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Survey Says: Dunedin Great Place To Walk

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By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: December 15, 2007

DUNEDIN, Fla. - DUNEDIN, Fla. - Dunedin's downtown is made for walking.

Dunedin was voted "America's most walkable small city" in a survey conducted by Run The Planet, a Seattle-based Web site for runners.

According to Run The Planet, Dunedin won accolades for its portion of the Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail.

Dunedin was hailed for its "pocket parks, colorful and climate-appropriate landscaping, traditional streetlights and interesting architecture."

These features, the Web site declares, "add to the town's beauty, while clearly demarcated pedestrian crossings and 15 mph speed limits make walking safe."

Exeter, N.H., was second in the small city category.

The Run The Planet survey could not have come at a better time, according to D.T. Minich, executive director of the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Convention and Visitors Bureau. It stands in stark contrast to a recent study by the Brookings Institution, he said.

The study from the Brookings Institution, a leading liberal think tank, ranked the Suncoast last in walkability among 30 American metropolitan areas.

Mayor Bob Hackworth said winning top honors in the Run The Plant survey is a surprise.

"We're excited to receive official recognition of what we have known all along," the mayor said.

"This is an immensely walkable and livable city and we're proud to be at the top of the list of America's best," he said.

The city's abundant sunshine, mild climate, pedestrian friendly thoroughfares and compact downtown area landed it the top spot in the survey's small community category.

Boulder, Colo., was named most walkable medium-size city and Washington, D.C., the most pedestrian friendly large city.

Addressing the two differing views on the local climate for pedestrians, Minich said the Run The Planet survey relied on opinions of whose who had actually visited and walked cities and towns across the United States.

The Brookings study, by contrast, relied on statistical analysis of mass transit figures and demographic statistics, rather than actual experiences of visitors, he said.

"There is much more to the St. Pete-Clearwater area than any spreadsheet could ever convey and we are pleased that Dunedin was voted number one by people who actually know it," Minich said.

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