San Diego City Council President Scott Peters to Accept Best Walking City Award for San Diego Being Ranked One of the Nation’s Top 10 Walking Cities

On Saturday, December 8, 2007, during the national Take Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD) Conference, the California Podiatric Medical Association (CPMA) will present the Best Walking City Award to the City of San Diego, California.  The Annual Prevention Magazine and American Podiatric Medical Association survey of walkable American cities designated San Diego (#7) as one of the Top 10 Walking Cities in America.

WHAT:            Best Walking City Award Presentation to the

                    City of San Diego

WHEN:           Saturday, December 8 at 12:45 PM

WHERE:       Sails Pavilion

                   San Diego Convention Center

                   111 W. Harbor Drive

                   San Diego, CA

                   (619) 525-5000

WHO:           Councilman Scott Peters

                      President, San Diego City Council

                     Dr. Dean Nakdate, Director

                  California Podiatric Medical Association
                 Dr. Henry Shin, President

                   San Diego Podiatric Medical Society
                 Dr. Ronald Vanderheyden

WHY: Earlier this year, Prevention Magazine, in conjunction with the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), named San Diego as one of America’s top walking cities.  The #7 ranking (out of 100) was based on safe streets, beautiful places to walk, mild weather, and good air quality. In addition to an analytical evaluation, Prevention and the American Podiatric Medical Association consulted with Dan Burden, who has personally evaluated walking conditions in more than 200 cities as the executive director of Walkable Communities, Inc.  Specific criteria used to create the list included: 1) percentage of population that walks for exercise, 2) use of mass transit, 3) parks per square mile, 4) points of interest per square mile, 5) average winter/summer temperatures and 6) percentage of athletic shoe buyers. 

San Diego City Council President, Councilman Scott Peters, will be presented with the Best Walking City Award for the City of San Diego by San Diego/Imperial-based podiatric physicians who are members of the leadership of the California Podiatric Medical Association (CPMA) – CPMA Director Dr. Dean Nakadate; San Diego/Imperial Podiatric Medical Society President Henry Shin, and former CPMA Director Dr. Ronald Vanderheyden.  The presentation will be made during the noontime lunch break of the national conference Take Control of Your Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Healthy feet are paramount to perform one of the country's favorite exercises, walking. For this reason, the American Podiatric Medical Association recognizes Ten U.S. Cities annually that have walking conducive atmospheres. The ranking celebrates the idea of walking as an inexpensive, enjoyable form of exercise and rewards cities that strive to make their communities walker-friendly. APMA and its state component the California Podiatric Medical Association (CPMA) are great resources for walking. The associations’ numerous brochures and web sites – podiatrists.org and apma.org, offer the public valuable information regarding how to start a walking program and how walking can affect the feet.

The California Podiatric Medical Association (CPMA) is the state’s leading professional medical organization for foot and ankle specialists and represents more than 1000 California doctors of podiatric medicine (DPMs). Since 1912 CPMA has served the people of California by promoting the science and art of podiatric medicine, protecting the public health, and elevating the standards of medical education.

CPMA; Committed to keeping Californians on their Feet – Healthy, Active and Productive!