Ponte de Dom Luís I – a bridge over the Douro River in Portugal, connecting the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia
As noted by "Russkaya Germaniya", this became possible largely due to the well-thought-out support of the city authorities, who did not remain indifferent to the fates of people and businesses during the difficult time of the pandemic. The authorities helped local entrepreneurs survive the period of strict quarantine with minimal losses. As the compilers of the ranking noted, the city hall and international communities provided substantial support to small businesses and individual artisans in Porto.
Porto is one of the most economically developed cities in the country. In addition, Porto attracts visitors with its colorful architecture, green spaces, and proximity to the ocean coast. The unhurried, measured pace of life of a small city and the friendliness of its residents are also pleasant.
In second place in this year's ranking was Belgian Leuven, in third place – the Japanese city of Itoshima. The top ten cities also included Lucerne, Basel, Lausanne (all in Switzerland), Bolzano (Italy), Aalborg (Denmark), and Bergen (Norway).
The main criteria for evaluating small cities are transport accessibility, governance efficiency (the authorities' willingness to listen to residents), friendliness of residents, degree and aesthetics of greenery, and existing opportunities for business development.