Washington, D.C. is the overall leader, because the ranking is based on a per-capita basis. Our nation's capital is a lovely place to walk, I can attest, especially around the DuPont Circle neighborhood where the Brookings Institution is located.
Leinberger observes that young professionals are behind this desire, but other factors help with the creation of successful walkable communities. He cites the viability of a city's rail transit system as the most important element in creating these flaneur-friendly cities. A healthy economy and mixed-use development figure in the equation as well. No surprise here, but I'm encouraged by this type of advocacy.
I look forward to reading the study in more detail, especially the 21 places identified in the study as the most walkable in New York City.
Links:
Metropolitan areas ranked for walkability (CNN)
Footloose and Fancy Free: A Field Survey of Walkable Urban Places in the Top 30 U.S. Metropolitan Areas (Brookings)
See also The Option of Urbanism: Investing in a New American Dream by Christopher B. Leinberger (Island Press, November 2007)
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