If you’re one of the approximately 50% of adults in NYC without a driver’s license, according to the NYC Comptroller’s Office, and depend on your two feet instead of four wheels to get you where you need to go, this new study might surprise you.
When analyzing the world’s most walkable cities, Compare the Market, a price comparison website, crowned Munich, Germany as the world’s most walkable city.
In fact, NYC didn’t even place within the top 10. NYC was deemed the 34th most walkable city in the world—but at least it was the highest ranking American city.
Nine of the top 10 most walkable cities in the world, were unsurprisingly in Europe. The only non-European city to make the top 10 was Tokyo, Japan at sixth place.
The top 10 most walkable cities in the world:
- Munich, Germany
- Milan, Italy
- Warsaw, Poland
- Helsinki, Finland
- Paris, France
- Tokyo, Japan
- Madrid, Spain
- Oslo, Norway
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
Ultimately, the methodology took a look at eight different factors that impact walkability. This includes: bike trail distance, number of walking trails, safety score, public transport ticket, public transport score, average monthly rainfall, car free places, and people near services.
Munich received such praise for its walkability as 86% of the population lives within 1km of car-free space. Moreover, the city is home to 1,468,623km (appx. 912,560 miles) worth of bike trails.
The study also looked at the least walkable cities in the world.
The top 10 least walkable cities in the world:
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Patras, Greece
- Dallas, Texas
- Houston, Texas
- Manila, Philippines
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Mumbai, India
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Quito, Ecuador
- Chicago, Illinois
For context, while 86% of Munich’s population lives within 1km of car-free space, only 8% of Johannesburg’s population—the world’s least walkable city—lives within 1km of car-free space.
Furthermore, the consideration of rainfall makes a valid point as a strong deterrent to walking. Mumbai and Quito (within the top 10 least walkable cities) both see the highest average monthly rainfall.
Learn more from the ranking here.