Most Americans don’t get enough exercise and are overly reliant on cars. But it’s not always our fault. Many of us live in communities where walking to the store is dangerous, impossible, or both.
Now WalkScore.com has launched a website that lets you get a sense for how "walkable" any neighborhood really is — based on the proximity of stores and other services. Is your community "not walkable" (score of 25-50)? Or do you live in a "walker’s paradise" (score of 90-100)? How about neighborhoods you’re thinking about moving to?
Walk Score helps people find walkable places to live. Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc and calculating a Walk Score for any property with a map of what’s nearby to help you find a great neighborhood. Walk Score launched in July of 2007 and over 1 million addresses were searched in the first month.
More and more people are looking for walkable neighborhoods, with good reason. You lose weight each time you walk to the grocery store. You stumble home safely from last call without waiting for a cab. You spend less money on your car—or you don’t own a car. When you shop, you support your local economy. You talk to your neighbors. You enjoy a more healthy, vibrant and interesting community.