- The 40 Greatest Cities in the World in 2022 – Part Four
- The 40 Greatest Cities in the World in 2022 – Part Two
- The 40 Greatest Cities in the World in 2022 – Part One
In the first and second parts of our article (links down below), we took a close look at 20 popular and great cities that managed the pandemic well and started reopening in order to improve their economy and get back to a normal way of living. In the third part, we will tell you about 10 more cities with the same character.
Amsterdam
Netherlands’ Amsterdam is widely recognized by the hordes of visitors who visit each year for its historical monuments, great artifacts, and the distinct color and flavor of its old sections, which have been so well protected. Some visitors to the city, on the other hand, see a crowded megacity troubled with pollution, traffic jams, and housing problems. It’s easy to describe Amsterdam, which is over 700 years old, as a living museum of a past era, praising the timeless beauty of centuries-old canals, ancient patrician buildings, and the vibe of freedom and tolerance, but the modern city is still working out answers to the pressing urban challenges facing the city.
Amsterdam has experienced a lack of culture and social lifestyle more acutely than the rest of the world during the Coronavirus pandemic. However, Amsterdam has made good use of its time, putting the focus on its famed charm and beauty, history, and sense of community while pledging to eliminate the coffeeshops, brothels, and drunken depravity that once plagued its historic center. Last year, 47 percent of Amsterdam residents characterized their city as “green,” while 27 percent of its citizens said it was “sustainable.” That may seem low, but Amsterdam’s rankings were among the highest for those descriptors. As a result, the city took aim to cement its status as an advanced, environmentally conscious metropolis during the shutdowns last year. The strategy appears to have worked.
Vondelpark is a sprawling green space in the heart of Amsterdam that hosts everything from jam sessions to theater to sports. It is truly Amsterdam’s lungs. Everything that is green in Amsterdam. The city came in third place for ‘sustainability,’ third place for ‘green,’ and second place for ‘taking a walk in nature.’
Montreal
The city is the economic, promotional, and financial hub of Quebec in Canada, with over 400 corporate headquarters and diverse industrial clusters. Montréal is a significant cultural hub for video games, movie theatres, and design. In addition, Montreal is known for being the “best student city” in the world and the “university metropolis of Canada” with six universities and 450 research centers. The city’s public transportation system, which is organized around a subway, is one of the most effective, quick, and reliable in North America. Nearly 20 million people pass through the L’Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport each year. The Montreal area is the entry point for immigrants to Quebec, with 70% of people born outside the province residing there.
Montreal residents came together last year when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Montreal is known for its community spirit, and we demonstrated enough of it in the face of the worst global recession in a generation to make any city happy. Conformity has never been fashionable in this city, as the famed music and politics demonstrate, and it is the differences that bring Montreal citizens together: 73 percent of Montreal residents said the city is ‘diversified.’ Even a bigger portion of people said it’s simple to ‘express who you are.’ Montreal city may be in a constant state of construction, with seemingly infinite protests, icy winters, and scorching summers, but at the very least, they have each other.
Montreal is planning a slew of innovative green projects, including a restriction on single-use plastic products and plans to turn downtown boulevards into urban forests.
Porto
In northern Portugal, Porto city is placed along the Douro River estuary. Porto is one of the ancient European cities, with its historical center, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The historic district is also a Portuguese National Monument.
Porto is best known for the export of its name-brand sweet wine, which is typically served after a meal. The trade-in port was set up in 1678, following the terms of the Methuen Treaty (1703) between England and Portugal. A 1906 law defines port as a wine produced in the Douro district and exported from Porto with an alcohol content greater than 16.5 percent. Manufacturing employs a significant part of the population, and the fishing industry and tourist activities are also important. The deepwater artificial Port of Leixes is located northwest of Porto, on the Atlantic coast in Matosinhos.
Even in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s difficult to disagree with 73 percent of Porto inhabitants who say their city is excellent for ‘culture.’ Porto’s legendary painters and artists have been busier than ever during the previous year, bringing much-needed color scheme and appearance to the streets, while Porto’s many, many galleries have been amazingly active as well. With sufficient pedestrianization, more cycling tracks and infrastructure, extending terraces, and new community gardens, the city has officially started giving back its residents’ public space. Due to the efforts taken, Porto residents were able to park concerts, buy their new favorite books, and support and discover newly opened local businesses. In addition, many people began baking bread, cakes, and cookies at home and have since become pretty good at it.
Maus Hábitos is a multi-cultural arts area that helped the citizens get through the Coronavirus pandemic. When most bars were closed in the middle of the week, it became a cultural hub of gigs, drag shows, screenings, exhibitions, poetry nights, and stand-up comedy.
Porto, it appears, is an excellent place to make friends. After Manchester, Porto residents voted the city as the second-best place in the world for making new friends, with 62 percent of locals simply stating it was ‘easy.’
London
London is a global city that has a significant impact on the arts, trade, education, amusement, fashion, financial services, universal healthcare, media, the tourist industry, and communication systems. Its GDP makes it Europe’s most extensive urban financial system and one of the world’s largest major financial hubs. London was ranked as the second-highest number of ultra-high-net-worth persons in Europe after Paris in 2019, and the second-highest number of multimillionaires of any European city after Moscow in 2019.
Over 300 languages are spoken in London making it one of the most diverse countries in the United Kingdom. Greater London had a population of around 9 million people in mid-2018, making it Europe’s third-most populated city. It makes up 13.4% of the population of the United Kingdom.
Before the pandemic, many London citizens took their city’s best features for granted, surprising at all. People of London have a tendency to moan. It took the end of a long, vicious quarantine for People in London to rediscover their love for their food, drink, and pubs, but the primary issue this city has going for it is diversity. In fact, 88 percent of residents defined the city as ‘diverse.’ There is no other place on the planet with such a diverse population. There are few places that are as welcoming as this. In London, you have the ability to do whatever you want once more.
London surprises you almost everywhere you look. People in London said it was simple to ‘find new and surprising things,’ the highest percentage of any city in the world.
Lisbon
Lisbon’s general layout has remained unchanged for thousands of years. Lisbon has stayed a city of views and balconies. Many of the most stunning balconies can be spotted from the municipality’s miradouros (viewpoints), which are terraces on seven of the city’s hillsides. But besides its modernization, Lisbon has the feel of a 19th-century city in so many forms.
Due to its great significance in finance, trade, communications, entertainment, artistic activities, global trade, education, and the tourist industry, Lisbon is considered an alpha-level international city. Lisbon (along with Porto) is one of two Portuguese cities to be designated as an international city. It is one of the country’s significant economic centers, with a burgeoning financial sector and one of Europe’s biggest container ports on the Atlantic coast.
Before the Coronavirus pandemic, Lisbon was on a roll. The food scene was busier than ever, with tourists from all over the globe rushing to the bars, gatherings, and concerts. However, Lisbon residents had to adapt. Smaller, artisanal businesses emerged all over the city, as did collectives and improvised partnerships. Product quality and seasonality are big themes in Lisbon, and the residents seem to appreciate the effort. An overwhelming 87 percent of the city’s population rated their city highly for ‘eating and drinking.’ Last year, cultural festivals and activities were put on hold, but 75% of people believe the arts are in good hands. Now that it’s a good time to get back out there and start over. Lisbon had to do what any other city in southern Europe should do. It has taken over terraces, riverbanks, and pretty much any other accessible outdoor space. If there’s one thing we’ve all learned to appreciate over the last year, it’s alfresco dining, and this city excels at it.
Beijing
Beijing is an international city and one of the most important hubs for culture, politics, diplomatic affairs, commerce and finance, education, linguistics, and scientific research and technology on the planet. China’s cultural, educational, and political capital is called Beijing. This city is the country’s second-largest metropolis by urban population after Shanghai. Most of China’s largest state-owned firms have located their headquarters in Beijing. In addition, Beijing is home to the world’s four largest financial institutions by total wealth and the greatest number of Fortune Global 500 corporations.
Beijing is also known as the “billionaire capital of the world,” because it has opened its doors to the most billionaires. It also serves as a significant crossroads for the national highway, expressway, railroad, and high-speed rail networks. Taking into account passenger traffic, Beijing Capital International Airport is the second busiest in the world (and the busiest in Asia), while Beijing’s metro system is the busiest and longest in the world. Located at Beijing Daxing International Airport, the world’s largest single structure airport terminal, Beijing Daxing International Airport is Beijing’s second international airport.
Beijing is the place where young Chinese people travel to prove themselves to the rest of the world. The city is the epicenter of Chinese art, culture, media, commerce, and politics. Beijing residents are visionaries, inventors, and simple hard workers, whether they sing at School Bar and Modernista or ride scooters down the street, saving up for the family. Beijing was deemed a ‘dynamic’ city by 51% of its population. According to 73 percent of the residents, the city is also dirty, but they still live in the city for a reason. Beijing is the place you want to be in.
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is technically the headquarters of the United Arab Emirates Government and the Supreme Petroleum Council, as well as local and federal government buildings. The President of the United Arab Emirates, who is a member of the Al Nahyan family, resides in the city. Abu Dhabi has grown into a vast, developed city thanks to rapid expansion and urbanization, as well as massive oil and gas resources and production and a relatively high average salary. It is the country’s political and industrial hub and a major cultural and commercial hub. Abu Dhabi is responsible for about two-thirds of the UAE’s $400 billion economies.
The city is home to the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, which in 2021 was ranked as the world’s fifth-largest sovereign wealth fund. Abu Dhabi alone has almost a trillion dollars in resources under control, spread among a number of sovereign wealth funds based there.
The UAE capital may lack the glamor and towers of Dubai, but it more than makes up for it in terms of quality of life, world-class restaurants, and big-name attractions. In addition, Abu Dhabi residents rate the city as ‘calming and relaxing’ by 72 percent, given the worldwide pandemic. This could be due to the city’s year-round sunshine and the opportunity to let off steam on the world’s fastest roller coaster, or it could just be due to the city’s layout. With over 200 islands to choose from, you’ll never be far from a sea view or a beach stroll. Plus, 99 percent indicated they wouldn’t describe the city as packed, which was quite pleasant in a year when social separation was a must.
Johannesburg
Johannesburg, one of the world’s youngest big cities, was formed in 1886 after the discovery of gold. This city is one of South Africa‘s nine provinces. Johannesburg is a city of amazing contrasts, with glass and steel skyscrapers and stench-filled shantytowns, internationally renowned colleges and pervasive illiteracy, sparkling wealth, and dire poverty. The urban agglomeration has a population of 5,635,127 people.
The previous year was adventurous in Johannesburg. But if there’s one thing the city is famed for, it’s its tenacity. People have learned to adjust, and companies are reopening. The curfew remains in effect, but the people of Johannesburg have figured out how to make it work while still having fun. Many inhabitants have seen their incomes shrink, exacerbated by previous riots that forced the bankruptcy of many businesses throughout the city, but this community has always pulled together as one. As a result, 54 percent of residents said Johannesburg has a strong sense of solidarity, and the era of growth and learning that followed the turbulence is proof of that.
Johannesburg is the city with the most ‘neighborliness.’ Only Manchester has a higher percentage of residents who say it is simple to ‘get to know your neighbors,’ while 76 percent say it is easy to ‘meet individuals who are different from you.’
Moscow
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) had Moscow as its capital. When the union was disbanded. Moscow drew international attention as a center of communist power. The Kremlin was the seat of the former Soviet government and the successor Russian government. It became synonymous with Soviet authority. The collapse of the Soviet Union brought massive economic and political change to Moscow, as well as a significant concentration of Russia’s wealth.
Because of its countless museums, scientific and political institutions, and theaters, Moscow is the habitat of many Russian artists, scientists, and sports stars. The city hosts several UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In addition, Moscow is known for its presentation of Russian architecture, especially its historic Red Square and structures such as Saint Basil’s Cathedral and the Moscow Kremlin. Many businesses in a variety of industries call Moscow home, and a developed transportation network serves the city. It includes four international airports, nine railroad terminals, a tram system, a monorail system, and, most particularly, the Moscow Subway, Europe’s busiest subway system and one of the world’s biggest quick transportation systems. Greenery covers more than 40% of the city’s area, making it one of the greenest cities in Europe and the world.
When you hear the word “Moscow,” you might think of the Red Square, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, or another staggeringly grand sight that is well-known around the world. Every corner of Moscow screams history. However, this wonderful city isn’t entirely relegated to the past. Moscow has evolved into a vast, befuddling, fast-paced metropolis filled with phenomenal museums, top-notch restaurants, and stunning architectural designs. ‘Community spirit’ may have faded away since the days of Soviet comradery, but the city was described as ‘ambitious’ by 50% of its citizens. Even though Moscow lacks a sense of community, it makes up for it in cultural offerings, with 95% of locals rating it highly in “culture.”
Moscow is at the forefront of appreciating and valuing culture in all of its forms. After Paris and Madrid, the city was the third place to be praised for its art and music sights.
Bangkok
Many major companies have chosen Bangkok as the location for their headquarters. The city has grown into a regional financial and business powerhouse. It has become a central hub for the arts, fashion, and amusement, as well as an international transportation and health care hub. Bangkok is famous for its red-light districts, in addition to its street culture and cultural monuments. Khaosan Road and Patpong, which have lively nightlife scenes, contrast with Temple Arun and Wat Pho and other Buddhist temples such as the Grand Palace. Bangkok is one of the most popular places to visit in the world, and it has consistently been named the most traveled city in several global comparisons.
Historically, Bangkok’s dining culture has been a source of pride for its residents. In Bangkok, 96 percent of residents are passionate about the quality of food available, and they have shown to do whatever they can to maintain it. Non-profits decided to step in when many of Bangkok’s food companies, particularly small restaurants and food carts, were struggling financially, encouraging customers to purchase their favorite local products. As a result, the fee rates on delivery platforms have been reduced. Local media also got in on the act by honoring community heroes. As a result, the food world has retaliated, with a number of Michelin-starred chefs preparing gourmet meals for frontline workers. Bangkok residents’ resilience and strength of character have been tested over the last 18 months. There is also more morality and compassion among people than ever before.
Individuals can support local businesses in their neighborhoods through online community organizations. Ari Community, for example, has over 33,000 members who offer it all from home-cooked meals to maintenance services.
Conclusion
It has been reported that covid-19 has affected 222 countries and territories worldwide. However, many cities and their citizens around the world have been able to survive the pandemic and been able to prosper despite all the hardships. In this article, we talk about another 10 of those cities. If you like to know more about more cities, take a look at part 1 and part 2 of our article, where we talked about 20 cities that could allow their potential to be realized. In addition, you can read our fourth and final article and learn about more fascinating cities.
