new concept of urban safety
Safety is a top priority for tourists when choosing their destination, and this is even more carefully considered in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Fang Zhao - Professor of Innovation and Strategy at Staffordshire University: "Covid-19 has changed the whole concept of urban safety".
From discussions of urban security in 2021, digital security is a key priority as more work and commercial services move to online platforms. Those responsible for infrastructure security must adjust to dramatic changes in travel patterns and the locations where people use their gadgets. Agencies responsible for personal safety need to address changes that tend to be restrictive in crime patterns. And the priority that urban residents and officials place on environmental security has increased markedly, as Covid-19 can cause people to let their guard down in the face of unexpected environmental crises.
Top 5 safest cities in the world in 2021 - Photo: The Economist
10 safest cities in the "new normal" context
This year’s Safe Cities Index (SCI) rankings have seen a significant change, with some new cities making it into the Top, although established names like Singapore and Tokyo still hold certain positions in the rankings. Destinations are evaluated based on five criteria: Digital Security, Health Security, Infrastructure, Personal Security, and Environmental Security.
Topping the rankings, Copenhagen (Denmark) jumped eight places from 2019, thanks to its improved implementation of Environmental Security and Personal Security.
“A key factor in making Copenhagen a safe city is the record low crime rate over the past decade,” said Lars Weiss, Mayor of Copenhagen. “Copenhagen in particular is known for its social cohesion and relatively narrow gap between rich and poor. It is a city without social class distinctions, where a cleaner and a CEO can meet at the local supermarket and have children in the same school.”
“This is part of the strong foundation of Danish culture, and it contributes greatly to the high level of trust and safety in the country that we benefit from.”
Copenhagen - The capital of Denmark was honored as the safest city in the world with 82.4 points.
Canada's Toronto takes the "well-deserved" runner-up spot, largely thanks to its long-term safety record for any social improvements over the past two years.
The Economist's report also rated Toronto and Copenhagen as pillars of Sustainable Environmental Security, outperforming their previous years' leading positions.
Toronto ranked 2nd in the rankings with 82.2 points.
Representative of Southeast Asia - Singapore is in 3rd place, this city has always maintained a stable "performance" when continuously winning high rankings in previous surveys.
Singapore ranked third with a score of 80.7. The city has consistently been rated highly for its infrastructure, health security and digital security over the years.
Although ranked 4th in the rankings, Sydney (Australia) is considered the city with the highest Digital Security, while Tokyo (Japan) - the city topping the rankings in 2019, holds the 5th position.
Ranked 4th with an overall score of 80.1, Sydney is also the world's most digitally secure city.
With 80 points, Tokyo still ranks first among cities that ensure medical safety in the world.
Next in line is Amsterdam of the Netherlands in 6th place, Wellington of New Zealand in 7th place, Hong Kong and Melbourne (Australia) in 8th place with the same score. Finally, Stockholm of Sweden is in 10th place.
Amsterdam (Netherlands) ranks second only to Copenhagen in terms of personal security.
Wellington (New Zealand) environmental security is ranked first in the world.
Hong Kong is rated highest in terms of infrastructure, and in terms of health security, it is only behind Tokyo and Singapore.
Melbourne (Australia) was also honored in the ranking of the most livable cities in the world by The Economist.
The survey results show that cities in different regions have distinct strengths. Specifically, on average, Asia-Pacific cities perform better in terms of Health Security, European cities in Personal Security, and North American cities in Digital Security. While the sample size is not large enough to generalize about the reasons, these differences also show that priorities for different types of security may be influenced by the distinct cultural and historical backgrounds of each region, country, or city.
Top 10 safest cities in the world in 2021:
1. Copenhagen, Denmark
2. Toronto, Canada
3. Singapore
4. Sydney, Australia
5. Tokyo, Japan
6. Amsterdam, Netherlands
7. Wellington, New Zealand
8-9. Hong Kong & Melbourne (Australia)
10. Stockholm, Sweden
