On cold winter days I’m among those of you who yearn to be in a warmer climate. It’s 25 degrees in downtown Baltimore today and icy sidewalks are creating walking barriers in our normally pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. I’d rather be in Sarasota, Florida right now where it’s 65 degrees. Although it would be too brisk to be on the beach in a bathing suit, at least walking outside wouldn’t involve donning multiple layers of clothing and clunky water-proof boots.
After watching a few “House Hunters” episodes and seeing the many remote tropical locations people move to, I realize I wouldn't want to trade my neighborhood’s
After watching a few “House Hunters” episodes and seeing the many remote tropical locations people move to, I realize I wouldn't want to trade my neighborhood’s
"walkability" to live in some temperate climates. Although I’d enjoy the warm weather and the extra days to walk outdoors, many coastal communities were designed around automobile travel and I would miss the convenience of walking to nearby amenities.
If you’re like me and you daydream on cold days about re-locating either permanently or temporarily to a warmer place, the good news is there’s a tool called Walk Score that rates neighborhoods based on their walkability so you can find a place to "drive less and live more." Walk Score is a number between 0 and 100 that indicates the walkability of an address.
If you’re like me and you daydream on cold days about re-locating either permanently or temporarily to a warmer place, the good news is there’s a tool called Walk Score that rates neighborhoods based on their walkability so you can find a place to "drive less and live more." Walk Score is a number between 0 and 100 that indicates the walkability of an address.
The vision of Walk Score is to “make it easy for people to evaluate walkability and transportation when choosing where to live.” Walk Score analyzes hundreds of walking routes to nearby amenities from a given location and awards points based on the distance to those conveniences. When you type an address, neighborhood, or city into the Walk Score search engine it looks for nearby restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, schools, parks, etc. Any amenities that are within a five minute walk or about 1/4 mile of the searched address are given maximum points. Fewer points are awarded for longer distances and no points are given if the amenity involves a walk that is 30 minutes or longer.
When I was a member of the Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, one colleague expressed her dismay that the 1/4 mile was frequently used as a walkability measure. She was the mother of cross-country runners and thought that 1/4 mile (i.e., one lap around a high school outdoor track) was a ridiculously short distance to gauge the pedestrian friendliness of a neighborhood. And yet walkability isn’t related to fitness; it’s a measure of how convenient the amenities are located within a community. Walk Score indirectly gauges how far a person is able to walk without opting to drive to their destination.
With a Walk Score of 88 out of a possible 100, New York City is ranked the most walkable city in the Walk Score 2014 City and Neighborhood Ranking followed by San Francisco, Boston, and Philadelphia. Baltimore made the #10 spot with a Walk Score of 66 and yet if you drill down to a specific address such as where we live in Federal Hill, the Walk Score jumps to 97 and it’s described as a “walker’s paradise” where daily errands do not require a car. Compare New York City’s overall Walk Score of 88 to the Lower East Side Manhattan address where our daughter lives and the Walk Score rises to 98. Car ownership is not feasible in her New York City neighborhood. Everyone either walks or uses public transportation, regardless of weather conditions.
Although the automobile-centered designs of many Florida towns result in predictably low Walk Scores, there are some encouraging “new urbanism” changes that “feet-ure” more pedestrian-friendly communities. For example, Sarasota's Walk Score is a disappointing 49, and yet a relatively new pedestrian-friendly Citrus Square neighborhood (i.e., 453 North Orange Avenue), has an impressive Walk Score of 91.
The next time you plan a trip or a vacation, try using the Walk Score search engine to help you decide where to stay. It will allow you to spend less time driving after your arrival and more time walking for purpose or pleasure.
Be Well,
Mary
2.9.14 Update: Walk Score was used to create a list the following list of cities where the fewest households owned a car in 2012 due largely to their public transportation infrastructure:
1. New York City
2. Washington, DC
3. Boston
4. Philadelphia
5. San Francisco
P.S. Please ignore the text box below; your comments are always welcome here.
When I was a member of the Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, one colleague expressed her dismay that the 1/4 mile was frequently used as a walkability measure. She was the mother of cross-country runners and thought that 1/4 mile (i.e., one lap around a high school outdoor track) was a ridiculously short distance to gauge the pedestrian friendliness of a neighborhood. And yet walkability isn’t related to fitness; it’s a measure of how convenient the amenities are located within a community. Walk Score indirectly gauges how far a person is able to walk without opting to drive to their destination.
With a Walk Score of 88 out of a possible 100, New York City is ranked the most walkable city in the Walk Score 2014 City and Neighborhood Ranking followed by San Francisco, Boston, and Philadelphia. Baltimore made the #10 spot with a Walk Score of 66 and yet if you drill down to a specific address such as where we live in Federal Hill, the Walk Score jumps to 97 and it’s described as a “walker’s paradise” where daily errands do not require a car. Compare New York City’s overall Walk Score of 88 to the Lower East Side Manhattan address where our daughter lives and the Walk Score rises to 98. Car ownership is not feasible in her New York City neighborhood. Everyone either walks or uses public transportation, regardless of weather conditions.
Although the automobile-centered designs of many Florida towns result in predictably low Walk Scores, there are some encouraging “new urbanism” changes that “feet-ure” more pedestrian-friendly communities. For example, Sarasota's Walk Score is a disappointing 49, and yet a relatively new pedestrian-friendly Citrus Square neighborhood (i.e., 453 North Orange Avenue), has an impressive Walk Score of 91.
The next time you plan a trip or a vacation, try using the Walk Score search engine to help you decide where to stay. It will allow you to spend less time driving after your arrival and more time walking for purpose or pleasure.
Be Well,
Mary
2.9.14 Update: Walk Score was used to create a list the following list of cities where the fewest households owned a car in 2012 due largely to their public transportation infrastructure:
1. New York City
2. Washington, DC
3. Boston
4. Philadelphia
5. San Francisco
P.S. Please ignore the text box below; your comments are always welcome here.
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