Living in Bristol, you don’t have to fuss with transport that often – and who wants to spend hours on buses, trams, trains and taxis to meet a mate for coffee and head home? Using your own two feet, you’ll find most places within walking distance. No wonder then Bristol is among the most walkable cities in the world.
Monkey Insider, a US investing website, has recently looked at the health benefits of walking – a lower risk of diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and high blood pressure, as well as improved mental health – plus, how pedestrian-friendly infrastructure increases property value, private investment, better air quality and the local economy.
In doing so, it’s discovered the 30 most walkable cities in the world. It compiled a list of cities from various sources including Tourlane and WalkScore, then mapped out the distance between each’s top five tourist attractions. Monkey Insider also checked for air quality using IQAir’s rankings, and analysed crime and safety indexes for each city using Numbeo’s ranking.
At the very top of the most walkable cities in the world was the Italian city of Florence, a symbol of the Renaissance. There’s incredible artwork to see everywhere you turn. You can walk around central Florence in only two hours, while some walking tours travel the entire city in around 6-7 hours.
Meanwhile, ranked sixth, Edinburgh is the most walkable city in the UK; while Liverpool is also one of the most walkable cities, ranking 12th. Coming 20th, Bristol is the only other UK city to feature. The distance between its top five attractions is 4.2 miles and it takes 84 minutes to walk between them all.
Monkey Insider says: “Located in the southwest of the UK, Bristol is known for its maritime history and cultural diversity. Bristol’s mix of historic architecture and modern developments add to the city’s beauty, making it great for walking. Bristol is also known for its unique street art, which further enhances the walking experience.
Bristol was also highlighted for its pedestrian-friendly zones and good air quality due to “many green spaces and eco-friendly initiatives”. Index-wise, the city has an air quality index score of 17 (which is considered ‘excellent air quality’) and a safety index score of 58.31. To learn more about this study head here.
30 most walkable cities in the world
- Florence, Italy
- Riga, Latvia
- Hamburg, Germany
- Porto, Portugal
- Madrid, Spain
- Edinburgh, UK
- Tallinn, Estonia
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Sydney, Australia
- Boston, US
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Liverpool, UK
- Bordeaux, France
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Melbourne, Australia
- Prague, Czechia
- Budapest, Hungary
- Vancouver, Canada
- Bristol, UK
- Reykjavik, Iceland
- Munich, Germany
- Jersey City, New Jersey, US
- Lisbon, Portugal
- New York City, New York, US
- Shanghai, China
- Vienna, Austria
- Toronto, Canada
- Montreal, Canada
- Dubai, UAE