Unlike their suburban and rural counterparts, American urbanites tend to rely on their own two legs as their primary form of transportation. Population distribution, proximity to amenities and a high number of walking routes can all make it easy for city dwellers to live a car-free lifestyle.
But not all cities are created equal when it comes to pedestrian friendliness, and Seattle-based real estate company Redfin's latest WalkScore report details which cities are better equipped for walkers than others.
The report breaks down the 50 most walkable cities in the country (with populations of more than 300,000), looking into a variety of criteria to determine each city's score. Not surprisingly, car-loathing New York City took the cake with a WalkScore of 88.9. San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia and Miami rounded out the top five, with Chicago and Washington D.C. trailing close behind. Even exhaust-loving Southern California had a good showing in the list—Long Beach ranked tenth and Los Angeles came in at 13th.
Cities across the country are becoming friendlier to pedestrians generally, the report found. The scores for all 50 of the most walkable cities in the country have improved since last year, and only two (Honolulu and Columbus) improved by less than a point.
"Walkability is about convenience, quality of life and everything outside the four walls of a house," the report says. "When you live near people and places you enjoy most, you can spend less time and money on transit and more time doing what you love."