The best walking cities in all 50 states

The best walking cities in all 50 states
A look at the best walking cities in all 50 states
Prevention
updated 9:32 a.m. CT, Sun., March. 16, 2008

Known for green spaces
The greatest number of parks per square mile:

Des Moines, IA
Lawrence, KS
Louisville, KY
Ann Arbor, MI
Santa Fe, NM
Newport, RI
Greenville, SC
Alexandria, VA
Seattle, WA

Known for walking commuters
The highest percentage of residents who get to work on foot:

Tempe, AZ
New Haven, CT
Bloomington, IN
Cambridge, MA
Biloxi, MS
Portsmouth, NH
Cincinnati, OH
Stillwater, OK
Vermillion, SD
Burlington, VT
Laramie, WY

Known for safe streets
The fewest number of crimes, based on population:

Bozeman, MT
Grand Forks, ND
Fremont, NE
St. George, UT
Appleton, WI

Known for fitness walking
The greatest percentage of people who hit the pavement for exercise:

Fairbanks, AK
Little Rock, AR
Boise, ID
Waterville, ME
Philadelphia, PA
Morgantown, WV

Known for desirable destinations
The highest number of stores, restaurants, and theaters within walking distance of the town's center:

San Francisco, CA
Atlanta, GA
Honolulu, HI
Chicago, IL
Baton Rouge, LA
St. Paul, MN
Reno, NV
New York, NY
Memphis, TN
Austin, TX

Expert faves
Top picks from professionals working to make communities more walkable:

Birmingham, AL
Denver, CO
Wilmington, DE
St. Petersburg, FL
Silver Spring, MD
Kansas City, MO
Charlotte, NC
Trenton, NJ
Portland, OR

How's your city rate? Go to prevention.com/bestcities to see all 500 city ratings and a list of criteria and experts.

Source: Annual survey with the American Podiatric Medical Association

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URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23398222/

man let me tell ya, I sure wouldn't walk any place in ann arbor michigan. not anymore.

What's going on in Ann Arbor?

What good are "the greatest number of parks" if they are not safe to walk in without an armed guard?

a lot of arabs.

is this really true, comments please from residents of these cities or people who know about them

Richard said:

is this really true, comments please from residents of these cities or people who know about them

Click to expand...

Stillwater OK: 5 miles from north end to south; 4 miles from east end to west. University smack dab in the middle (where most people go to work). I can see those in town easily walking. However, there is a building boom going on and the city is expanding... "ranchettes" are rising all along the outskirts, so it will be harder for those folks to walk to work. Traffic is horrible in Stillwater.... I would almost rather drive in OKC... lots of young, dumb drivers in Stillwater. I try to avoid town as much as possible, hanging to the outskirts until I absolutely have to go in.

Walking in Stillwater is nearly a hobby of the residents, with lots of trails leading from one park to the next... lots of bicyclists there too.

Vermillion, SD is a small, compact college town. Most everyone who lives there is either a student or a university employee, so walking to work is easy. Just an aside--raw, unimproved farm land is selling for $10-$15K per acre in that area. Actually, the whole SE corner of the state is selling at those prices.