These are the world’s most ‘walkable’ cities
Elements of a walkable city
Pedestrians Firstincludes rankings for “the most telling” walkability indicators,based on global open-source data. These include:
The report finds that US cities tend to rank low on walkability indicators due to urban sprawl. Overall, the researchers conclude that New York City, Boston, San Francisco and Baltimore are the four most walkable major US cities (urban areas with over 500,000 residents). The US cities with the lowest overall scores are Orlando, Atlanta, Indianapolis and San Antonio. The report notes that many US cities are well-positioned to improve their walkability by adopting policies that counter urban sprawl and encourage the mixing of residential and commercial spaces.
Pedestrians Firstincludes tools to help policymakers assess the walkability of their city’s streets and neighborhoods. This includes measuring ways that their city’s transit system supports vulnerable travelers, especially babies, toddlers and their caregivers. Recommendations and resources to improve walkability are also provided.
Next steps
ITDP also outlines several “best practice” examples from neighborhoods around the world.
For example, Pune’s Jangali Maharaj road redesign prioritized pedestrians and cyclists by streamlining haphazard parking conditions, implementing signage, building wide sidewalks and crosswalks, and creating dedicated spaces for vendors to sell and for children to play. In Quartier Massena in central Paris, all blocks have street-level retail that opens up to the sidewalk. This encourages safe pedestrian and cyclist mobility, the report notes.
“Walkable cities don’t happen by accident,” said D. Taylor Reich, Research Associate at ITDP and the primary author of the guide. “Policymakers first have to understand the problems that car-oriented planning has caused. Then they can take specific steps: from planning dense, human-scale, mixed-use developments to equipping streets with benches, wide sidewalks and shade.Pedestrians Firstgives city planners and officials everything they need to get started.”
The data analyzed was gathered before the pandemic and therefore does not include the street repurposing that many cities have undertaken during it. ITDP plans to incorporate more recent data when circumstances stabilize, Reich said.
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Story byCities Today
Cities Today is the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders.Cities Today is the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders.
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