Ian McLean Spokesperson for the Green Party

Top five in The Guardian's recent review of the world's most livable cities were a bit of a surprise: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Sydney.

Why two impossibly densely populated Asian cities? High incomes, public transportation and walking. Why two Scandinavian cities? Low crime rates, public transportation, cycling and cultural resourcing. Why Sydney? Education, healthy lifestyle, urban greening, and, believe it or not, cycling.

Two key themes here are a healthy lifestyle, and minimisation of the car. Cars pollute our cities and reduce amenity, not just directly through emissions, but indirectly through their demands for dominating infrastructure (roads, parking). If you are not in a car, then there is a good chance you are both getting some exercise and breathing clean air.

In Copenhagen, which has terrible weather, 36 per cent of commuting trips are by bicycle and 26 per cent are by car. Your New Year's mahi: to imagine what might be achieved in the better weather of Tauranga.

Ian McLean is a spokesperson for the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand.