How Walkable Is Your Neighborhood?

Image by Toni_V via Flickr

Not to sound all dramatic and everything, but…..Since the future of the planet turns in part on whether we can kick our reliance on cars (and petroleum), it’s important to try and walk (or bike) whenever you can. How often you leave your car keys at home depends on how energetic you are, and how walkable your neighborhood is.

To find out how walk-friendly your neighborhood is, I give you this very interesting “Walk Score” calculator. Just plug in your address.

Here’s why you should care:

Environment: Cars are a leading cause of climate change. Your feet are zero-pollution transportation machines.

Health: The average resident of a walkable neighborhood weighs 7 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood.¹

Finances: One point of Walk Score is worth up to $3,000 of value for your property. Read the research report.

Communities: Studies show that for every 10 minutes a person spends in a daily car commute, time spent in community activities falls by 10%.³

Here’s what counts when it comes to encouraging walking over driving:

A center: Walkable neighborhoods have a center, whether it’s a main street or a public space.

People: Enough people for businesses to flourish and for public transit to run frequently.

Mixed income, mixed use: Affordable housing located near businesses.

Parks and public space: Plenty of public places to gather and play.

Pedestrian design: Buildings are close to the street, parking lots are relegated to the back.

Schools and workplaces: Close enough that most residents can walk from their homes.

Complete streets: Streets designed for bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit.

And here is the difference between walkable and not so walkable:

A one-mile walk in Seattle’s Phinney Ridge takes you through a grid-like street network with a mix of residences and businesses.

A one-mile walk in Bellevue, WA with cul-de-sacs and winding streets has few shops and services within walking distance.

Walkability. It’s the cousin of Drinkability, and the right way to look at neighborhoods.