Wakefield named one of the UK's most pedestrian-friendly cities

Whether it’s to watch the sun rise over our nearest beauty spot or to meet a friend for a long stroll and a catch up, it’s been delightful to rediscover what our local area has to offer.

To highlight what’s on offer in our glorious cities, a range of key factors from several data sources were analysed, creating a weighted rank of 50 of the UK’s key cities.

Looking at the number of local walking routes, the amount of green space and the activeness of residents, as well as city pollution levels, road traffic safety, and average annual rainfall, Novotel have been able to calculate the best - and worst - cities to be a pedestrian.

What is the best city for pedestrians?

With an overall score of 76, the commuter hotspot of Chelmsford has come out on top as the UK’s best city to be a pedestrian.

Hugely popular with families and commuters, the Essex city is just 30 miles from London, but boasts plenty of green space for its 170,000 residents so offers the best of both worlds.

The city also scores highly thanks to extremely active residents and low rainfall. It’s also one of the safest cities on our list with fewer pedestrian and vehicle accidents than many other cities in the UK.

Coming in second place is the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. Teetering on the edge of the Peak District, the city benefits from nearly 300 walking routes within a 25-mile radius. And as you’d expect, it has a high number of active residents.

The Midlands city of Peterborough takes third place on the list. Encased in greenery and with Nene Park Country Park just three miles out of the city, it’s the perfect place for those who want a vibrant city to explore, but with easy access to the tranquillity of parkland. It also benefits from being one of the driest cities on the list.

West Yorkshire’s cathedral city, Wakefield, may be well known for its rhubarb, but it’s also one of the best cities for pedestrians. Fourth place on the list, thanks to an abundance of green space, plenty of walking routes, and lower than average rainfall, it’s one of the best cities for those looking to discover the centre and its surrounding areas on foot.

Wakefield was also been ranked 10th in the safest cities for pedestrians.