We pollute the air and burn ever more costly fuel while worrying about getting to work on time and accomplishing all of our errands. Anxiety levels shoot upward, impacting physical and mental health. The likelihood of accidents rises with flaring tempers. Congeniality disappears as that maniac cuts you off when you’ve finally reached the front of the line you’ve been idling in for the last 10 minutes.

Is all of this really necessary? No. You may be a victim of community design that requires your reliance on cars for transportation, but some folks still have the old-fashioned option of getting around on foot. It is feasible to walk within some of our communities and could be for more; if our planning and development directors will turn away from suburban designs and adopt pedestrian friendly ideas of “New Urbanism,” there is hope.

According to the Sightline Institute, a nonprofit research and communication center that promotes a sustainable economy and way of life, “Individuals and institutions can take simple steps to create compact, complete communities that enable residents to get around without a car.” There are a number of factors that contribute to the walkability of a neighborhood. Whereas urban sprawl requires travel by car, compact communities consisting of short blocks encourage walking. These compact communities increase the density of the population within a smaller area, thus fostering successful businesses and public transportation. Accessibility, sidewalks (ideally shaded), traffic safety, and interconnected crime-free streets aid travelers on foot. And of course, there must be desirable places and services to walk to. At the center of the ideal walkable community are civic buildings, shopping areas or parks. Buildings reside on the street, with parking in the rear. Ample housing is located near schools, grocery stores, health centers, and restaurants. Local employees (hopefully walking to work) fuel the economy.

The higher the walkability of a given community, the healthier it becomes. The environment benefits as fewer cars means less fuel burned and lower air pollution. Human health increases with cleaner air and more exercise. Stress levels decrease in the absence of traffic. Personal interaction replaces social isolation. Community involvement increases as people spend less time commuting. More foot traffic strengthens local businesses as it is far easier to shop at numerous stores without having to drive and park in between each stop.

What is the current state of walkability within your community? There’s a new tool available online to help you “score” your neighborhood. The website walkscore.com uses an algorithm to calculate the walkability of your address based on its vicinity to parks, stores, schools, restaurants, and so on. The accompanying sample table displays the walkscore.com results for random addresses in different neighborhoods within our area.

Walkable communities aren’t theories – they are working elsewhere and they can work here, too. All it takes is city and county leaders who want it as much as you do.

For more information, check out:

http://www.walkscore.com

http://www.sightline.org

http://www.pedshed.net

(Sonja writes from Prescott Valley, where her neighborhood’s walkability score is mighty low. Contact her at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it )