Walk Score has released its 2014 ranking of Most Walkable U.S. Cities and Neighborhoods. Though New York's position at the top of the list would be easy to explain, one surprise made the top five.
With walkability an increasingly important factor in where we chose to live, Walk Score's comprehensive evaluation of America's most pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods seems to only become more meaningful.
“For decades, Americans have tended to drive more every year, but that’s changing. Today commuting by bus, bike and foot are on the rise as more people choose apartments and homes in walkable neighborhoods and with shorter, cheaper and happier commutes,” said Josh Herst, CEO of Walk Score.
This year's top five cities are: New York, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, and (perhaps surprisingly) Miami.
"The 2014 ranking of Most Walkable U.S. Cities and Neighborhoods is based on a proprietary algorithm and analysis of over 10 million addresses and over 2 billion walking routes to neighborhood amenities across 2,500 cities and more than 10,000 neighborhoods," says the company. "Walk Score’s ranking is the only national, quantitative walkability rating."
FULL STORY: 2014 Ranking of Most Walkable Cities & Neighborhoods
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.