Walk Score: Walkable Cities Calculator
Posted in Models by Kate Archdeacon on July 22nd, 2009
Source: Going Solar Transport Newsletter
Walk Score in the US helps “you find a walkable place to live by calculating a Walk Score for any address.” …
The cities at the top of the Walk Score rankings have density, mixed use, transit, short blocks—and almost everything else on the walkability checklist. Most importantly, these cities have lots of destinations near each address, which is the strongest indicator of whether people walk.
The top three cities are: #1 San Francisco, #2 New York, #3 Boston. At the bottom of the list are: #38 Charlotte; #39 Nashville & #40 Jacksonville where “It’s difficult to get by without a car (or even walk to a nearby restaurant) in these sprawling cities. More time in the car means more money at the pump, less exercise, and more pollution.
Compact, walkable communities – the opposite of poorly planned sprawl – are the solution to some of our biggest shared challenges, from childhood obesity to social isolation, from crash deaths to disappearing farmland, from the high price of gas to the architectural blight of strip development. They’re even one of our most powerful weapons against climate change – they conserve fossil fuels like nobody’s business. (It takes effort to burn gasoline when everything is so close to your front door.) But the main reason to love walkable neighborhoods is their human energy: they’re fun, lively, memorable… not boring. They’re the kinds of places where you might bump into a long-lost friend; stumble across creative inspiration, whether for a song or a new business; or meet the love of your life. (That’s why they’re becoming among the most sought-after addresses around.)” Ref: Alan Durning, Sightline Institute
See also: Walking Initiative in Victoria
Source: Going Solar
