The World’s Most Walkable Cities
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When living in a neighborhood where a grocery store, pharmacy, or clinic is just a short walk away, errands double as casual walks, bringing health, convenience, and a sense of connection to daily life.
Research shows that walkable communities encourage more physical activity, lower obesity rates, and reduced body mass index (BMI), while also boosting happiness by fostering more social connections.
This map visualizes the 20 most walkable cities in the world, and their average time to walk to key amenities in each city.
The cities are ranked by the average time to walk to key amenities and the share of residents within a 15 minute walk of key amenities. Key amenities include places like schools, hospitals, restaurants, and shops.
Figures comes from the study “A universal framework for inclusive 15-minute cities” by M. Bruno et al. and The Economist.
The study only includes cities with a population of 500,000 or more.
Which City is the Most Walkable?
Below, we show the 20 most walkable cities in the world, and the average time it takes citizens to walk to key amenities.
| Rank | City | Country | Average time to walk to key amenities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milan |  Italy |
6 mins 24 secs |
| 2 | Copenhagen |  Denmark |
6 mins 36 secs |
| 3 | Turin | Italy |
7 mins 6 secs |
| 4 | Dublin |  Ireland |
7 mins 24 secs |
| 5 | Lyon |  France |
7 mins 24 secs |
| 6 | Munich |  Germany |
7 mins 30 secs |
| 7 | Paris | France |
8 mins 0 secs |
| 8 | Marseille | France |
8 mins 6 secs |
| 9 | Genoa | Italy |
8 mins 6 secs |
| 10 | Edinburgh |  Britain |
8 mins 12 secs |
| 11 | Berlin | Germany |
8 mins 12 secs |
| 12 | Vienna |  Austria |
8 mins 18 secs |
| 13 | St. Petersburg |  Russia |
8 mins 18 secs |
| 14 | Bilbao |  Spain |
8 mins 24 secs |
| 15 | Bordeaux | France |
8 mins 30 secs |
| 16 | Minsk |  Belarus |
8 mins 36 secs |
| 17 | Stuttgart | Germany |
9 mins 6 secs |
| 18 | Lille | France |
9 mins 6 secs |
| 19 | Barcelona | Spain |
9 mins 12 secs |
| 20 | Oslo |  Norway |
9 mins 30 secs |
European cities are indisputably the most walking-friendly places in the world. Out of the top 50 most walkable cities in the world, 45 are located in Europe, scattered across countries like Italy, Spain, France, Norway, Germany, the UK and others.
Kyoto, Japan is the most walkable non-European city on the list, coming in at 28th.
Other non-European cities in the top 50 include: Taipei, Taiwan (35th), Kathmandu, Nepal (45th), Taichung, Taiwan (49th), and Tokyo, Japan (50th).
Many European cities were established long before the advent of cars, during eras when walking was the primary mode of transportation. This led to dense, compact city centers with narrow streets and close proximity between residential areas, shops, and public spaces.
European cities have also implemented clear policies and frameworks such as the Pan-European Master Plan for Walking, to prioritize walking through urban redesigns, national walking policies, and strategic initiatives.
In contrast, North American cities, typically known for being designed around the automobile, were absent from the top 50. Vancouver, Canada was the highest ranked North American city in the overall list at 53rd.
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To learn more about how the world gets around, check out this graphic that visualizes the popularity of different transportation types in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
The post Mapped: The Most Walkable Cities in the World appeared first on Visual Capitalist.
