Going beyond the analytical parameters of the popular Walk Score website, a new site aims to broaden the scope of analysis to include more qualitative information, such as safety and streetscape, in determining which areas are pedestrian friendly.
As walkable urbanism emerges as a new paradigm in real estate development, and studies demonstrate the value of walkable places to economic and personal health, the marketplace for defining and rating places friendly to pedestrians is rapidly expanding. Ben Schiller profiles Walkonomics, a new site that aims to provide a new tool for measuring walkability by aiming to build "as comprehensive a picture as possible."
"Services such as Walk Score
already score proximity to restaurants and shops (and more); how long
your commute is; and allow you to compare areas. But, according to Adam
Davies [founder of the site], that's only part of the story of walkability. Ideally, you also
want to know things like how safe the streets are, whether the sidewalks
are wide enough, how clear the signage is, and also--less tangibly--how
clean the street is, and whether it's relaxing and fun. Distance, in
other words, is not the only factor--perhaps not even the most important
factor."
"Currently covering about 600,000 streets in the U.K. and U.S., the site
is based on a mixture of government-sourced open data, and crowd-sourced
information from users. Streets are scored across eight categories,
based on data like traffic activity and crime statistics. Users can then
give their own impressions, shifting the scores over time."
FULL STORY: A New Site Calculates Your Neighborhood’s Walkability

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

Trump Cuts Decimate Mapping Agency
The National Geodetic Survey maintains and updates critical spatial reference systems used extensively in both the public and private sectors.

Washington Passes First US ‘Shared Streets’ Law
Cities will be allowed to lower speed limits to 10 miles per hour and prioritize pedestrians on certain streets.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions