The automobile was supposed to open up the world to us. Sure, we can travel further (which definitely has its perks), but in cities which have been built with cars in mind, not owning one very quickly becomes isolating. That’s why walkable cities are so great.
Well, one of the reasons why. Aside from convenience for those of us who have never managed to pass a driving test, studies have found that people who live in walkable cities are happier, healthier, and find it easier to build community with their neighbours. On top of that, making a city easy to navigate without a car can actually boost the local economy by increasing footfall for local businesses. Better public transport also equals fewer cars which equals better air quality. Basically, everyone wins.
Clearly, here at Time Out we’re passionate about the benefits of walkable cities, and, it turns out plenty of you are too. We asked over 18,500 people to rate on a scale of 1-5 – 1 being ‘awful’ and 5 being ‘amazing’ – how easy their city is to get around by foot, and then picked out the places with the highest percentage of respondents who said ‘amazing’ or ‘good’. Once all was said and done, four UK cities made it into the top 20.
The most walkable city in the UK, coming third worldwide, is officially… Brighton! 88 percent of locals rated its walkability ‘amazing’ or ‘good’. That won’t come as a surprise to many people, as the seaside town is known for its complex of gorgeous lanes full of local boutiques and cafes, to its miles of pebbly beach and, of course, the iconic Brighton pier. It doesn’t hurt that it isn’t a very large city centre – as Time Out’s Liv Kelly noted ‘the city’s best pubs, bars and restaurants all fall within the same small radius.’ Overall, you definitely don’t need a car to enjoy the best that Brighton has to offer.
Also in the top 20 was Edinburgh, Cardiff and London, at 85, 82 and 79 percent, or 7th, 10th and 18th, respectively. All of these cities have pretty good transport links which make it easy to get around, likely contributing to their success. Edinburgh has a tram and bus service, and London has, well, everything. It’s lucky enough to have the Underground, the Overground, the DLR, buses, bikes, trams – and a partridge in a pear tree (if you look hard enough). You’re never far from public transport in the capital, meaning that despite its size, it’s actually fairly easy to navigate. Cardiff isn’t quite so well served, but it does have a small central area, similar to Brighton.
The title of ‘most walkable city’ in the world was awarded to Abu Dhabi, where 91 percent of locals responded ‘amazing’ or ‘good’ to our survey. That’s a pretty overwhelming majority.
If you want to see which cities outside of the UK made it into our top 20, you can have a look at the full list here.
Planning your 2025 staycations
If you’re currently on the hunt for a perfect 2025 getaway and have already visited Brighton, Edinburgh, and London, here’s our favourite places in the UK to visit. If you are lucky enough to have a car, here’s some tree houses you can rent out for something a little different. We’ve also got guides to the country’s cosiest cabins, and Britain's most underrated travel destinations.
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