5 cities in Latin America, among the best in the world 0:54
(CNN) -
Safety has long been a top concern for travelers when it comes to deciding which destination to visit.
But the world has been turned upside down in recent years due to the pandemic, and the notion of what exactly makes a place "safe" has changed significantly.
This could explain the changes to the top of the Economist Intelligence Unit's Safe Cities Index (SCI), which ranked 60 international destinations for their digital safety, health safety, infrastructure, personal safety and environmental safety, a new category for this year.
Copenhagen took first place (Credit: Maxym Marusenko / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The "best cities in the world" for 2021, according to Time Out
While Asian cities such as Tokyo, Singapore and Osaka have consistently topped the ranks year after year, it is a European destination that now ranks number one in 2021.
This year, Copenhagen was named the safest city in the world for the first time, with 82.4 points out of 100 in the annual report.
Denmark's capital jumped from eighth place in 2019 to the top of the list, largely thanks to the introduction of an environmental safety section, in which the city scored particularly well, along with personal safety.
advertising
The 5 best cities to study in Latin America 1:04
Social cohesion
"A key factor that makes Copenhagen such a safe city is its low crime rate, which is currently at its lowest level in more than a decade," says Lars Weiss, Mayor of Copenhagen, in the report.
"Copenhagen is also characterized by high social cohesion and a relatively narrow wealth gap. It is a mixed city in which both the cleaning assistant and the CEO meet at the local supermarket and have their children in the same school. it is one of the cornerstones of Danish culture, and contributes greatly to the high levels of trust and security from which we benefit, "he explains.
The Canadian city of Toronto was on the verge of the first place, occupying the second position with 82.2 points, while Singapore was third with 80.7 points.
Tortono took second place.
(Credit: Mark Blinch / Getty Images)
Although Sidney came in fourth with 80.1 points, the Australian city topped the digital security category, while the 2019 winner Tokyo received 80.0 points, coming in fifth.
Impact of covid-19
"Copenhagen is certainly a worthy leader, and Toronto is a deserved second place, but as much for the long-term success in making residents feel safe and for the concrete improvements of the past two years," the report says.
"Toronto and Copenhagen perform significantly better on the new environmental safety pillar than any of the top three cities in previous years."
Amsterdam in the Netherlands was sixth with 79.3 points, while Wellington in New Zealand was seventh with 79.0 points, and was the overall leader in the environmental safety category.
Asia-Pacific cities Hong Kong and Melbourne took a joint eighth place after receiving 78.6 points each, while Sweden's Stockholm rounded out the top 10 with 78.0 points.
New York was the top US city on the list, sharing 11th place with Barcelona (both cities received 77.8 points).
Washington followed closely at 14th, while London and San Francisco tied for 15th.
There were few surprises at the other end of the list: Nigeria's Lagos, Egypt's Cairo, Venezuela's Caracas, Pakistan's Karachi and Myanmar's Yangon took the bottom five spots.
Urban resilience
Cities with the lowest overall scores have found themselves near the bottom in all categories in recent years, but not in this edition.
In fact, the report notes that "there are some signs of a change that mirrors that seen among leaders", as Lagos scores "slightly above average in environmental safety, while Casablanca, in 55th place," it ranks 41st in digital security. "
Covid-19 is constantly mentioned, especially in health security assessments, where Copenhagen scored much lower than other categories.
According to Nima Asgari, director of the Asia-Pacific Health Policy and Systems Observatory, the issue of urban resilience has previously focused on disasters and floods rather than health crises, "probably because people never thought that the system sanitary would collapse as a result of continued demand from outbreaks. "
The report suggests that this may have made some destinations less prepared and ultimately less successful in limiting the impact of the coronavirus.
"Covid-19 teaches that there is always a blind spot, even when there is a lot of activity," adds Michele Acuto, Professor of Global Urban Policy at the University of Melbourne.
Singapore is one of several cities in the Asia-Pacific region that are in the top 10. (Credit: Maverick Asio / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images)
Inflection point?
For her part, Naka Kondo, Senior Editor at The EIU and editor of the report, notes that digital security has become an even higher priority as more jobs and business have moved online.
And he adds that adjustments will have to be made based on this change.
"Those responsible for infrastructure security have to adjust to drastic changes in travel patterns and where residents use public services. Agencies responsible for personal security have to cope with a major change in crime patterns driven by lockdowns, "says Kondo.
The report also acknowledges that the pandemic has caused "a potential tipping point in all pillars of urban security," providing cities with the opportunity to "reassess long-term hazards on the path to achieving safe cities. , sustainable and livable ".
"A renewed and more holistic understanding of urban safety provides hope that cities are not only safer places in every way, but more sustainable and enjoyable to live in," he adds.
Six cities - Amsterdam, Melbourne, Tokyo, Toronto, Singapore and Sydney - have made the top 10 every year since the report was released back in 2015, while Copenhagen has been a fixture since 2019.
Which Latin American city is the safest?
No city in Latin America is in the top 10, but several major tourist destinations were included in the list of 60 countries.
For example, Santiago de Chile occupies number 33 on the list;
followed by Buenos Aires, Argentina, at number 34;
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is in position 39, followed by Sao Paulo, Brazil, in number 40. Bogotá, Colombia, is in position 41;
Mexico City, Mexico, at number 42;
Quito, Ecuador, at number 44 and Caracas, Venezuela, is at the bottom of the list at position 58.
SecurityTourism