New York, San Francisco, Boston among most walkable cities

New York is the most walkable of America’s 50 largest cities, and Jacksonville, Fla., is the least, according to the latest rankings compiled by Walk Score.

Walk Score uses an algorithm that generates a walkability score based on the accessibility of attractions and services like restaurants, shopping, schools, parks and libraries.

The algorithm can generate a walkability score for an individual address based on its proximity to nearby amenities. To rank cities and neighborhoods, Walk Score samples the walkability of individual city blocks, weighting grid points by population density so that rankings reflect where people actually live.

Cities and neighborhoods are ranked on a scale of one to 100, with locations scoring between 90 and 100 considered to be a "Walkers’ Paradise."

Walk Score estimates more than 10,000 websites are now using Walk Score’s neighborhood data, up 250 percent from a year ago.

Walk Score’s suite of real estate marketing tools includes:

• The Walk Score Neighborhood Map — An interactive map widget that includes nearby amenities, commute times and public transit.
• The Walk Score Neighborhood Flyer — A customizable flier that can be printed out or shared online to showcase a neighborhood’s attractions.
• Walk Score APIs — Enable software developers to integrate Walk Score and public transit data into their Web and mobile applications.

"Walk Score is helping us to better meet Realtor and consumer demand for walkable places to live," said Russ Bergeron, CEO of MRED, a multiple listing service serving Chicago and surrounding areas. Given the choice, most people prefer to be within walking distance of public transportation, restaurants, shops and other local businesses, Bergeron said in a statement.

Most walkable cities

Least walkable cities

Source: Walk Score