Did you know 1 in 3 adults in America is considered overweight and that 1 in 13 adults is considered extremely obese? This is problematic, but it points to a larger problem in America. There just aren’t that many opportunities to walk as there are in Europe.

Many cities and towns in America are spread out, and this means they are difficult to navigate without a car.

But not all cities and towns are like this. Some are more walkable than others. In order to determine where is best to live to walk, a new walkability score has been calculated to determine just how accessible each place is. 

Let’s examine how you define walkability.

Ranking System 

Walkability is a score out of 100 based on a number of factors. To get 100 is very hard. New York has a walkability score of 89 whilst Miami has 79 and Boston 81. The worst cities are places like Birmingham, Alabama, which has a score of just 35.4, and Charlotte, North Carolina, which has a score of just 25.9. These are not walkable communities.

To complement the walkability score, there is also a transit score and a bike score, which are also made public. These rates how effective public transport is and how easy it is to ride around the town or city on a bike. 

The science behind the walkability score can be studied at UNR MPH, the University of Nevada, Reno’s Master in Public Health programme. 

Criteria of Walkability Score

So what criteria is used to determine the walkability score of major cities? It is not just arbitrary data, but the walkability score is determined from a host of smaller scores that are combined. As well as the bike score and transit score, these include:

• Average block length in meters
• Intersection density 
• City walk score
• Rail stops within half a mile
• Errands score
• Culture score 
• Grocery score
• Park score 
• Drink and driving score
• School score
• Shopping score 

The score has now become such a useful way of determining how good a city or local neighborhood is that some retailers and CEOs have stated that an extra point out of 100 in the walkability score is worth around $3,000. This is in terms of the capital it brings in to an average metro area.

Of course, a walkability score is just one way to boost investment for small businesses. Click here for six other tips for small business owners. 

Helping the Environment

A good walking score doesn’t just help individuals lose weight, it can impact the environment as well. CO2 emissions caused by cars are one of the main pollutants.

By creating cities that are designed to be walked and by ensuring the city is accessible by public transport or bicycle, a walkability score can help bring down emissions.

In the long run, placing a walkability index alongside air pollution scores can help shame those cities lagging behind whilst rewarding those with high scores with increased tourism. 

Walkability Is the Way Foward 

The modern world is obsessed with ranking things, from how many books you’ve read to the number of likes on your latest post on Facebook.

A walkability score might seem like just another way of ranking something, but it is a vital and revolutionary way of improving people’s lives and reducing CO2 emissions in the long term. 

For more useful tips on how to get fit and reduce your carbon footprint and much more, be sure to check out our dedicated useful tips section.