Nashville Ranks Low in Walkability

Nashville is ranked as the least walkable of the state’s four major cities according to a new report from the American Podiatric Medical Association and Prevention magazine.

Shannon Hornsby, executive director of Walk/Bike Nashville, says she’s surprised to see the state capital ranked so low. It has a lot to do with sidewalks, she says.

“As you move out from the historical area of Nashville, you’re getting into areas where there are no sidewalks. Take Sylvan Park, for example. This is an area where a lot of people walk, yet they do not have a lot of sidewalks.”

Other factors were considered, including how many people walk to work, how many cars owned per household and the number of pedestrian fatalities each year.

The magazine editors visited the ten largest cities in 50 states. Memphis made the top 100 most walkable cities in the country, at number 73. Clarksville is one of the country’s least walkable, ranked as the ninth worst in the U-S.