followed by one in Oslo, Zurich, Geneva, NewYork, and London. Delhi, Manila, and Jakarta workers earned the least. In Western Europe and North America, workers in 14 professions averaged $18 in gross hourly wage. In Eastern European and Asian cities, the worker got $4 to $5 a hour, according to the study.
"Based on a 42-hour work week, Asian workers labor about 50 days a year" more than their peers in Paris or Berlin, according to the study. In Asian cities, people work the longest with a "mean annual working time of 2,088 hours." That compares with 1,480 hours in Paris and 1,610 in Berlin, the study says.
Scandinavian and German cities "lose ground due to their high tax rates and social security payments" when gross and net salaries are compared. Stockholm ranked 16th on a gross salary basis and 21st in terms of net salary. Berlin ranked 14th in terms of gross salary and 16th on a net basis.
On a net salary basis, workers in Zurich and Geneva earned the most, followed by those in Oslo, Dublin, and New York.The two Swiss cities also ranked first in purchasing power, according to the study, based on net hourly pay divided by the cost of 122 goods and services, excluding rent. They were followed by Dublin, Los Angeles, and Luxembourg.
© 2006 The New York Sun, One SL, LLC.>
By Bloomberg News
August 10, 2006
Oslo is the world's most expensive city followed by London and Copenhagen, while a worker in Copenhagen makes about 20 times more than one in Delhi, according to a UBS AG study on prices and earnings.
Oslo is three times as expensive as Kuala Lumpur, based on rankings of 71 cities cited in the study published today by Zurich-based UBS, Europe's biggest bank by assets. The last time the survey was completed in 2003, Oslo was also most expensive, followed by Hong Kong and Tokyo. One reason for Hong Kong's drop was China's controls on its currency, keeping it from rising against other currencies, UBS said.
The study excluded rent. "Including rent" in the rankings, "London and New York are the most expensive places to live by a wide margin," UBS analysts Andreas Hoefert and Pu Yonghao said in the study.
A worker in Copenhagen earned the highest wages, followed by one in Oslo, Zurich, Geneva, NewYork, and London. Delhi, Manila, and Jakarta workers earned the least. In Western Europe and North America, workers in 14 professions averaged $18 in gross hourly wage. In Eastern European and Asian cities, the worker got $4 to $5 a hour, according to the study.
"Based on a 42-hour work week, Asian workers labor about 50 days a year" more than their peers in Paris or Berlin, according to the study. In Asian cities, people work the longest with a "mean annual working time of 2,088 hours." That compares with 1,480 hours in Paris and 1,610 in Berlin, the study says.
Scandinavian and German cities "lose ground due to their high tax rates and social security payments" when gross and net salaries are compared. Stockholm ranked 16th on a gross salary basis and 21st in terms of net salary. Berlin ranked 14th in terms of gross salary and 16th on a net basis.
On a net salary basis, workers in Zurich and Geneva earned the most, followed by those in Oslo, Dublin, and New York.The two Swiss cities also ranked first in purchasing power, according to the study, based on net hourly pay divided by the cost of 122 goods and services, excluding rent. They were followed by Dublin, Los Angeles, and Luxembourg.
© 2006 The New York Sun, One SL, LLC.>
Shanghai...ready to build $3.75B Disney park
From: http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/060810/1/42pke.html
______________
______________
Quote:>
>>
| Friday August 11, 12:18 AM Shanghai ready to build 3.75-billion-dollar Disney park Shanghai has begun to prepare for a 3.75-billion-dollar Disney theme park, an official said, signaling the city is confident it can win the central government's approval for the complex. "Everything is in the stages of early preparation," said an official with the city's planning and construction department surnamed Tang. "We are awaiting for the approval from the State Council (cabinet)." Asked to confirm media reports that the project was expected to cost 30 billion yuan (3.75 billion dollars), Tang replied: "Yes." Tang refused to provided more details but media reports have said authorities had identified a 14.25-square-kilometre (5.7-square-mile) site that was four times the size of the Disneyland opened last year in Hong Kong. Officials have a detailed plan that includes the construction of a subway line, expressways and a link to Pudong international airport, the China Daily said. It also said that the government had begun relocating residents in the area, a claim which city officials vigorously denied. "The relocation report is nonsense," said Ma Xuejie, vice director of the press office with the Pudong government. In March, the mayor of the city of 17 million people acknowledged for the first time it was seeking to build a Disney park. Hong Kong and mainland media have repeatedly reported that Shanghai hoped to start construction of the theme park in 2008 but Disney has insisted that any potential deal would not come before 2010. Disney was not immediately available for comment Thursday. |
NY and London: Most Expensive Cities "By A Wide Margin"
Oslo Priciest City, Workers in Copenhagen Earn Most, UBS Says
Aug. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Oslo is the world's most expensive city followed by London and Copenhagen, while a worker in Copenhagen makes about 20 times more than one in Delhi, according to a UBS AG study on prices and earnings.
Oslo is three times as expensive as Kuala Lumpur, based on rankings of 71 cities cited in the study published today by Zurich-based UBS, Europe's biggest bank by assets. The last time the survey was completed in 2003, Oslo was also most expensive, followed by Hong Kong and Tokyo. One reason for Hong Kong's drop was China's controls on its currency, keeping it from rising against other currencies, UBS said.
The study excluded rent. ``Including rent'' in the rankings, ``London and New York are the most expensive places to live by a wide margin,'' UBS analysts Andreas Hoefert and Pu Yonghao said in the study. A worker in Copenhagen earned the highest wages, followed by one in Oslo, Zurich, Geneva, New York and London. Delhi, Manila and Jakarta workers earned the least. In Western Europe and North America, workers in 14 professions averaged $18 in gross hourly wage. In Eastern European and Asian cities, the worker got $4 to $5 per hour, according to the study.
``Based on a 42-hour work week, Asian workers labor about 50 days a year'' more than their peers in Paris or Berlin, according to the study. In Asian cities, people work the longest with a ``mean annual working time of 2,088 hours.'' That compares with 1,480 hours in Paris and 1,610 in Berlin, the study says.
Taxes, Social Security
Scandinavian and German cities ``lose ground due to their high tax rates and social security payments'' when gross and net salaries are compared. Stockholm ranked 16th on a gross salary basis and 21st in terms of net salary. Berlin ranked 14th in terms of gross salary and 16th on a net basis.
On a net salary basis, workers in Zurich and Geneva earned the most, followed by those in Oslo, Dublin and New York. The two Swiss cities also ranked first in purchasing power, according to the study, based on net hourly pay divided by the cost of 122 goods and services, excluding rent. They were followed by Dublin, Los Angeles and Luxembourg.
Based on a separate index of how long a worker must labor to earn a Big Mac hamburger, Tokyo leads with only 10 minutes, the least of any in 70 cities. A worker in Bogota needs 97 minutes, the longest of any of the 70 cities, UBS said.
Following are price comparisons for cities based on 122 goods and services favoring ``Western European'' consumer habits, excluding rent:
MOST EXPENSIVE 2006
Oslo 121.5
London 110.6
Copenhagen 109.2
Zurich 107.4
Tokyo 106.8
Geneva 102.9
New York 100.0
Dublin 98.3
Stockholm 98.1
Helsinki 97.0
LEAST EXPENSIVE
Kuala Lumpur 36.8
Mumbai 38.5
Buenos Aires 41.9
Delhi 42.8
Manila 46.7
Kiev 47.8
Nairobi 48.4
Lima 49.1
Vilnius 49.4
Beijing 49.6
New York = 100>
Aug. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Oslo is the world's most expensive city followed by London and Copenhagen, while a worker in Copenhagen makes about 20 times more than one in Delhi, according to a UBS AG study on prices and earnings.
Oslo is three times as expensive as Kuala Lumpur, based on rankings of 71 cities cited in the study published today by Zurich-based UBS, Europe's biggest bank by assets. The last time the survey was completed in 2003, Oslo was also most expensive, followed by Hong Kong and Tokyo. One reason for Hong Kong's drop was China's controls on its currency, keeping it from rising against other currencies, UBS said.
The study excluded rent. ``Including rent'' in the rankings, ``London and New York are the most expensive places to live by a wide margin,'' UBS analysts Andreas Hoefert and Pu Yonghao said in the study. A worker in Copenhagen earned the highest wages, followed by one in Oslo, Zurich, Geneva, New York and London. Delhi, Manila and Jakarta workers earned the least. In Western Europe and North America, workers in 14 professions averaged $18 in gross hourly wage. In Eastern European and Asian cities, the worker got $4 to $5 per hour, according to the study.
``Based on a 42-hour work week, Asian workers labor about 50 days a year'' more than their peers in Paris or Berlin, according to the study. In Asian cities, people work the longest with a ``mean annual working time of 2,088 hours.'' That compares with 1,480 hours in Paris and 1,610 in Berlin, the study says.
Taxes, Social Security
Scandinavian and German cities ``lose ground due to their high tax rates and social security payments'' when gross and net salaries are compared. Stockholm ranked 16th on a gross salary basis and 21st in terms of net salary. Berlin ranked 14th in terms of gross salary and 16th on a net basis.
On a net salary basis, workers in Zurich and Geneva earned the most, followed by those in Oslo, Dublin and New York. The two Swiss cities also ranked first in purchasing power, according to the study, based on net hourly pay divided by the cost of 122 goods and services, excluding rent. They were followed by Dublin, Los Angeles and Luxembourg.
Based on a separate index of how long a worker must labor to earn a Big Mac hamburger, Tokyo leads with only 10 minutes, the least of any in 70 cities. A worker in Bogota needs 97 minutes, the longest of any of the 70 cities, UBS said.
Following are price comparisons for cities based on 122 goods and services favoring ``Western European'' consumer habits, excluding rent:
MOST EXPENSIVE 2006
Oslo 121.5
London 110.6
Copenhagen 109.2
Zurich 107.4
Tokyo 106.8
Geneva 102.9
New York 100.0
Dublin 98.3
Stockholm 98.1
Helsinki 97.0
LEAST EXPENSIVE
Kuala Lumpur 36.8
Mumbai 38.5
Buenos Aires 41.9
Delhi 42.8
Manila 46.7
Kiev 47.8
Nairobi 48.4
Lima 49.1
Vilnius 49.4
Beijing 49.6
New York = 100>
The Politics of Growth
What are different political groups stances of growth and devekopment. "smart growth" is seen as a progressive idea. Ultra capitalist seem to favor less regulations on develpment or even unlimited development. NIMBYist seem to be on both the left and right. Is it different in Eroupe than it is in the states?>
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This forum is dedicated to discussing the world's urban spaces in a qualitative manner. This can be done by attaching a properly cited news article, commentary or research/statistical data... Or, you can just create a thread with your own commentary...
Photo threads are strongly discouraged, as there are forums dedicated to photo threads...
[u]Additionally, any kind of commentary (thread or post) which seeks to pit one city, region or nation against another, in a manner seeking to know which one is the 'best' or the 'favorite', is expressly forbidden.
Threads not discussing specific city issues, city life or urbanity will be locked or moved.
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