Prevention magazine and the American Podiatric Medical Association have announced their walkability rankings for the 100 largest U.S. cities. Topping the list: Madison, Wisconsin.
Taking into account factors including weather, air quality, scenic beauty, safety and the percentage of municipal residents who walk for fitness, the fifth annual list rates Madison first, followed by Austin, Texas; San Francisco; Charlotte, N.C.; Seattle; Henderson, Nev.; San Diego and San Jose, Calif.; Chandler, Ariz.; and Virginia Beach, Va.
Milwaukee is the only other Wisconsin city to make the list, at 71st.
The five worst fitness-walking cities: Detroit; Hialeah, Fla.; Miami; Laredo, Tex.; and, bringing up the rear, Newark, N.J.
For the complete list, visit www.prevention.com/cities. And if Madison's previous top rankings in Life, Money, Outside and other magazines are valid precedents, you might want to prepare yourself for a massive population surge as great hordes of fitness walkers move to Madison so they can live among the rest of us here in this pedestrian paradise.
