10 Most Dangerous Cities for Pedestrians

Head's up, Florida pedestrians. It just may save your life. A new study about the most dangerous cities for those who get around by foot finds that the top four are in Florida. The top 10 offenders, via Smart Growth America:

1. Orlando, Fla.
2. Tampa, Fla.
3. Jacksonville, Fla.
4. Miami, Fla.
5. Memphis, Tenn.
6. Birmingham, Ala.
7. Houston, Texas
8. Atlanta, Ga.
9. Phoenix, Ariz.
10. Charlotte, NC

So why do cities in the South and Southwest fare so poorly? At the Washington Post, Emily Badger observes that, generally speaking, these are car-dependent cities that grew up "in the age of the automobile." When they were booming in the post-World War II years, urban planners didn't give much thought to pedestrian safety. Contrast that with some of the most-safe cities, including Boston (the safest at No. 50), New York (48), and Chicago (43), which were laid out before the car became king. The top five safest, in order, are Boston, Pittsburgh, Seattle and New York (tie), and San Francisco. (More pedestrian stories.)