11 Most Walk-Friendly U.S. Cities

Bronze Walkable Communities

Austin, Texas

The Safe Routes to School program in Austin benefits from, and works in tandem with, the Public Works Child Safety Program. These programs not only provide pedestrian safety education to children, but also to adults. The Child Safety Program employs 4 safety trainers and targets drivers, parents, teachers, and students in a comprehensive pedestrian safety education program. Austin also encourages people to use alternative modes of transportation through a Walk, Bike, & Roll program.

Austin’s Walk Texas! program promotes walking as a method of managing and preventing chronic diseases, particularly Type II diabetes. Using a community-based approach, the program seeks to change behaviors, policies, and environments to encourage healthier lifestyles for Austinites. The program also includes a challenge whereby residents keep track of their walking mileage to reach the equivalent of walking across the state, which has created a friendly competition around walking in the community.

Charlotte, North Carolina

By providing two dedicated pedestrian planner positions in the city, Charlotte has demonstrated its commitment to pedestrian transportation. Other staff also spend substantial amounts of time working on pedestrian safety issues.

In 2006, Charlotte adopted its Urban Street Design Guidelines, which seek to implement elements of Complete Streets throughout the city. These guidelines provide mobility for motorists, while also ensuring the comfort and safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users. In addition to supporting transportation objectives, these guidelines support better linkages between land uses, urban design, and transportation to create a unified system encouraging all modes of transportation in Charlotte.

Flagstaff, Arizona

Flagstaff demonstrates its commitment to being a Walk Friendly Community through its staff attention to pedestrian issues. The City has a bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, an active pedestrian advocacy group, and a Pedestrian Advisory Committee.

Flagstaff is home to a popular and extensive trail system called the Flagstaff Urban Trail System that currently has over 50 miles of trails, with more than 80 more miles planned.

Flagstaff Walks! is a weeklong event organized by the Pedestrian Advisory Committee and dedicated to celebrating Flagstaff’s walkable nature and raising awareness of walkability issues. Activities include Safe Routes to School Workshops and Walkability Audits, guided walks, and promotional events, all culminating in International Walk to School Day.

Wilsonville, Oregon

Wilsonville is an excellent example of a rapidly-growing suburban community taking steps to make itself more walkable. Situated along a commuter-heavy interstate and nearly tripling its population since 1990, Wilsonville adopted a pedestrian and bicycle plan in 2006 to help manage effective transportation around the City. Following the recommendations in the plan, Wilsonville hired a full-time Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator and formed a Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force. This is indicative of the level of community support for pedestrian planning in Wilsonville and the City is well-situated to continue improving its pedestrian environment.

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Photo of Austin pedestrian bridge via rherring