Disturbing the suburbs: More heading downtown

PORTLAND, Ore. - Many Americans are now thinking with their feet and moving back to the cities.

“I like the urban experience. I like the convenience,” said a local city dweller. “All opportunities are there.”

For years, Americans have flocked to the suburbs. But factors such as the economic recession, the housing crisis and higher gas prices may have driven suburbanites back to the city, where almost everything they could need is within walking distance.

“Grocery store is up the block, dry cleaner around the corner, diner is right there. Restaurants are near me,” said another urban resident.

And as many of the biggest U.S. cities grow in population, more cities are putting amenities closer together to help people cut costs.

“All the ingredients of the city spread out over the landscape—that was weird, that was not normal,” said John Norquist, of the Congress of New Urbanism. “Now what we see is a return to the normal we had before.”

Walking as a primary mode of transportation can help people lose weight but also save them money by spending less gas for a car, which they might not even need. Property values in or near a downtown also tend to be higher than the suburbs, on average.

The Web site WalkScore.com ranks areas by how walking-friendly they are. WalkScore ranked San Francisco, New York and Chicago as the best cities for walking. Users can see how their area ranks in walkability by entering their address on the Web site.