Walkable Cities: How Does Providence Stack Up?
Thursday, July 28, 2011
According to the data-driven algorithms of Walk Score's 2011 rankings of walkability, Providence is not the most walkable city in Rhode Island. The capital city comes in one slender point behind Central Falls, in fact, with a very respectable Walk Score of 73. But how did Providence perform against its fellow major cities in New England?
Extremely well.
Providence's Walk Score of 73 was topped by no other major New England cities except a handful of those in neighboring Massachusetts, and it tied with competitor Hartford, CT. Ivied Cambridge, MA, topped the New England cities with a dazzling Walk Score of 89 out of 100, followed closely by Somerville (84), and Brookline (83). Boston's overall ranking of 79 placed it fourth in the state.
Each city's Walk Score reflects an algorithm based on the ability of a resident in each place to live what they call a "car-lite lifestyle," rewarding the walkable distances of a variety of amenities.
Portland, ME, managed a score of 65, while Burlington, VT came close at 63. Portsmouth, NH topped its state's major cities with a score of 56.
In the Northeast's biggest cities, a top showing as well
When stacked up against the largest cities in the entire Northeast (populations of 100,000 or more), Providence came in a very respectable 8th overall. New England champ Cambridge, MA, also dominated the entire region, with New York City and Jersey City tied for runner-up status with Walk Scores of 85. Boston's score of 79 placed it fourth among the region's largest cities, and Paterson, NJ followed with a score of 75. Philadelphia and Newark tied in a dead heat at 74.
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