Here’s a new feature for you all, Website of the Week. Pretty simple really I’ll review an interesting Website every week. Shoot me an email if you want to be considered for a WotW.
Walkscore.com is a very handy website for discovering local amenities and facilities within easy walking distance. The reasoning being the easier it is to walk around the neighbourhood the better it is.
Why is this important you may ask? Well;
Walkable neighborhoods offer surprising benefits to our health, the environment, and our communities.
Better health: A study in Washington State found that the average resident of a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood weighs 7 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood1. Residents of walkable neighborhoods drive less and suffer fewer car accidents, a leading cause of death between the ages of 15 - 45.
Reduction in greenhouse gas: Cars are a leading cause of global warming. Your feet are zero pollution transportation machines.
More transportation options: Compact neighborhoods tend to have higher population density, which leads to more public transportation options and bicycle infrastructure. Not only is taking the bus cheaper than driving, but riding a bus is ten times safer than driving a car2!
Increased social capital: Walking increases social capital by promoting face-to-face interaction with your neighbors. Studies have shown that for each 10 minutes a person spends in a daily car commute, time spent in community activities falls by 10 percent3.
Stronger local businesses: Dense, walkable neighborhoods provide local businesses with the foot traffic they need to thrive. It’s easier for pedestrians to shop at many stores on one trip, since they don’t need to drive between destinations.
I calculated the WalkScore for some of the places I’ve lived in my lifetime and the scores really do reflect what it’s like to live in that area. As a tool for house hunting it is a nice thing to have. You can also use it for your current residence, there are many restaurants/gyms/bars/pubs/shops etc. near our doorsteps that we just don’t know about. You’ll be seriously surprised to see what exactly you’re missing out on in your neighbourhood. Admittedly there are a few limitations and problems with it at the moment.
We’ll be the first to admit that Walk Score is just an approximation of walkability. There are a number of factors that contribute to walkability that are not part of our algorithm:
Street width and block length: Narrow streets slow down traffic. Short blocks make it easier to navigate the grid.
Safety: How much crime is in the neighborhood? How many traffic accidents are there? Are crosswalks well marked and streets well lit?
Pedestrian-friendly design: Are there walking paths? Are buildings close to the sidewalk with parking in back? Are sidewalks shaded by trees?
Topography: Hills can make walking difficult, especially if you’re carrying groceries.
Public transit: Good public transit is important for walkable neighborhoods.
Freeways and bodies of water: Freeways can divide neighborhoods. Swimming is harder than walking.
Weather: In some places it’s just too hot or cold to walk regularly.
There’s no real substitute for getting off your arse and going to have a look for yourself. Hey, the clue’s in the title…’Walk’! Of course, if there is no way you can go there personally having a tool like WalkScore is better than nothing. Local knowledge also helps a great deal. But some of the missing factors can be easily discovered with other apps. For exampleWalkScore calculates distance ‘as the crow flies’. However there may not be a direct route to where you want to go. The solution? Gmaps Pedometer. You can plot a suitable route to your destination very easily (an added bonus is that you can also calculate the calories you’ll burn walking there!).
All in all, WalkScore.com is a very smart and useful app. Ok it may have limited uses (how often do you move house?), but it can show a visual representation of what the neighbourhood you are interested in is like.
I believe that walk score is cool, but nowadays more and more people prefer to drive cars. Homes are often located in an area where some establishments are easier to get to by car than on foot. I’ve recently found a type of service on http://drivescore.fizber.com which is called Drive Score. It shows a map of what establishments are in your neighborhood and calculates a Drive Score based on the number of places within a convenient driving distance. It doesn’t mean that drive score is better than walk score – they are equal and both necessary in the modern world!