Honolulu (the place of shelter)
Most populous city, principal port and capital of Hawaii, a state of the USA. The city is located along the southeast coast of the island of Oahu.
THE BEST CITIES IN THE WORLD
Someday, we will start a story without referencing the “pandemic pause”—but this is not that day. Things are still in flux for the world’s best cities. In the past year, the global population started moving again en masse, in pursuit of the ideal place to work, live, and play. Hundreds of thousands left major metropolitan centers like New York, San Francisco, and Rome for more affordable pastures; meanwhile, LinkedIn reports that one in six job listings is “remote,” fueling somewhat of a planet-wide existential crisis. Does this spell the end for the big city?
“Far from it,” said Chris Fair, president and CEO of Resonance Consultancy, whose 2023 World’s Best Cities list was released today with many familiar destinations at the top.
For the past 15 years, Resonance—a consultancy group in real estate, tourism, and economic development—has taken a holistic approach to a popular “best-of” list. Rather than just rely on data around, say, a place’s livability or how easy it is to bike there, Resonance uses a combination of core statistics (like GDP and homicide rates) and qualitative evaluations by both locals and visitors (from online channels like Instagram and TripAdvisor) to paint a more comprehensive picture of a world’s best city. “It’s not just best city to live, it’s not just best city to work, or best city to visit,” said Fair. “It’s taking a cross section of all those factors.”
The cities on this year’s list—all with populations of more than 750,000—have used the “pandemic pause” to roll out 464 miles of bikeways (San Francisco), spend billions on hotels and waterfront development (Washington, D.C.), expand or open major museums and finally finish that LaGuardia airport renovation (NYC). One destination even changed its name—remember, it’s now Istanbul, Türkiye. And common across so many of these top-tier cities is a commitment to diversity and sustainability: no longer “forward thinking,” now just the norm of the biggest thinkers.
One notable exception this year: “In our view, no city can be a ‘Best City’ that is part of a country that is taking unprovoked action against another,” says Fair. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “we have removed Moscow and St. Petersburg from this year’s report, two cities that finished in the Top 20 last year,” and named Kyiv the 2023 Honorary World’s Best City.
