Location, location, location may be the golden rule of real estate but you seldom hear walkability cited as key in making neighbourhoods great. Cheers are in order for Walkscore, a handy website for assessing the ‘walk factor’ of neighborhoods. You just type in an address and it gives you a score out of 100. Use this scale to check out your location:
- 90 – 100 = Walkers’ Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.
- 70 – 90 = Very Walkable: It’s possible to get by without owning a car.
- 50 – 70 = Some Walkable Locations: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.
- 25 – 50 = Not Walkable: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must.
- 0 – 25 = Driving Only: Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!
It’s not a big surprise that most of Kits is considered very walkable.
Last modified: June 22, 2008
What a great tool! And my walkscore of 88 must have something to do with my proximity to all those sweet delights 🙂
It does seem that some of the information given in the sidebar is out of date and/or inaccurate, though. For Groceries, for instance, it lists a whole bunch of convenience stores (some no longer in existence), but fails to mention both Safeways and the IGA. That said, the overall assessment of where I live seems accurate and Kits’ walkability is one of the reasons why I love living here so much.
Excellent tool. A great indicator of how livable a neighbourhood truly is to its residents.
Our Prime Minister doesn’t far so well in Ottawa: http://www.walkscore.com/get-score.php?street=22+Sussex+Drive+Ottawa&go=Go
I can only cringe at his home address in Calgary.
I look forward to passing around this interesting tool to my colleagues in the hotel industry. Very useful when shopping for hotels in new places as well.
My West End address scores a 90 — so sorry kits mavens.