The atmosphere and vibrancy of cities across the world have suffered because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, forcing many businesses to close during lockdowns. However, an annual report that ranks the best cities proves that there’s still much to love about these metropolises.
The report, issued by Resonance Consultancy, which focuses on real estate, tourism, and economic development, scored 100 cities around the globe with populations exceeding one million residents. The ranking utilized 25 factors grouped into six categories, including diversity, weather, the number of parks and tourist attractions, as well as social media hashtags and check-ins. Notably, the cities were ranked this year based on new criteria such as unemployment rates, COVID-19 infection rates (as of July), and income disparity.
So how did your city stack up?
1. London, United Kingdom
For the sixth consecutive year, London took the top slot. Looming question marks linger around Brexit, which is set to take full effect from January. Nonetheless, the report highlights the city’s parks and outdoor experiences, emphasizing that “today, there’s no better urban experience anywhere, regardless of the global forces swirling above the ancient streets.”
2. New York City, United States
Although the city that never sleeps is a bit quieter lately, New York City ranks second on the list. The report identifies NYC as one of the best shopping cities in the world, featuring the new ‘mall of the future’ at Hudson Yards. Despite being the first epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, there is optimism about the city’s future. “Regardless of how the world emerges, evolves, or pivots out of our collective force majeure, it will happen here first,” the report states.
The top cities rounding out the top 20 in the report are:
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Paris, France
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Moscow, Russia
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Tokyo, Japan
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Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Singapore
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Barcelona, Spain
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Los Angeles, United States
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Madrid, Spain
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Rome, Italy
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Chicago, United States
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Toronto, Canada
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San Francisco, United States
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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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St Petersburg, Russia
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Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Berlin, Germany
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Prague, Czech Republic
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Washington DC, United States
For those interested in a comprehensive look at these rankings, the Best Cities report can be accessed here.
