Jacksonville: America's Least Walkable Big City
Jacksonville comes in dead last in Walk Score's 2011 ranking of most walkable cities.
There are several isolated pockets of Jacksonville which are considered walkable, however a majority of the city is completely car dependent.
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New York, San Francisco and Boston top Walk Score’s rankings of America’s Most Walkable Cities and Neighborhoodshttps://blog.walkscore.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/2011MostWalkableCities.pdf
Walk Score rates the walkability of 2,500 cities and 10,000 neighborhoods
(Seattle, Wash) – New York has been named America’s most walkable city by Seattle-based Walk Score, in its list of America’s Most Walkable Cities and Neighborhoods. Miami, Minneapolis and Oakland are new additions to the top ten. Walk Score also rates the walkability of 2,500 cities and 10,000 neighborhoods.
Walk Score’s ten most walkable cities for 2011 include: 1) New York, 2) San Francisco, 3) Boston, 4) Chicago, 5) Philadelphia, 6) Seattle, 7) Washington, D.C., 8) Miami, 9) Minneapolis, and 10) Oakland.
This is Walk Score’s first ranking since 2008, when San Francisco was the top-ranked city. The complete list of 2,500 cities and their neighborhoods is available at www.walkscore.com. Walk Score also announced today that over 10,000 websites now feature Walk Score’s neighborhood data (see www.walkscore.com/press).
Walk Score’s walkability ranking is the only national, quantitative ranking of walkability in the U.S. Cities and neighborhoods are ranked on a scale of 0-100, with locations receiving a score of 90-100 deemed a “Walkers’ Paradise.”
“With rising gas prices, Americans are looking for alternatives to long commutes and driving around town to complete their errands,” said Walk Score CEO Josh Herst. “America’s most walkable cities and neighborhoods make it easy for residents to leave their cars at home more often. The latest real estate trends show that homes and apartments in walkable areas are in higher demand and are worth more than their less-walkable counterparts.”
People can find their city’s Walk Score, find the Walk Score of their own address, and vote for the city they think is most walkable at www.walkscore.com.
Walkable neighborhoods offer a number of benefits:
• Homes in walkable neighborhoods, on average, are worth more than those in less walkable neighborhoods.
• Homes with easy access to public transit and nearby amenities save more energy and money than an Energy Star home in a conventional suburban development.
• The average resident of a walkable neighborhood weighs eight pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood.
“With Millennials entering the marketplace, volatile gas prices, and fringe suburban home prices in decline, the demand for walkable neighborhoods has outstripped supply in most of the U.S.,” says Christopher B. Leinberger, Non-resident Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution. “An American family living in a house that is accessible only by car is spending on average 25 percent of their income on cars. Households in walkable communities spend less than half that amount, putting more money in their pockets.”
Walk Score is advised by an Advisory Board, which includes urban planning, environmental and technical experts from organizations such as Sightline Institute and The Brookings Institution. Detailed methodology information is available at www.walkscore.com/methodology.shtml
About Walk Score: Based in Seattle, WA, Walk Score rates any address based on its proximity to nearby amenities (grocery stores, restaurants, schools, parks, public transit, etc.) and promotes walkable neighborhoods for their economic, environmental and health benefits. Walk Score delivers four million scores per day across a network of over 10,000 websites. According to independent research conducted by CEOs for Cities, one point of Walk Score is worth as much as $3,000 in home value. Visit www.walkscore.com for more information.
2011 Walk Score Rankings (50 largest US cities only)
100 - 90 Walker's Paradise - Daily errands do not require a car.
89 - 70 Very Walkable - Most errands can be accomplished on foot.
1. 85.3 New York
2. 84.9 San Francisco
3. 79.2 Boston
4. 74.3 Chicago
5. 74.1 Philadelphia
6. 73.7 Seattle
7. 73.2 Washington, DC
8. 72.5 Miami
69 - 50 Somewhat Walkable - Some amenities within walking distance.
9. 69.3 Minneapolis
10. 68.2 Oakland
11. 66.4 Long Beach
12. 66.3 Portland
13. 65.9 Los Angeles
14. 63.9 Baltimore
15. 60.6 Milwaukee
16. 60.4 Denver
17. 58.3 Cleveland
18. 55.7 San Diego
19. 54.5 San Jose
20. 52.9 Atlanta
21. 50.9 Omaha
49 - 25 Car Dependent - A few amenities within walking distance
22. 49.9 Detroit
23. 49.8 Houston
24. 49.3 Sacramento
25. 49.2 Las Vegas
26. 48.6 Fresno
27. 48.2 Tucson
28. 47.5 Albuquerque
29. 47.4 Columbus
30. 46.9 Dallas
31. 46.7 Austin
32. 45.8 Tulsa
33. 45.4 Phoenix
34. 45.1 Colorado Springs
35. 42.9 Mesa
36. 41.4 Raleigh
37. 41.3 Arlington
38. 41.0 Wichita
39. 40.8 Virginia Beach
39. 40.8 San Antonio
41. 39.7 Louisville-Jefferson
42. 39.4 Memphis
43. 38.1 Kansas City
44. 37.8 El Paso
45. 37.4 Indianapolis
46. 36.4 Nashville-Davidson
47. 36.1 Fort Worth
48. 35.6 Oklahoma City
49. 34.3 Charlotte
50. 32.6 Jacksonville
24 - 0 Car Dependent - Almost all errands require a car.
Source: https://www.walkscore.com/rankings/
Walking at Jacksonville's St. Johns Town Center.
Let the local excuse making begin...
Update by Ennis Davis.