Is Vancouver narcissistic? A global ranking suggests some humility is in order

World-class. Greenest City. Most liveable. Best place. Lotus Land. Gateway City. Top international cuisine. Daffodils in January. Winter Olympics. Bike paths. Beach sunsets. Ski mountains. Luxury highrises. Ethnic diversity. Café culture. Cosmopolitan. Hollywood North. Hip.

We’ve all heard the bragging about Vancouver — and sometimes we’ve contributed to it.

But a little-known ranking system of the world’s so-called power cities, created in 2008 by leading scholars in Japan, Europe and the U.S., calls into question Vancouver leaders’ tendency toward narcissism.

The Mori Foundation’s Global Power City Index captures some of Vancouver’s appeal, especially in regard to its natural attractiveness. But it’s unusually thorough approach also precisely reveals how Vancouver has a long way to go in regard to such things as economic vibrancy, transit, research, museums and “cultural interaction.”

The Global Power City Index serves as a counterbalance to the way the media go a little nuts when the Economist Intelligence Unit rates Vancouver for livability. Last year, it placed Vancouver fifth out of 173 cities.