Lafayette was ranked the 10th worst walking city in America in a recent list compiled by Prevention Magazine and the American Podiatric Medical Association. The rankings were based on dozens of criteria, from the percentage of walking commuters to the number of parks and schools to ozone levels and crime rates. The study ranked the 10 largest cities in each state. Baton Rouge was named the best walking city in Louisiana, ranking 68th nationally. Lafayette was the worst walking city in the state . The magazine wrote:
"Located in the south-central part of the state not far from Baton Rouge, Lafayette has a low percentage of people who walk to work and a low ratio of parks per square mile. It also has a high average of cars per household, and its ozone rating is in the worst 100 nationally. Combine all these factors, and Lafayette places in the worst 10 walking cities in our nationwide list."