CANBERRA is a cool place to live – we know that – and now we’ve got the report to prove it. 

The recent “Urbis Hip List” compiled from census data has categorised the hippest suburbs in the country. Canberra has scored two (Braddon and Civic) out of the 21 listed suburbs.

According to Urbis, what makes a suburb “hip” is the type of person who lives there. The hip are young, educated, single or in defacto relationships, live in higher density housing, and prefer the bus or footpath to a car. They are the trendsetters – eager to try the new, with an expendable income to indulge in the finer and funkier things in life.

Sydney and Melbourne seem shocked to learn that Canberra has any sort of hip underground at all. However, this is not a surprise to anyone who has recently sought a caffeine hit worthy of the most groovy Melbourne laneway, sipped cocktails after work, or indulged in a gastronomic journey.

Civic has long been the centre of nightclub activity, but it is the exciting redevelopment of the city and Braddon over the last decade, and a range of new eating spots, shops, and bars that has really ramped up the city’s “hipness”.

While Sydney still struggles to achieve an after-hours heartbeat in its CBD, Canberra has long enjoyed a city centre that continues to pulse well after 6pm.

Canberra, as ever, is about opportunity based on good planning. Revitalisation by developers of urban and local centres will continue to regenerate our communities. And while it’s cool to be hip, our enviable suburb-meets-city lifestyle remains special.

When the hipsters decide to settle down and grow old, we’re sure they can find a place in Canberra for that, too.

The full list of Australia’s hippest suburbs is at www.urbis.com.au.

Catherine Carter is ACT executive director of the Property Council of Australia.