Walkable Neighborhoods Set the Stage for Upward Mobility, Study Says

"New research from the University of Virginia finds children who are raised in walkable cities are more likely to climb the economic ladder, earning more than their parents did at similar points in their lives," reports Jane Kelly.

The study, "The Socioecological Psychology of Upward Mobility," was published in the journal American Psychologist.

According to the study, feelings of connectedness are a predictor of upward mobility. Nicholas Buttrick, one of the authors of the study, is quoted in the article: "We also find that if you live in a walkable city, you feel like you belong," Buttrick said. "You feel like you have a community, and that feeling also predicts whether or not you’re going to be moving up the economic ladder."

The researchers are planning to shift their focus next to the upward mobility enabled by public transit—some evidence of that outcome is already available.