This is a great little website to rank walkability of neighborhoods. I tried my own apartment building and got:
That means that I am living in a “Walker’s Paradise”. I checked out Transcona – where my parents and in-laws live – and discouvered that they were both living in “Car Dependent” neighborhoods. No shock there, but a great re-affirmation for me.
Try this out, its fun.
7 responses so far ↓
C.Crolly // April 9, 2009 at 9:48 am |
Interesting site although in my neighbourhood it listed 7-11 as a ‘grocery store’ and 2 gas bars as ‘bars’
I live in Charleswood a car dependant neighbourhood.
smelter rat // April 9, 2009 at 10:25 am |
It lists the Toronto Public Library as being closer to my house than the Brandon Public Library. Strange considering I live in Brandon.
Grant // April 9, 2009 at 12:59 pm |
I love that site. I wrote a column about it a year or so ago, and it sparked a challenge to myself to not use a car for a month. It was (mildly) successful.
I, too, live in Brandon — I get a walk score of 73 (very walkable) … mostly because of my proximity to downtown.
My only quibble with this website is that it doesn’t take into account the pleasurability of the walk — wide sidewalks with nice shady trees vs. strips of concrete alongside busy thoroughfares, for example.
mrchristian // April 9, 2009 at 1:44 pm |
@ Smelter Rat – I’ve tried getting over the 18th Street bridge and at times and felt that Toronto might be closer than the Trans Canada
Jamie // April 9, 2009 at 3:31 pm |
I actually used this service when I was hunting for an apartment in Winnipeg. Since I had a high priority toward being able to walk most places, it was a really big help. The apartment I decided on had a walk score of 82 – very walkable.
My workplace has a score of 93 – and it’s within walking distance of home. It’s nice to see that even in suburban-sprawl-prone Winnipeg, there are places you can live without needing a car every day.
Unfortunately, it is true that it doesn’t take into account crime statistics (since I am in a fairly crime-prone zone), though I understand how the service calculates and know it can’t add in that data without being completely redeveloped.
donaldstreet // April 10, 2009 at 2:43 pm |
@Jamie: Yes, that is a valid criticism of the site. It’s not enough to say that this is a walkable neighborhood if I can walk to my local grocer but I get robbed on the way. I haven’t been robbed on the way, but it is true that this neighborhood is not perfectly safe.
There are loads of improvements that could be made, but overall I think that this index is an accurate measure of walkability in that census data on area residents show that the majority walk, bike, or ride public transportation versus other neighborhoods which are heavily car dependent. And, the result of all that walking is actually a fairly friendly, livable community that I like to live in.
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