Walkable communities provide for safe, connected pedestrian access to places routinely visited by persons of all ages. Housing, schools, public spaces and commercial uses are frequently mixed so that a portion of routine travel can be comfortably accomplished by walking. Pedestrian medians for crossing wide streets, adequately-timed countdown timers or pedestrian bridges are provided where needed for pedestrian safety.

Tags: Sidewalks | Walkability | Walking

“What makes a neighborhood walkable?”

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 enough for local businesses to flourish and for public transportation to run frequently.

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.

Pedestrian-centric design: Buildings are placed close to the street to cater to foot traffic, with parking lots relegated to the back.

Nearby schools and workplaces: Schools and workplaces are close enough that most residents can walk from their homes.”

(source: www.walkscore.com/walkable-neighborhoods.shtml)

Tags: Sidewalks | Walkability | Walking

Walkable Communities
An organization promoting active transportation and sustainable community design combining transportation efficiency and land use planning.

National Complete Streets Coalition
A coalition working “to enact complete street policies across the country.”

“What are complete streets, and complete streets policies?

Complete streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities must be able to safely move along and across a complete street.”

The Walkable and Livable Communities Institute, Inc.
The mission of this non-profit organization based in Port Townsend, Washington is “to make cities and towns throughout the world walkable, bicycle and transit friendly, livable, sustainable, socially engaging and welcoming places by improving their built form.”

The Institute Web site says “Walkable streets create a human scale and sense of enclosure to the street, helping to keep vehicle speeds low. Walkways must be buffered, not immediately adjacent to moving traffic. Use of planter strips, on-street parking or bike lanes achieve this while helping create ’enclosure.’”

National Center for Bicycling and Walking
This is “the major program of the Bicycle Federation of America, Inc., a national, non-profit established in 1977 to change the way communities are planned, designed and managed to ensure that people of all ages and abilities can walk and bike easily, safely and regularly.”

www.walkscore.com
This Web site includes a feature that gives that computes walk scores based on various features and provides details on the most walkable neighborhoods in the largest 40 U.S. cities.

walkability
“the extent to which the built environment is friendly to the presence of people walking, living shopping, visiting, enjoying or spending time in an area.”

complete streets
Streets designed and operated to enable safe access for all users