Mexico City: Now One of Safest Places in Mexico – Once infamous for its pollution, lawlessness, & chaos, it’s at the vanguard of ecological & civic change. Abortion, gay marriage, & gay adoption is legalized. Outsiders who once viewed the city as terrorizing, now want to visit, to live here.

Mayor Ebrard steps down on Dec. 5 with wide approval ratings over his six-year administration, which has changed Mexico City both on the surface and in ways much deeper. For starters, Mexico City simply looks different. There are all-women buses that circulate the city and newly paved bike paths traversed by men in suits commuting to work.

Perhaps the most important changes have taken place under the surface, via new laws, climate action, and violence-combating plans. Abortion was legalized in 2007, as was gay marriage in 2010, and later gay adoption. Mexico City has been at the vanguard of ecological change, and has also been transformed by the things one no longer sees: It’s now perceived as one of the safest places in Mexico.