Which is greatest city in the world

Spring and early summer arrived with the anticipated news that the city had met infection and vaccine thresholds to allow indoor bars to welcome people again, along with crowds to cheer on the Dodgers and to queue at Disneyland.

But the city has a long, long way back. But given the pent-up demand to get past this nightmare and on with California dreaming, breaking tourism records and rolling out one multibillion-dollar infrastructure project after another, LA will not be down for long. The city was on a culinary trajectory like few others in America and the momentum has returned. The city is also poised to improve its 17 Product ranking. In February , it will host the Super Bowl.

Barcelona is an almost ideal European city, one with near-perfect weather year-round, miles and miles of beaches, iconic parks, striking architecture and colorful neighborhoods that march to their own beat—artistic, sophisticated, bohemian. No wonder it ranks Top 5 in our Place category, which measures both the natural and built environments of a city. Despite a difficult half-decade of terrorist attacks and mass protests, tourism dipped only momentarily before bouncing back—to the possible dismay of the many locals who see the crowds as a threat to their city.

Barcelona responded with programs aimed at controlling the effects of runaway tourism—like real estate investors who snatch up apartments only to rent them on Airbnb, depleting an already limited supply. The country has seen more than 4. For a city with the 3 ranking for global Nightlife, this has been catastrophic. Fortunately for local shop and hotel owners facing a second canceled summer season, Spain decided to open its borders to fully vaccinated visitors in early June, despite neighboring countries like France watching closely for the need to reinstate its ban on citizens traveling there.

In Madrid, it starts with focusing on existing assets and the conviction that everything old can be new again. Madrid is, more importantly, finally committed to the modern reinvention of the city focused on its citizenry. Retiro Park occupies 1. Thankfully, with investments in outdoor dining and walking infrastructure, the city with the 6 best Nightlife on the planet just behind Berlin and ahead of Paris is finally making it easier and more pleasant to stay out late. That bodes well for its current middling score coming in at 82 for Income Equality.

Few cities serve up the ability to walk Western history like Roma. Declarations of love for the city have multiplied with social media channels, of course, and a 4 ranking in our extensive Place category up three spots from last year has directly fueled its 8 Promotion ranking, including the second-highest number of Tripadvisor reviews on the planet and very frequent Google searches.

How can it not when so many sing its praises? In less than a century, Qatar went from poor UK colony with a dwindling fishing industry to independent nation that today is the richest state per capita in the world—with booming infrastructural development to match. The flurry of investment has led to a 1 global ranking in our GDP per Capita and Unemployment subcategories as the country reinvests to build more highways, a metro system, universities, the I. Go to the National Museum of Qatar Instead.

Doha will use the FIFA World Cup to show off its dynamic mix of traditional souks, iconic landmarks, ritzy shopping malls and five-star hotels, to say nothing of its 7 ranking in Safety. Few American cities fell harder in visitor numbers in recent months than Chicago. Whether for business or pleasure, the city had been attracting tourism at record-breaking levels year after year.

Its 12 ranking in our Programming category—including 7 in Culture and 11 in Nightlife—speaks to the plentiful buzz that Chicago was perfecting before everything ground to a halt.

The hardship of the past 18 months only means the city is spring-loaded to return to its quiet productivity—and even stronger than ever, with the seventh-highest number of Global headquarters in the world, second only to New York in the U.

Of course, the biggest news is the legacy of one family of proud Chicagoans: the Obamas. It invests in bringing artists and creators as guests for residencies and multi-show dates. The city has a knack for attracting permanent international talent as well, hitting 1 in our Foreign-Born Population subcategory and 23 in our Educational Attainment subcategory.

As will its 61 ranking for Promotion, a shockingly low score when you consider the buzz in this ambitious city of the future. San Francisco has embraced seekers since the Gold Rush days. No wonder it ranks 7 globally in our Educational Attainment subcategory. Guidance and capital are rarely an issue for the right idea. Still, the city is deeply wounded. In what could be viewed as a silver lining, house prices have dropped significantly.

Tourism, a golden goose that set records for the past decade, plunged. But all of these delays have only filled a visitor pipeline.

Not surprisingly, Amsterdam ranks 14 globally in our Museums subcategory. The city is also embracing corporate Brexit refugees, who are setting up shop after leaving London, drawn by new rail and air connectivity. Imperial capital for two centuries, city of 40 islands and bridges, St.

Still, Piter stands defiant, buoyed by its arts and education. Citizens hold the 1 spot for Educational Attainment in a city boasting more than 45 colleges and universities—some dating back nearly three centuries.

Not surprisingly, the city ranks 2 for Museums and 4 for Attractions. That impressive diversity is born from plentiful long-term opportunity: earlier this summer, the city was crowned as the fastest-growing metropolitan area in all of North America.

As in, the continent. Getting less attention is the projection by the University of Toronto that, in less than 50 years, it will trail only New York and Mexico City in North American population. Many of those people are foreign-born, too, with a 7 ranking in the subcategory. Of course, the Delta variant was ravaging the city as of late summer , with violent anti-lockdown protesters marching in the streets as COVID cases spiked to record numbers.

Berlin is a city where remnants of a fragile history mingle with a present where being whatever you want to be is not just encouraged but embraced. But as soon as the sun comes out, the entire city still heads outdoors, to the parks, the beer gardens and, increasingly, back to street parties and parades. Berlin also ranks 8 for Museums, while its art galleries overflow. In a much-needed boost for a decimated tourism industry and events business, the Berlin Brandenburg Airport opened in late after a decade of delays, fully ready for our pandemic reality with integrated on-site COVID screening.

But this is Vegas, baby, home of the seventh-best weather in the world and its Top 5 Attractions, and America—and the world—is returning. But the buzziest of all? The ubiquity of D. In fact, D. Given its omnipresence, there are few cities so poised to build on the exposure of the past year and surpass recent visitor records—for D. Food and dining are also helping D. Minarets and church spires dot the bright skyline, while down at street level vendors plying their wares share the street with designer suits and form-fitting Armani dresses.

To say nothing of a shifting shipping reality that may never deliver the promised usage and funds to cover the investment. Small wonder, then, that Vienna shot up eight spots in our rankings from last year. The city also ranks 16 globally for Income Equality. There are the UNESCO-ranked coffeehouses, of course, like the Landtmann and the Central—places where radical philosophical and aesthetic movements were hatched.

If the 21st century belongs to China Narrator: It does , Beijing will be the place to watch its rise. The capital city earned the 2 rank for Prosperity losing the top spot to Doha this year , but it also performed well in two separate features within that category: the highest number of Global headquarters, and a Top 5 Unemployment Rate ranking worldwide. The city is already in the Top 5 in our Airport Connectivity subcategory. And the Beijing Winter Olympics. As it gets up off the mat, the city is making deliberate and long-lasting decisions to ensure its 6-ranked Museums and 7-ranked Attractions are accessible to everyone, not just the drunken lads who once descended on the historic splendor of the past, hunting for cheap laughs.

The two latter subcategories may well suffer in our new, smaller world, as fewer people are expected to travel internationally and large conferences, while returning, are doing so at a reduced capacity. Not sure where to go first? You could say that San Diego is where California began.

San Diego is as naturally endowed as any place has a right to be—its sublime full and partly sunny days annually help rank it 14 for Weather, while the 23 beaches—70 miles of them—within city limits make it synonymous with SoCal surf culture. The sublime embrace of the city was shattered in April when Hong Kong citizens opposing a law to extradite criminal cases to China first took to the streets. While Sydney is known for its laid-back vibe and breezy style, Melbourne goes for edgy aesthetics and urban panache.

You might stumble upon a laneway, those locally loved narrow passageways open only to pedestrian traffic, with a charming little bar or an award-winning restaurant. Its diversity is a major strength, ranking 12 for Foreign-Born Population, and a better educated populace ranking of 35—up a whopping 58 spots from last year—helped its People ranking skyrocket to 8 globally. A hub of higher education and home to the 12th-best-educated workforce in the world, Beantown produces a steady stream of new talent to help attract start-ups and established companies alike.

The city is getting back to its ambitious buildout, buoyed by billions in federal stimulus funds and cheap U. International immigration in the past decade has contributed to explosive population growth here, making Houston one of the most ethnically diverse big cities in America and ranking it 32 globally for Foreign-Born Population, with more than different languages spoken at home, according to the latest census—about even with New York.

The fourth-largest city in the U. Not surprisingly, it ranks an impressive 14 for global Prosperity. The site of several internationally ranked universities Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin and Dublin City University , the city continues to attract smaller start-ups that choose it over traditional head office cities like London and New York. Of course, being the second-safest city on the planet helps, too. From prominence on Instagram 8 globally to trending on Google 23 , the city where more than languages are spoken across its households also wants to be the place where the new distributed workforce comes to work from home.

DM me. Zurich also lands at 12 in our People category, which includes our Educational Attainment 8, up five spots from a year ago and Foreign-Born Population 26 subcategories. It has the highest concentration of creative-industry companies in Switzerland, nurtured and inspired by the Global biggies. That resilience was on display after the city became among the first in the U. If the rest of the United States had kept pace with Seattle, the nation could have avoided more than , coronavirus deaths.

Today, its University of Washington ranks 5 globally and its citizenry propels it to 22 for Educational Attainment. The city has also become one of the most prosperous in the U. Budapest is quickly emerging as a European second city on the rise, fueled, post-pandemic, by digital nomads looking for urban vibrancy on a budget.

The city, which is split in half by the expansive bend of the Danube River, delivers in spades. On the west bank is medieval Buda, hilly and full of history, and on the east is Pest, modern and bohemian. But as Paulistanos will tell you in person or via Facebook check-ins 4 , they live in the best city on the planet. With the largest population of Italian descendants outside of Italy, the largest community of people of Japanese descent outside Japan and a large Middle Eastern community fueled mostly by Lebanese and Syrian immigrants, culinary delights are a given.

The city lands at 3 for Restaurants. The pandemic has only highlighted the productivity of understated Bavarian innovation. All these attributes make up our Product category, for which the city ranks 4 globally, its highest ranking here ever in a one-spot improvement over last year. Small wonder, with all that infrastructure and entrepreneurship, that Munich is also ranked Top 25 for Global headquarters made up primarily of automakers, media and manufacturing, but being quickly joined by biotech and IT giants.

Bangkok is about to get even more kinetic, bustling and relevant. The city also ranks Top 5 globally for Shopping, and the proof is in its plentiful markets, like Chatuchak, its largest, and Central, an upscale department store that carries local and traditional Thai merchandise like tableware and decorative items made by artisans in Chiang Mai. Orlando knows how to get people talking. Its 33 ranking in our Promotion category drove its overall ranking, including collecting the eighth-most Tripadvisor reviews of any city on the planet.

The city has also expanded its attention beyond family fun. Throughout the first six months of the coronavirus pandemic, Seoul emerged as the envy of the world. Its secret? A high-tech sector and experienced government collaborating to detect, contain and treat cases early. The South Korean capital is also home to the sixth-highest number of Global companies on the planet and Top 30 for overall Prosperity. This bodes well for the city once travel returns. Atlanta has always been a crossroads—open to new ideas and to the new arrivals who came to this lush, hot, rolling land when the city rose as a railroad terminus.

On 20 square blocks of mixed-use space, institutions like the Dallas Museum of Art, the Crow Museum of Asian Art and the renowned Nasher Sculpture Center—as well as theaters, symphony and opera venues, plus restaurants and bars—all contribute to a 58 ranking in our Culture subcategory.

Frankfurt has perfected the art of air access. The city rises above most others with its 2-ranked convention center, which draws more than 4. A short stroll in any direction takes visitors to shopping, restaurants, museums and other pleasures to mix with the business of the day. JPMorgan is moving hundreds of employees from London to other European cities, mainly Paris and Frankfurt, as well as approximately billion euros in assets to Frankfurt from London.

As the terminus of a cross-country railroad constructed by laborers from all over Asia, Vancouver was built with a foundation of Asian sensibility. It ranks 6 in our People category, a combination of Educational Attainment for which it ranks 28 globally and Foreign-Born Population Despite the success of this Eden of coexistence, not all is calm. Always on the lookout for foreign investment, various incarnations of provincial and federal governments made citizenship available to foreigners with sufficient capital, with little oversight on taxing outside funds.

The result is a housing boom fueled by a talent inflow as eager to work as they are to experience the 30th-best nightlife on the planet.

As a result, the city ranks 41 in our People category, including 27 for Educational Attainment. A lot of the brainpower arrives for the ranked University of Texas at Austin, and many never leave. That foundation of thinking differently drew dreamers for decades. A skills shortage is being mitigated somewhat by a steady flow of graduates pouring out from UT Austin and new talent from both coasts. Outgoing, two-cheek-embracing, convivial-above-all Montreal took a hard, early hit as the pandemic struck.

Deaths in residences for the elderly exposed the ugly underbelly of an underfunded industry and brought about a reckoning for both governments and families over the meaning of care. Despite the cancellation of iconic programming like the Grand Prix, the city acted swiftly to turn major streets into creatively styled outdoor hangouts with art and music, and vastly increased bike lanes.

Montreal rank 25th in the world in our Culture subcategory—the number of quality activities, shows and events. People here walk with the velocity of New Yorkers and cut to the chase like Texans. Ranking 23 globally in GDP per Capita, by far the highest in Canada, the city is now in the midst of an economic hardship not seen in decades the fortunes of Calgary rise and fall with the price of crude.

The pandemic added to the misery, which has manifested into one of the highest unemployment rates among Canadian cities over the past year. The challenge in this city of risk-takers has always been to even things out by diversifying away from fossil fuels, building an economically resilient hometown for a place that ranks 13 globally in our People category, including 17 for Educational Attainment and 22 for Foreign-Born Population up two spots from last year.

Its relative housing affordability will also attract new talent priced out of other large Canadian cities. Honk, beep, moo! Vans, scooters, rickshaws, street-food sellers, beggars, cows and even monkeys come together in the Indian capital of almost 32 million, which moved up 12 spots to break into our Top 50 for the first time ever.

Of course, that ascent means little when your population has some of the worst COVID infection and mortality rates on the planet.

Once the tsunami of the pandemic has exacted its terrible toll, Delhi can begin building on its impressive Top 10 global ranking for Promotion, including 5 for Google Trends and 10 for both Google Search and Facebook Check-ins. Indeed, Delhi is a city built upon or near the ruins of a previous city, and today visitors can trace through the eras, exploring centuries-old forts, tombs, shrines and mosques.

Old Delhi is where to soak it all in while weaving in and out of the chaos, shopping for trinkets and handicrafts in the frenetic street bazaars and gaping in wonder at the Red Fort.

Unsurprisingly, Delhi also ranks highly 17 for Restaurants, and sampling everything you can is a must. The Portuguese capital is a tactile, multisensory experience best explored on foot, allowing a few of the 2, hours of sunshine a year—the most of any European capital—to warm your sense of discovery.

As walkable as Lisbon is, it will soon be equally bikeable, with miles of bike paths planned for the end of that will further improve its 19 global ranking for Place. Its seven hills play with the senses, reverberating sounds, light and scents, to say nothing of providing perches from which to watch the sun setting ablaze the yellow and white architecture—and the Atlantic beyond.

Even among the darkest days of the pandemic, new international residents poured into the city, buoying the ascendant house prices while pursuing the coveted Golden Visa program, which allows real estate investors to acquire residency and citizenship, and its non-habitual resident program, which offers tax benefits to certain expats.

Those good times end at the beginning of , when high-density areas, like Lisbon and the Algarve, become excluded. Like in Rome and Istanbul, a mere stroll here reveals forgotten history on every block. Osaka still knows how to eat, ranking 14 globally for Restaurants, and is best known for its okonomiyaki—cabbage pancakes stuffed with an ever-changing lineup of fillings.

Also newly opened is Super Nintendo World as part of Universal Studios Japan, featuring more Mario immersion than any human being could ever need. The institutional prosperity in the city has minimized the economic devastation of the pandemic seen almost everywhere else in the U.

Seeing the continued success of the tourism industry in neighboring Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman, and keen on moving the economy away from a dependency on oil, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia started issuing tourist visas in April for the first time in eight years. Not surprisingly, the convention center also ranks 6. With its secondary-city affordability and epic location tucked at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, Denver is an increasingly wealthy, healthy Millennial magnet of a place.

But the city is no undiscovered secret, ranking 47 globally in our People category, buoyed by its 26 ranking for citizens with at least a postsecondary degree. Residents here are not only smart but productive, too, ranking Top 25 globally for GDP per Capita, plying their trades at large companies in town including Western Union, Molson Coors Beverage and health-care giants DaVita and Centene and start-ups in the emergent cannabis industry.

But Denver plays as hard as it works. Given its deep roots in the creation of the Union almost years ago, Philadelphia is a dense, cataloged embodiment of American values and traditions, easily accessible and eagerly shared.

Joining icons like the Liberty Bell Center this year is 90, square feet of new public and exhibition space at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as part of the Frank Gehry-led expansion. The city is also investing outdoors, with the central section of the Delaware River Trail opening this year for those not ready to mingle quite yet.

The City of Brotherly love has the same number of Global companies as global destinations like Melbourne and Singapore, and its growing population ranks 35 globally for GDP per Capita, as its glittering skyline rises ever upward. What few expected was the rockets that rained down on the city in May as beachgoers scrambled for safety and recently opened restaurants closed down again.

The city also appreciates its culture as much as its Campari, ranking 39 for Museums. If only all cities had: The ambition to plough ahead with a wealth of innovative green projects, like plans to ban single-use plastics and transform downtown boulevards into urban forests.

If only all cities had: The huge swathes of greenery in Prague 6 borough — all-year playgrounds where you can jog, read, picnic, play frisbee or go sledging. What makes us great: Tel Avivians are a hardy bunch. When Covid hit tourism, this high-tech hub hit the Reset button. After the lockdowns, Israel led the vaccination race and before long locals were back sipping cappuccinos in cafes and doing yoga on the beach. If only all cities had: Carmel Market , the pulsating heart of the city where locals sell spices, hummus, falafel and other fresh, organic produce — plus raise the odd glass of beer or arak too.

The city has also begun to give back public space to citizens, with ample pedestrianisation, more cycling infrastructure, expanded terraces and new community gardens. We attended concerts in parks, bought books under the shade of trees, supported local businesses and discovered new ones. Many people started baking bread, cakes and cookies at home, and now many of them have gone pro. While most bars were closed, it was a cultural oasis of gigs, drag shows, screenings, exhibitions, poetry nights and stand-up comedy — with some decent pizza and craft beer.

What makes us great: The face mask, that quintessential pandemic-era staple, was already a common accessory among Tokyoites way before Covid hit, which is perhaps why life here never really slowed over the past year.

If only all cities had: Designer public toilets. Over the past year, state-of-the-art bathrooms have popped up all over the city — all designed by top architects. What makes us great: L. Now if we could just use some of that creativity to rein in the housing crisis 87 percent described L. If only all cities had: Such a beautiful bounty of botanical gardens that stayed open and provided peace and fresh air when we needed them the most.

It should come as no surprise, but this sprawling metropolis that beckons to all was voted the third-most diverse city in the world. Chicago was voted the second-funnest city in the world as well as the second-most beautiful. Not a surprise, that. We do like to moan. Nowhere in the world is as mixed. Nowhere is as inclusive. Once again, you can do you. With a pint in your hand, of course. If only all cities had: A guy like Dom Cools-Lartigue. This Londoner opened year-long community-focused mega-pop-up Tramshed Project and the incredibly effective Plate For London charity initiative.

Respect is due. Want to know one good thing that came out of Covid? Like in many cities, street parking spaces throughout the centre were given over to adjacent bars and restaurants; unlike in many cities, these will now be made permanent. If only all cities had: Finestres , a square-metre bookstore dedicated to the pleasure of reading. Most impressively, it only opened in April this year.

What makes us great: Melbourne gets locked down, but we get up again. As the city struggles through its sixth hard lockdown in 18 months, there is still a lot of love to be found in this fine Australian city. If only all cities had: A cohort of incredible community-minded groups, like Sikh Volunteers Australia , that distribute food and necessities to their neighbours.

Sydney has one of the most diverse, multicultural populations in Australia, particularly in the western suburbs, where life is especially tough right now under lockdown.

The good news? If only all cities had: The Greening the City initiative, a huge project to improve parks, green roofs and plant thousands of new trees. The aim is to cover more than 40 percent of the city with greenery by Ranked first in the world for food and drink — with a whopping 97 percent of respondents giving it top marks — this city has everything from hole-in-the-walls to Michelin-starred fine-dining, along with a burgeoning craft beer and cocktail scene.

What makes us great: What would Madrid be without its bars and restaurants? Without its museums and theatres? Despite the difficulties and restrictions, Madrid has remained true to its spirit and is now beginning to claw back those cultural riches that make it one of the best cities in the world, both to visit and to live in.

The city was voted second-best in the world for its cultural offering this year, after only Paris. Consider that a seal of approval for the fast pace of life here in CDMX. If only all cities had: Arca Tierra. This multi-use restaurant serves delish organic meals in a chinampa floating garden at Xochimilco using ingredients from local producers, and also sells those same fruits and veg to the masses — along with honey, milk, chocolate — for less than your average supermercado.

What makes us great: Hong Kong is one of only a few major cities that managed to avoid a full lockdown, so things have felt relatively normal this past year. Even with phased venue closures and strict social-distancing restrictions , restaurants , shops and transport never stopped operating, and m ajor events like Art Basel and Art Central returned.

What makes us great: Lisbon was on a roll before the pandemic. The food scene was buzzier than ever; the bars, parties and concerts were drawing visitors from all over the world. But then we had to adapt. Collectives and ad hoc collaborations blossomed; smaller, nicher, artisanal businesses cropped up city-wide.

Cultural events may have been put on pause this year, but 75 percent would say the same for the arts. If only all cities had: New Kids on the Block , a collective of young chefs with a fine-dining pedigree who are breathing life into traditional Portuguese cuisine in small restaurants across the capital.

Confined to our square-foot studios which 80 percent of our survey respondents said are too expensive , we downtown-dwellers started to look outwards.

South Korea's capital continues to hold global importance. It is a major commerce hub and home to major brands, including Samsung. Politics and bureaucracy dominate the agenda in Belgium's capital, the home of the European Union. Relatively small compared to many major cities, it punches well above its weight thanks to the EU.

According to the rankings, Sydney is the most important city in the southern hemisphere. It is also considered one of the most livable cities in the world.

Washington, D. In addition to American institutions like the White House and the Capitol, the city hosts international institutions including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The capital and political hub of the world's second-largest economy is understandably influential.

It is also home to more companies in the Global Fortune than any other city. Trading defines Chicago's importance as a major international city, with two of the biggest commodity exchanges based there. Agricultural products like wheat, corn, and pork are among the products that are traded on the city's mercantile exchanges.

Its West Coast location also makes it a key hub for trade with Asia. Singapore's container port is one of the world's largest. It is also a major hub for the oil industry. Formerly controlled by Britain, Hong Kong was handed back to China in It is one of Asia's biggest financial centers. In , Bloomberg ranked Japan's sprawling capital the largest city in the world with 37 million people in its metropolitan area.

France's capital is known for its art, architecture, and fashion. According to the Global Cities Index , it has the most think tanks in the world. Brexit is likely to marginally diminish London's role as a global center , but for now, it remains the world's second-most-influential city. Home to Europe's financial hub in the city, London is tops the rankings when it comes to transparency. Its ranking remains unchanged from The city has maintained its top spot for the second year in a row.

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