Few single actions have helped advance the cause of walkable neighborhoods more than the launch of WalkScore.com a few years ago. In a simple and elegant formulation, Walk Score summed up what it meant to be “walkable” and put a value on it. Since then, every real estate web site worth visiting has added it [...]

Walk Score, an innovative tool that allows users to check an areas’ walkability and accessibility, just released its revised rankings on America’s most walkable cities. The top ten finishers for 2011 were: 1) New York; 2) San Francisco; 3) Boston; 4) Chicago; 5) Philadelphia; 6) Seattle; 7) Washington, DC; 8) Miami; 9) Minneapolis; and 10) Oakland. [...]

Walking in the ditch Originally uploaded by Transportation for America to Flickr. If this woman got hit by car, it’s probably her fault, right? Photograph by Stephen Lee Davis/Transportation for America. We noted on Twitter this morning a story in the USA Today about pedestrian deaths increasing in 2010, halting a decline that had been [...]

An exciting new service launched this morning from our friends at Walk Score will help people all across the country find out how transit-accessible a home or a neighborhood is while gaining a better understanding of the true cost of buying a home — the cost of housing plus transportation. Starting today, when you visit Walk Score you’ll also get information about nearby transit options, commuting details, and the expected cost of housing plus transportation. Welcome to Transit Score.

America’s obesity problem has a direct connection to the neighborhoods we occupy — and those of us fortunate enough to live in compact, walkable neighborhoods are reaping the health benefits. (MSNBC — Steve Mitchell)

What better way to test out your neighborhood’s Walk Score than to get a little help from Google’s new walking directions and take a long stroll. (Google)

In an era of soaring fuel costs and worsening traffic congestion, places like San Francisco, Boston, and New York can be particularly proud of being ranked America’s “most walkable” cities. (Market Watch — Amy Hoak)