Utrecht is a distinct hometown and destination all its own, despite being only a 25-minute train ride from Amsterdam. Home to an astounding 29 universities and colleges attended by 70,000 students from 125 countries—of which the biggest is Utrecht University, founded in 1636 and nurturing Europe’s eighth-most educated citizenry. Education and research make up most of the local economy and, with global talent pouring in to study here, Utrecht trails only Stockholm in our Labour Force Participation subcategory. Its healthcare system ranks #14. The city’s medieval urban grid bursts with Dutch history that can only be possible in a place that for centuries was the cultural and religious heart of the nation. Given its magnetism— combined with that easy access to coveted Amsterdam—the city’s leaders are in the midst of the largest new development in the Netherlands, with 30,000 houses and office and industrial space being built in nearby Leidsche Rijn. The full buildout, including a new hospital, schools, retail, places of worship and public transit to the city centre, may be ready over the next year or two. Meanwhile, Merwede is a dense, car-free, climate-forward district near Utrecht’s centre, featuring 6,000 homes, green design, shared mobility, and innovative urban sustainability.