Portland secures top five spot on list of America’s most walkable urban areas
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland is one of the nation’s top five cities where you can go far with no car, according to a new report that ranked U.S. destinations by walkability.
In its 2023 Foot Traffic Ahead report, Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Smart Growth America unveiled which urban areas are the most pedestrian-friendly based on several factors — including their intersection density and proximity to public transit.
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Out of the nation’s 35 largest urban areas identified by the organization, researchers unsurprisingly named New York as the most walkable city.
Boston and Washington, D.C., followed New York as the country’s most pedestrian-friendly hot spots, but Pacific Northwest destinations Seattle and Portland rounded out the top five.
Researchers noted that the region has made an “environmental commitment” to encouraging walking and cycling as an alternative to driving cars, which can be seen through Oregon schools’ ‘bike bus’ movement and through Portland’s World Naked Bike Ride that protests against “pollution-based transport.”
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But while the Rose City took one of the top spots for being walkable, it fell to No. 26 on the Social Equity Index rankings that look at affordability and accessibility.
“The Portland region is one of the most expensive places to live in the U.S., with the City of Portland having an average rent of $2,500 per month and an average home price of $430,000,” Smart Growth America said. “Portland’s transit network is well-connected in the central city but does not serve the outer urban rings, which tend to include comparatively more affordable housing.”
The nonprofit added that Portland’s most walkable areas tend to serve white residents with higher incomes and have attained a higher education.
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Although it isn’t highlighted in the organization’s report, another aspect of walkability that Portland leaders have worked to resolve is the rate of pedestrian fatalities. Last year, police reported 75 traffic-related deaths across the city.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation and other officials are hoping to address this issue with the Vision Zero program, which could help the area maintain its reputation as a walkable city.
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