Medellin is ranked Colombia’s best city after beating out 21 others in a study measuring a variety of factors including economic strength, international appeal and human capital.
“The City of Eternal Spring” outranked Bogota, which came in at number two after topping the list last year. The study was compiled by the Caribbean Economic Observatory in Cartagena as part of the wider Global Competitiveness Index.
According to this year’s study, Medellin made massive improvements in several areas including environmental initiatives, where it jumped three places to rank fifth. In human capital rankings, which consider health, education and employment opportunities, Medellin came in second place, moving up one spot. “We will strengthen(…) the goal of furthering the education and training of our human talent to achieve equity and remove inequalities,” assured Medellin’s Mayor Anibal Gaviria.
Bogota, the nation’s capital, suffered in several categories including public finances, where it came in at 18th place. “This does not mean that there was a mismanagement of resources, but a stalemate. Medellin improved and exceeded Bogota [in this category],” said the study’s research director, Jorge Quintera.
“We are fully committed to continuing and intensifying in this direction,” said Gaviria. “In our development plan, we are contemplating projects and programs aimed at continuing and maintaining the city’s competitiveness.”
Quintero said a major factor in the study is a city’s infrastructure, which is where some Caribbean-based cities like Cartagena, which ranked 12th, lagged behind.