‘Freedom is a city where you can breathe’: four experts on Europe’s most liveable capitals

The angry rumble of a speeding SUV. The metallic smog of backlogged traffic. The aching heat of sun-dried neighbourhoods baking in an oven of concrete and asphalt. In Copenhagen, 30-40% of people get to work on their bicycles each day.Photograph: Sopa Images/LightRocket/Getty Images Vienna is characterised by an abundance of green spacePhotograph: rusm/Getty Images A ‘superilla’ (superblock) promoting cycling and car-free zones in Barcelona.Photograph: Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images Cyclists meet car traffic at Clapham Common in south London.Photograph: Guy Bell/Rex/Shutterstock For most people, the mundane threats that plague our environments are likely to annoy more than they spark dread. But for scientists who know just how dangerous our surroundings can be, the burden of knowledge weighs heavy each day. Across Europe , environmental risks cause 18% of deaths from cardiovascular disease and 10% of deaths from cancer. Traffic crashes in the EU kill five times more people than murders. Are safe and healthy cities just a distant fantasy? Here are four environmental health experts on life in some of Europe’s greenest capitals. Copenhagen, Denmark “Copenhagen is for sure one of the best cities to live in,” says Zorana Jovanovic Andersen during her morning walk-and-metro to work at the University of Copenhagen’s public health department. The environmental epidemiologist is astonished that 30-40% of the Danish capital gets to work or school on their bikes each day, keeping their bodies moving while avoiding the deadly fumes that cars spew. “Those are amazing statistics,” says Andersen. “It’s because of very conscious investment in bike lanes and infrastructure - and taking away some road space from cars.” Excellent public transport and walkable neighbourhoods add to the feeling of freedom for Andersen, who moved to Copenhagen from the US midwest in 2001 and feels liberated from the car dependence she saw there. “Freedom is having a choice of different things, not just having one really bad choice,” she says. “Freedom is living in a city like here, where you can breathe clean air and choose your lifestyle.” Andersen’s research into air pollution still preys on her mind - friends recently bought a wood-burning stove, a potent source of toxic particles , and cars still flood the city at rush hour - but she is reluctant to shame people in the absence of good regulations. She wishes Copenhagen would introduce congestion pricing and ultra low-emissions zones, like in London. Copenhagen has a positive story to tell on any metric, says Andersen, but its air is still dirty enough to make people sick and worsen their lives. “Even with the low levels in Denmark , we see the contrast in air pollution explain some kids getting poorer grades.” Vienna, Austria “The quality of life is out-of-this-world positive,” says Mathew White, an environmental psychologist at the University of Vienna. “It’s an absolutely wonderful place to live.” Widespread social housing, an abundance of green space and a well-integrated public transport network contribute to the Austrian capital regularly being ranked the most livable city in the world. White, who specialises in...

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