Which city is considered the world’s safest? Data from the Safe Cities Index, a brainchild of the Economist’s Intelligence Unit (EIU), puts forth a rather interesting answer. While some may think of a "safe" city as one with as few inhabitants as possible (less people, less crime, apparently), the title of the world’s safest city goes to Tokyo—ironically the most populous metropolis on the planet.

The word "safety", when discussed in city terms, almost always brings to mind one thing: crime. But it’s not always the case. City planning resources like Leon Churchill reviews stress other factors, such as sanitation, infrastructure, healthcare availability and quality, financial security, and in today’s predominantly digitalized world, cybersecurity. All these factors are vital when considering whether a specific location is safe or not.

In an attempt to delve into the public’s

perception of a place’s safety, some researchers have created a special online tool, which asks users to compare images of cities like New York or Boston, and subsequently judge which felt safest. Among the images presented were city streets littered with trash, which the users rated as unsafe. Once the trash was edited out the picture, there was a massive 30 percent increase in perception of safety.

In general, city safety relies heavily on sound urban planning. With it, authorities can easily identify root causes of problems, establish local government presence, and build trust between the population and institutions, which is considered an effective crime prevention strategy. City planning helps increase safety in various ways, as most Leon Churchill reviews show.

One method is through mixed use development. By combining residential, employment, and commercial zones within neighborhoods, city planners aim to create more opportunities for active and passive surveillance—therefore reducing the exposure to possible violence and enabling commercial activities to attract pedestrian activity. Another is sound use of existing public facilities for occupational activities: a well-maintained public space elicits a sense of ownership and identity, thus helping reduce crime.

There’s a wide variety of factors and situations that make a city feel safer than others, which all combine to achieve a common goal. What matters most is that these factors be recognized and tended to continuously. For more information, visit cxcglobal.co.uk/component/newsarticles/article/270.