Compact, walkable communities, the opposite of poorly planned sprawl, are the solution to some of our biggest shared challenges, from childhood obesity to social isolation; vehicle crash deaths to disappearing farmland; and costly fuel to the architectural blight of strip development. The concept is also a powerful weapon against climate change, because people naturally replace driving with walking when their basic needs are close to their front door. Such cities also are fun, lively and memorable places of human interaction and inspiration.

WalkScore.com ranks the largest 40 U.S. cities and supplies a walkability score for any U.S. residential address, based on density, mixed use, transit, short blocks, public spaces and pedestrian-friendly design. Most important is the number and kinds of destinations (including schools, workplaces, amenities) near each address, which are the strongest indicators of whether people walk. Fortunately, even the least walkable cities generally have some walkable spaces.

Visit WalkScore.com to score any home address and pull up a map of what’s within walking distance.