How so? Germany has very strong employment laws so I wasn't surprised to see Berlin on the list.
The list doesn't rank any mid-tier cities so that's out of scope. It would be the same for Nordics: medium cities would top the capitals if they were included.
And about public transport: If I travel M10 in the rush hour, its obviously hell. But traveling S5 saturnday night after a very nice concert is pretty hard to beat. But then again, it's the same as Potsdam where you would take S1.
We moved from Prenzlauer Berg to Biesdorf. Our friends moved to Zehlendorf. No more loud neighbours running all-night parties, much less people under drugs. You get a sense of community, your neighbours own their houses, do not change every year, and take care of the place.