In a new report by The Economist, New York City has lost its status as the safest city in the country. The report, which analyzed sixty of the worlds major metropolitan areas, sees places NYC in 21st place. Here’s everything you need to know.
We’re losing our bragging rights, NYC. In 2015, thanks to that year’s report by The Economist’s Intelligence Unit, we were no. 10 in the world and the safest city in the country, now we’re 21st in the world and 4th in the US. So, what happened?
The Economist’s Safe Cities Index studies forty-nine safety indicators in sixty major metropolitan areas. It then assigns scores to the cities based on levels of digital, health, infrastructure and personal security. Our two-year-long run as the safest city in the country is officially over as we slipped down to the list behind, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago.
The report rationalizes the slip down the rankings due to infrastructure fallout from Superstorm Sandy, and problems in health security. The report does not New York City’s plans to turn things around:
Some US cities are making efforts to turn the tide. New York City is among them. It has put in place measures to support urban farming with, for example, the New York City Housing Authority’s Garden and Greening Programme providing technical assistance and other resources to public housing residents.
It’s not all bad news though. New York is STILL one of the safest cities in the county, and world for that matter. I know it stings a little when we lose a top spot, particularly to West Coast cities (we’re looking at you L.A. and San Francisco) but if nothing else it gives us something to strive for in the future. let’s hope for a better placing in 2019!
Featured image source [Wikimedia Commons]