NEW YORK, Sept 11 — New York, Vancouver and Sydney have been named the most walkable cities in their respective countries, according to a new ranking that highlights the most pedestrian-friendly cities in the US, Canada and Australia.
For the listing, Walk Score looks at population density and road metrics such as block length and intersection density.
They then analysed hundreds of walking routes to nearby amenities. Points are awarded based on the distance to amenities, with anything within a five-minute walk awarded maximum points.
Anything out of a 30-minute range nets zero points.
“We believe that walkable neighborhoods with access to public transit, better commutes, and proximity to the people and places you love are the key to a happier, healthier and more sustainable lifestyle,” says Walk Score.
With a score of 89 — which denotes a “very walkable” city, where most errands can be accomplished on foot — New York takes the title of America’s most pedestrian-friendly city, thanks to neighborhoods like Union Square, the Bowery and NoLita.
The Big Apple falls one point shy of the top tier in the ranking: Cities that score 90-100 are deemed a “walker’s paradise,” where residents can accomplish daily errands without the use of a car.
The city is also the top performer of all three countries.
After New York, San Francisco and Boston round out the podium.
In Canada, Vancouver outranks Toronto to take the top spot as the country’s most walkable city, with a score of 78 thanks to top neighborhoods like the downtown core, West End and Strathcona.
Toronto edged out Montreal with just one point (71 versus 70 respectively).
The most pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods in Canada’s biggest city include the Bay Street corridor, Church-Yonge Street corridor and Kensington-Chinatown.
While Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide were named the country’s most walkable cities, their scores are significantly lower than their American and Canadian counterparts, falling in the “somewhat walkable” category, with marks ranging between 54 to 63.
Here are the most walkable cities in the US:
USA
1. New York
2. San Francisco
3. Boston
4. Miami
5. Philadelphia
Canada
1. Vancouver
2. Toronto
3. Montreal
4. Mississauga
5. Ottawa
Australia
1. Sydney
2. Melbourne
3. Adelaide
4. Brisbane
5. Perth — AFP-Relaxnews
