Buzz
Walking has become increasingly rare.
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How often do you stroll through your neighborhood, walk to school, or run errands on foot? If you're like many others, your walking shoes are sitting idle. Between 1977 and 1995, the number of adults in the U.S. walking daily dropped by 40%, while short car trips under a mile (1.6 kilometers) have become more frequent [source: Slater]. Yes, we're driving cars for trips less than a mile, which is approximately 2,000 steps (out of the 10,000 recommended daily steps) [source: The Walking Site].
Walking can help reduce both your weight and your carbon footprint. Research suggests that if Americans swapped their cars for walking just 30 minutes a day, they would collectively burn 10.5 billion calories. Additionally, the U.S. would save 6.5 billion gallons (24 billion liters) of gasoline and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 64 million tons (58 million metric tons) [source: CNN].
Choosing to park your car and walk is partly a personal decision — cars are convenient. However, it largely depends on how easy it is to walk in your city or town. In pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods with sidewalks, residents are 65 percent more likely to walk [source: Complete the Streets]. The walkability of a neighborhood refers to how easy it is to get around on foot. Are sidewalks available? Is traffic heavy? What is the crime rate?
Walkability is also a key element of the growing New Urbanism movement, which focuses on neighborhood walkability, mixed-use developments, smart transportation, and overall quality of life. Your walkshed includes all the places within walking distance from your home, school, office, or any other central location. A walkshed typically spans less than a mile, and the more places accessible by walking, the better. A well-developed walkshed includes parks, public spaces, retail stores, restaurants, libraries, and other essential services.
How can you assess the quality of your walkshed? Aside from walking through it yourself, the walkability of a neighborhood can be measured using a walk score, with ratings provided by a website called Walk Score. Let's explore how Walk Score functions next.
About Walk Score
Living in a well-stocked walkshed lets you multitask while taking your dog along on your outings.
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Walk scores assist people in discovering walkable neighborhoods to live in, and also help evaluate how walkable their current area is. The Walk Score website uses Google Maps, specifically the Local Search API, to identify stores, restaurants, bars, parks, and other amenities within walking distance of any address you provide. Walk Score currently covers locations in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Using a unique, patent-pending algorithm, Walk Score defines neighborhood boundaries by gathering data from the real estate site Zillow, calculates the distances from the entered address to nearby amenities via Google Maps, and incorporates population density data from the 2000 census.
Based on these three criteria, Walk Score assigns a rating to an address on a scale from zero to 100 (with 100 being the most walkable). Amenities located within 0.25 miles (0.4 kilometers) of the central point earn the most points — the farther the distance, the fewer the points. Locations more than one mile (1.6 kilometers) away receive no points. The scores are divided into five categories: Scores between 70 and 100 are the most desirable, with 90-100 being a walker’s paradise where car ownership is unnecessary; 70-89 is very walkable, and residents likely do not need a car. Scores below 70 indicate neighborhoods that are somewhat walkable but likely require public transportation, a bike, or a car. Scores under 50 signify a car-dependent area, and scores under 25 mean residents need to drive for everything.
A few points to consider when it comes to scoring: Walk Score relies on the data sources available. If it doesn't have information about a Starbucks right across the street, it can't factor it into its score. Fortunately, you can add missing amenities to Google's Local Search API, which can improve your Walk Score ranking. However, Walk Score overlooks some important elements — it doesn't account for factors like topography, street layout, public transport availability, or bodies of water. It calculates distances 'as the crow flies', meaning if there's a lake between you and the nearest coffee shop, Walk Score assumes you'll happily swim over for your caffeine fix.
The Walk Score algorithm isn't concerned with how visually appealing a neighborhood is; it simply focuses on how convenient it is to live without a car. Living near a nature preserve or hiking trails might enhance your lifestyle, but it won't boost your Walk Score.
Walking is a simple activity requiring no special skills or equipment. Practicing it daily can help regulate your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and lower your risk of heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
Walking briskly at 3 to 4 miles per hour (4 to 6 kilometers per hour) for just 30 minutes a day (broken into three 10-minute intervals) can keep you fit, manage your weight, and improve your mood.
