What Happened?
A growing volume of research underscores the value of designing communities that connect residents to vital amenities by other forms of transit aside from personal vehicles. When municipalities increase the walkability of their communities, residents enjoy a stronger housing market and improved quality of life.
Housing
The list of perks associated with a high walkability score continues to grow, as more research uncovers the residual effects of a walker-friendly urban design. Not only do walkable communities attract more residents, they also draw a more diverse array of businesses along commercial corridors looking to take advantage of the foot traffic. These components make for a strong economic environment that supports housing growth and sustainability.
A study published in Cities directly linked a city’s walkability score to higher housing values and less foreclosures. Walkability proved to be statistically significant in predicting property values - from high walkability scores and high values, to low scores associated with increased foreclosures.
A LOCUS report found districts with high walkability scores demonstrated a 74 percent premium on rents for commercial spaces compared to nonwalkable areas. These walker-focused areas tend to account for a significant amount of commercial activity in a small, dense area. The economic success of these walkable districts is encouraging more car-centric regions such as suburbs to become more urbanized with walker-friendly designs.
Quality of Life
Another study by Riggs and Gilderbloom discovered a direct correlation between walkability and the health outcomes of residents. A less walkable environment reported more chronic illnesses than areas with walker-friendly amenities.
Furthermore, research from the University of Kansas’ Alzheimer’s Disease Center showed walkability improves cognitive health. In communities with high connectivity, with different walker-friendly paths and streets linked together, residents performed better on cognitive tests and showed fewer declines in attention and verbal memory reports.
Achieving Walkability
In an interview with Gov1, Jeff Speck, city planner and urban designer, discussed how he helps municipalities identify areas of weakness and implement changes to improve walkability and livability.
When Speck conducts a walkability study, he first looks for opportunities to improve the flow of the city. The simplest fix is the allocation of street space, because that can be easily redone with paint.
“Most cities, even congested ones, have many streets within them that have greater capacity (number of lanes) than current traffic volumes demand, or sometimes the lanes are simply too wide,” Speck told Gov1. “It is easy to argue successfully for this pavement to be reallocated to bike lanes, on-street parking or both. In Oklahoma City we doubled the amount of on-street parking and created an effective bike network where none existed before, simply by right-sizing the driving lanes.”
Speck also suggests cities consider finding locations where traffic signals can be replaced by four-way stop signs, which slow down traffic, reduce injuries and cost very little to maintain. Other cities may be interested in the reversion of one-way traffic networks back to two-way configurations. This can support a stronger retail district as well as boost pedestrian safety and comfort.
Overcoming Roadblocks
According to Speck, a city’s walkability score is a combination of pedestrian navigation options and availability of useful resources nearby. This means the areas with the most potential to increase walkability are old downtowns and main streets where new housing and mixed use developments may be welcomed.
“The problem is keeping that housing attainable, when inner-city construction is not cheap,” Speck told Gov1. “A huge impediment that adds to cost and reduces site yield is the on-site parking requirement. Many cities require developers of walkable places to provide suburban-style parking to new tenants who do not even own cars. This is changing, but only slowly.”
Looking to the Future
Speck believes the current practices in walkability projects at the local level will shape future trends on a national level. As more people are choosing to live in downtowns, mixed-use housing and dense, walkable designs will become more prevalent in cities of all sizes. These trends include:
- Provision of separated bicycle infrastructure (buffered lanes)
- Bike share
- Reversion of back to two-way of one-way grids
- Elimination of signals in favor of all-way stop
- Bus rapid transit in dedicated lanes
- Reallocation of road space away (somewhat) from single occupancy vehicles
While research from economists, epidemiologists and ecologists outline a wide array of benefits from walkable communities, Speck says the perks are clear and simple.
“We’re just happier walking than driving,” Speck explains. “Humans were born to walk.”