Eddie the Eagle, Susan Boyle, the Jamaican bobsleigh team: everyone loves an underdog. Now, one UK city might have just joined their ranks.
Analysing factors including diversity, infrastructure, natural environments, cultural scenes and the presence of company head offices, the firm behind WorldsBestCities.com has come up with a ranking of the best 100 cities in Europe for 2023.
While many of the UK’s 17 entrants came as no shock – London, dubbed the ‘capital of capitals’, came in at number one and Oxford and Edinburgh both ranked highly – there was one surprising dark horse.
Drum roll, please. Bagging a place at number 98 was Warwickshire city, Coventry. The study described the city as a ‘people-powered coveted hometown’, worthy of a spot on the ranking for its redevelopment efforts and status as a ‘manufacturing powerhouse’.
The company also cited Coventry’s resilience, evident in its recovery from the deadly Coventry Blitz in 1940, which was the most concentrated attack on a British city during WWII. Once a hub for vehicle manufacturing, it has since reinvented itself as a centre for education, being one of the largest providers of teacher training in the country and home to University of Coventry.
And, if all of that wasn’t enough, Coventry was also honoured with the title of UK City of Culture in 2021. Whew!
Not convinced by the list? You can check out our very own ranking of the best cities in the world right here.
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