Cities of all population sizes were ranked by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. Key to top-rated Seattle was its management of parking. 19 cities were cited from throughout the country.
Kaid Benfield, director of the Sustainable Communities and Smart Growth program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, provided the survey results for The Atlantic.
"Managing parking is one of the keys to promoting a safe and enjoyable pedestrian environment. Beginning in 1986, Seattle abolished parking minimum standards for the downtown, opting instead to implement a 1 space per 1,000 square feet of non-residential development."
Of course, this is the U.S. Had the center gone outside the country, how would they have evaluated Copenhagen - with a policy to "to quietly remove 2-3% of city space designated for cars and return it to people"?
Thanks to Mark Boshnack
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