Ann Arbor ranks among most walkable cities

Post by Melissa Stanton, AARP:

Ann Arbor has been selected by Governing Magazine as one of the 10 most walkable cities in the U.S.

Based on 2012 Census data, about 16 percent of Ann Arbor residents walk to work.

“More and more cities are ‘reinventing their town centers’ and undergoing other transitions to become more walkable,” reports Huff Post Urban Progress, citing information from Governing.com.

We’re glad to hear that, and we’re pleased to see Dan Burden, cofounder of the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute — and a frequent contributor to the AARP Great Places blog — being quoted as an expert source. About cities  creating high-density housing and reinventing town centers so residents can walk to their destinations, Burden tells Governing, “A lot of the towns are making these transitions well and becoming the best places to live and raise a family.”

Among cities with populations of at least 100,000, the 10 most walkable cities in the U.S. are:

1. Cambridge, Mass.

2. Columbia, S.C.

3. Berkeley, Calif.

4. Ann Arbor, Mich.

5. Boston

6. Provo, Utah

7. Washington, D.C.

8. New Haven, Conn.

9. Syracuse, N.Y.

10. Providence, R.I.

(The list is based on census data showing that residents walking to work accounted for the highest share of all commuters in 2012.)

For more about walkable cities, visit Governing.com  and check out “The Most Walkable Cities and How Some Are Making Strides,”  by Mike Maciag, as well as the site’s interactive Most Walkable Cities Map .

 Learn more about age-friendly homes and communities at AARP.org/livable