Watch out Walk Score, you've got some competition. Mapping company Maponics is measuring pedestrian-friendliness with a new tool called 'Walkability'. They measure several factors Walk Score doesn't, including crime, street type, and speed limit.
"With its newest tool, Maponics measures walkability in three categories: overall walkability, proximity to amenities (i.e. shopping centers, dry cleaners), and proximity to leisure (i.e. social and cultural options)," explains Ariel Schwartz. "When considering walkability, the company runs simulations through the road network to figure out how walkers get where they want to go. 'It's not just a matter of measuring proximity. It's accessibility. Can you get to places, or do you need to cross highway?' says [CEO Darrin] Clement. 'It's no good if there are multiple complex intersections.'"
"This isn't a consumer-facing tool," notes Schwartz, "but you might have access to it through other services. The tool is geared in particular towards the real estate space, where perceptions about modes of transportation and access to amenities affects where people want to live as well as home prices."
FULL STORY: How Walkable Is Your Neighborhood? This Mapping Data Juggernaut Now Knows
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Healthcare Providers Get in the Housing Business
Some hospitals and healthcare providers are partnering with affordable housing developers to connect housing to health services and create more affordable housing for hospital workers.
Orlando Pledges to Improve Walkability
A city report highlights successes and failures in building safer transportation infrastructure and reducing VMT in 2023.
New York Transit Agency Launches Performance Dashboard
The tool increases transparency about the agency’s performance on a variety of metrics.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.