Walkable Neighborhoods
© Urban Advantage and Roma Design
Walkable neighborhoods offer surprising benefits to the environment, our health, our finances, and our communities.
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 6-10 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
One-Mile Walk in a Compact Neighborhood
A one-mile walk in Seattle's Phinney Ridge takes you through a grid-like street network with a mix of residences and businesses.
One-Mile Walk in a Sprawling Suburb
A one-mile walk in Bellevue, WA with cul-de-sacs and winding streets has few shops and services within walking distance.
Maps courtesy of Lawrence Frank & Co. and the Sightline Institute.
What makes a neighborhood walkable?
- 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.
More About Walkability
Unexpected Solutions
Alan Durning explains why walkable places are the solution to some of our greatest challenges.
Back to the Future
What does the movie Back to the Future have to do with Walk Score? Christopher Leinberger explains.
