flag of convenience

They say all roads are out of Perth at the moment. Times are tough here. Best secure employment prior to turning up.

Sure does help though. Complaints easier to endure than the opposite I'd expect.

Amsterdam city centre would give Sydney a run if size is what is being referred to. When I lived in Amsterdam, (80's)its population was around 700,000 smaller than Perth WA, but probably fifty times more things going on and to do. Last time in Berlin was under going a make over. But regardless of change and personal preference, Berlin has a bigger population than Paris as you failed to note.

Well I can tell you the growing number of street sleepers here in Perth, is a shock to most thinking Aussies. We are not America and heaven help us as we increasingly appear to be taking that road.

They do, but no reason for the rapid increase in homelessness besides deliberate policy of exclusion, which I admit is a growing problem.

I think you are right. Sydney and Melbourne to an extent appear increasingly built around hype. Worlds best city to live. The list goes on. In fact we almost flew earlier to Sydney just to catch the fireworks, as my partner seems to get some bizarre satisfaction from them and has seen the Sydney one before. It took all off two minutes to veto that plan and go to Sydney four days later.

What you are missing of course, is that there are simply not enough shelters to go around. You also hadn't considered the fact that housing in Australia, is no longer cheap, thus unaffordable with Centre Link payment on the private market. Besides being unaffordable there is a lot of stigma, deliberately fanned in cases by authorities blaming the homeless for predicament, which in turn means very hard to rent on the private market. As I noted earlier, many shelters are at best band aid measures, allowing respite and a roof for a limited period of time. It could be a few days to a few months but under funding reg's there is too, often a time frame involved. This country is crying out for affordable shelter. The situation will only worsen unless the will develops to turn things around. I wonder why you consider people would make a deliberate decision to be homeless? In a land of next to no security of rented tenure, limited rental government allowance, few state housing options, high immigration, it is little wonder that vulnerable are cast aside.

But you overlook or are plain unaware that Berlin has a larger population than Paris. Three and a half million compared to about two and a half million for metropolitan Paris. Berlin is hardly a village. Amsterdam while having a small population metro wise being well under a million. It should be remembered that city is often included in a far wider area that adds substantially to the population.

Canberra has never been known for it's cheapness. Too many over paid public servants. Perth entered the frame as rip off city somewhere in the latter naughties I guess. These days? There's a recession in Perth, time reality reflected the times.

Local government provides them as far as I'm aware. Yes can be decorative. We have lots of such things around where I live. Mixed results. Some locations are seldom in use. Others get more of a workout. I guess the protective nature of parents prohibits greater use without their presence.

No not really. Although there are 'beggars' that congregate by metro stations but usually harmless to say the least. Gypsies are more a product of Rome, while scammers can be a problem, more IMO, are the 'toughs' coming in from the 'suburbs' outside of Paris, who can be very intimidating and prone to violence. Of course pick pocketing and harassment of women another annoyance. Dog litter agreed an annoyance but hardly unique to Paris. They clean the streets you know.

So folk make a life decision through preference to live on the streets? Of course Perth has homeless. All to many and growing for my liking. Doesn't every city have homeless? Don't know but what I do know is homelessness is a growing phenomena in Australia, which was only marginalised folk of limited numbers, thirty plus years ago. You may have read how Centrelink persecutes people into paying out fines for non existent offences because their computer says so. Increasingly easy, in a land with little security of tenancy to be out on the street with little support. Yes there is a place in the city where folk can shower. Beds are available short term, as homeless are shuttled around as chattels. Some of these places are only marginally better than the streets. The shocking thing being all so unnecessary in a country of Australia's wealth. Yet the onus is on tax cuts and furthering the wealth of the top.

Yes but besides the grand vista, isn't it also because it is the first major city to welcome in the new year?

All very subjective. I feel it something of a changing feast. I have never been to Madrid, but it was not particularly regarded beyond night life from memory. I have been twice to Barcelona, but no opinion as a long time ago, pre Olympic days. Hardly valid any comment from me, but did like the night life. Now Paris is a city I know and have lived and worked in over a few periods. I feel it has declined over recent times, if anything, but a purely personal view. I find it hard to say which are the best cities of Europe. The cities I have always liked most are Lisbon, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Toulouse, Rome, Antwerp and London. I have limited knowledge of East European cities hence can't comment on those.

You have a point there. Crying shame Aussie cities have opted for the North American route of increasing homelessness. A greater shame is this is just the beginning unless this nation changes tack.