How Walkable is Your Neighborhood?

We intentionally base The Outpost in an area that is both accessible to the 52tease.com team via many modes of transportation and provides walking access to many different amenities within walking distance. Trust me, this leads to a much happier crew than should we be situated off of some highway anywhere.

We've just discovered that The Outpost has a "walk score" of over 83 (out of 100). What is a "walk score" you ask?

Well, all you have to do is input your address into the Walkscore.com interface and they use Google Maps information to establish your "walk score" based on the following factors:

Walkable communities tend to have the following characteristics:

• A center: Walkable neighborhoods have a discernable center, whether it's a shopping district, a main street, or a public space.
• Density: The neighborhood is compact, rather than spread out, which brings people closer to stores and jobs and makes public transportation more cost effective.
• Mixed income, mixed use: Housing is provided for everyone who works in the neighborhood: young and old, singles and families, rich and poor. Businesses and residences are located near each other.
• Parks and public space: There are plenty of public places to gather and play.
• Accessibility: The neighborhood is accessible to everyone and has wheelchair access, plenty of benches with shade, sidewalks on all streets, etc.
• Well connected, speed controlled streets: Streets form a connected grid that improves traffic by providing many routes to any destination. Streets are narrow to control speed, and shaded by trees to protect pedestrians.
• Pedestrian-centric design: Buildings are placed close to the street to cater to foot traffic, with parking lots relegated to the back.
• Close schools and workplaces: Schools and workplaces are close enough that most residents can walk from their homes.

Of course, there are a few issues with their uber-tech methods:

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: Narrow streets are better for walking because they slow traffic.
• Block length: Short blocks make it easier to navigate the grid.
• Freeways: Freeways can divide neighborhoods and hurt walkability.
• Public transit: Good public transit is important for walkable neighborhoods.
• Safety: How much crime is in the neighborhood? How many traffic accidents are there? Are crosswalks well marked and streets well lit?
• Aesthetics: Are the sidewalks shaded by trees? Are there appealing parks and public spaces?
• Pedestrian-friendly design: Are buildings close to the sidewalk with parking in back? If buildings have large parking lots in front, they are less inviting to pedestrians.

As MarlonBain said, "You should use the Web 3.0 app called going outside and investigating the world for yourself" before deciding whether a neighborhood is walkable!

Although we don't recommend sharing any personally identifiable information, post your Walkscore.com rating in the comments. Who knows? Maybe the person with the highest, or lowest, verifiable walkscore will get a free shirt?