Why Are You Walking So Fast?

Eric Jaffe examines research on just what it is that makes people walk faster in New York than, say, Fargo, North Dakota.

1 minute read

March 23, 2012, 5:00 AM PDT

By Ryan Lue


If you've ever had a creeping suspicion that city dwellers seem a little more frenetic on foot than their small-town counterparts, it turns out there's ample research to back it up.

According to Jaffe, "Most work on urban walking speed dates back to 1976, when psychologists Marc and Helen Bornstein published a provocative paper linking "pace of life" with population size. The Bornsteins found that people in Brooklyn (pop. 2.6 million) walked more than twice as fast as people in Itea, Greece (pop. 2,200), and posited that hurrying one's gait was a natural response to overcrowding, to reduce "social interference."

In 1989 and again in 1999, however, other researchers set out to support an alternative explanation: that population is merely a surrogate for the true determinant of walking speed, economic success. Both studies found that "pace of life" indicators were significantly higher in cities located in countries with high GDP and purchasing power parity.

Jaffe offers the following summary of their explanation: "When a city grows larger, wage rate and cost of living increase, and with that the value of a resident's time."

In addition to economic considerations, Robert Levine's 1999 study found individualism to be a strong "social predictor of walking speed."

Levine's work is discussed in an animated lecture by Philip Zimbardo for the Royal Society of the Arts.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012 in The Atlantic Cities

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

July 11 - Cities Today