To add to Ian's comments, I too find it hard to recognise the UK that article depicts.
Like Ian as well I am lucky. I live in Cambridge. A relatively small city at approx 160K local residents and around 30K students, and also a very wealthy area, but an urban area nonetheless. And I can say there is not a single street or area that I would feel in any way unsafe visiting. There are perhaps 2 or 3 streets where, should I find myself walking through them at 2am, I would keep my wits about me and not wave my wallett or phone around, but nowhere feels unsafe.
Some of our larger cities do