Medellin is the best city in Colombia!
So concludes the new study by the Caribbean Economic Observatory in Cartagena undertaken as part of the wider Global Competitiveness Index.
Medellin beat out 21 other Colombian cities to rank #1 in the survey, which measured “economic strength, international appeal, and human capital.” Medellin ranked second, after Bogota, in the 2011 survey and has jumped up to take the winning position thanks to “massive improvements” in environmental initiatives and high scores in the health, education, and employment opportunities categories.
The City of Flowers and Eternal Spring intends to retain its #1 ranking. “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. “We are fully committed to continuing and intensifying in this direction,” continued Gaviria. “In our development plan, we are contemplating projects and programs aimed at continuing and maintaining the city’s competitiveness.”
Bogota, the nation’s capital and the winning city in last year’s survey, 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],” explained the study’s research director, Jorge Quintera.
Quintero added that a major factor in the study is a city’s infrastructure, which is where some Caribbean-based cities such as Cartagena, which ranked 12th, lagged.
Source: www.liveandinvestoverseas.com
