Hungary’s most livable cities and towns

Following international examples, but using somewhat different criteria, a committee of experts has selected Hungary’s most livable cities and towns for the first time. Holding the title in 2012 is Szolnok, a town of county rank in the middle of the Great Hungarian Plain, followed by Zalaegerszeg and Debrecen.

The founder of the title, Júlia Takács of CSR Hungary, explained that the ranking is meant to be a stimulus for all settlements by showing positive examples of development. For this reason, only the top ten towns and cities were published in this first year. “In addition to the mayor and the local government, the local citizens and enterprises can also do a lot for the development of the community,” she added.

All Hungarian settlements of over 10,000 people were examined in two big categories, from the viewpoints of ecological and social sustainability. During the survey of the 143 cities and towns – Budapest being excluded from the judgment for being the metropolis category – data by the Central Statistical Office, developments under way or planned and the experience of personal visits were taken into account. The experts judging the settlements are from fields like education, culture, environmental protection or energy efficiency.

The Eastern Hungarian town of Szolnok, located 100 kms south-east of Budapest, has a population of 75,000 people. It is a hub for water, air, road and rail transport. It is the center for railway engineering and repair, which employs thousands of people along with the strong service and commercial sectors.

As vice mayor Mária Kállai stressed, a long-term town development strategy was devised, which includes the development of energy efficiency, environmental protection as well as human fields. “These developments have converged and the achievements are proven by this title as well as previous acknowledgements. Recently, Szolnok was named – among others – as the ‘most accessible Hungarian town’ and the ‘family friendly local government’ titles.”

The results were announced before the conference ‘More sustainable communities for more livable towns and villages’. The aim of the conference, as organizer Júlia Takács, explains, is to establish a common platform for local governments and the business sector. “In the current economic and social climate, Hungary especially needs such attitudes of social responsibility and the practical implementation of its principles, since a prospering economy requires prospering local governments,” she said.