Friday, July 18, 2008

Do you live in a walkable city?

I do! My current locale (DC) and my hometown (Philly) are in the top 10 list of America’s most walkable cities :

"With gas prices at record highs, a new report on walking couldn't come at a better time. The site Walk Score has just released a list of America's 10 most walkable cities. Some cities on the list aren't surprises — note New York and Portland, Oregon — but others are not known for being pedestrian friendly (see LosAngeles). However, in the case of L.A., although many of the surrounding regionsare indeed heavily car-dependent, a number of neighborhoods nearer to the city's center are highly accessible, earning scores above 90. A project of civic software group Front Seat, and advised by the Sightline Institute, the Brookings Institution and Google, Walk Score ranks 2,508 neighborhoods in the largest 40 U.S. cities, with the goal of helping people locate housing in walkable areas. The group points out that walking is not only a great way to reduce our carbon footprint, but it also carries important health benefits. "


At this point in my life, I could not live in a city that wasn't highly walk-able. For one, I actually enjoy walking and for two, I don’t own a car. Do you live in a walkable city, does your city's walk-ability impact your driving habits?

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