Measuring Walkability (26. July 2007, 11:28 by Derek Young) ~ We Should Walk More
We talk a lot about walkable neighborhoods. We theorize about it. We compare neighborhoods. We read urban planning books that describe it in thick detail. Now, there’s WalkScore.com – website that can provide a walkability score for your home, potential home, or business. You type in your address. The site looks up all the potential merchants and services in your area and gives it some value. Based on these values and the number of businesses, you get a score. Our Tacoma house came in at 73 – just tipping into the “Very Walkable” category. My old apartment near the St. Helens neighborhood comes in at 86. This would compare with Bill Gates’ Medina home with a score of 5 (Driving Only) or the Space Needle at 88.
The site also admits to its faults. It can’t take safety, sidewalks, or street size into consideration. It doesn’t know about the crazy neighbors, surly merchants, scary dogs, or uncrossable crosswalks.
Still, it does what it does and it’ll definitely cause at least a few of you to waste several minutes…
We like it. Now scores and data are great, but it’s time to get off your computers and go outside.
Link to WalkScore.com
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Interesting…my house, in the heart of the Sixth Ave Dist., comes in at a paltry 65.
Amusingly, their “clothing and records” find was Drastic Plastic. Um, has anyone ever been in that place? Certainly not a good place for either clothing or records. But if you’re looking for a black light poster or other, uh, paraphernalia…
1 | Posted by jamie from thriceallamerican | Jul 26, 11:55 AM
My old apartment got a score of 86 (215 South G St)!
Yes sir the Parkside apartments were perfect for the walking life… date nights were HOB KNOB for dinner, STADIUM VIDEO for a dvd, and STADIUM THRIFTWAY for a pint of ice cream.
Used to be able to walk to work every day too.
I’m surprised Parkside hasn’t gone condo.
2 | Posted by RR Anderson | Jul 26, 01:25 PM
Another couple of interesting data points:
To my house’s 65, the Starbucks 2 blocks away (actually on Sixth Ave) actually scored worse with a 63.
My previous abode at the Hillcrest (423 S G St), being just 2 blocks from RR’s old apartment, also scored 86.
My workplace downtown, at 1119 Pacific, scored a quite respectable 89. So there’s hope for downtown.
But the shocker for me… My old apartment in the Garfield Center Building by PLU outscored the current digs with a 74. And that, my friends, proves that WalkScore.com don’t know Parkland.
3 | Posted by jamie from thriceallamerican | Jul 26, 01:48 PM
Y’all should come and live in Centralia. My house got a 78. I’m only 3 blocks from the post office, restaurants, a full-service grocery store, retail and banks. 6 blocks to the movie theatre. 4 blocks to the library. 8 blocks to the elementary school. Centralia kicks ass for walkability!!! (Of course, I live downtown).
yeah WalkScore.com, wtf? Why do you list tacomamama.com as an eatery? outrageous.
6 | Posted by RR Anderson | Jul 26, 05:34 PM
Finally! A website to complement Zillow.com and Daily Horoscope.com!
8 | Posted by Mofo from the Hood | Jul 26, 10:55 PM
Centralia does rock for walkability. Want to see a sweet downtown, check out Centralia. That is a downtown with potential along with being solidly great to begin with. I hope Centralia’s downtown migrates away from their emphasis on antique stores. The antique stores are great but enough is enough (though you can’t beat their prices). I really would like to see a more diverse downtown, not unlike Chehalis’s downtown. Still, much to like around Centralia, I hope the town can recover from the mine closure.
9 | Posted by Crenshaw Sepulveda | Jul 27, 02:20 AM
Very impressive! Works a lot better (more accurate) than Zillow for locating addresses, too.
10 | Posted by Paul Ellis | Jul 27, 11:54 AM
I have two 98402 condos:
210 Broadway = 86
602 Baker = 88 (tie w/ Laura H.)
One’s for sale/rent by the way.
And, like Jamie, my office scores 89.
Not that I’m the competitve sort….
11 | Posted by Rick Jones | Jul 27, 12:06 PM
We live off of N. 17th & Jackson, and (wow, no surprise here) scored a 42. It was an eye-opener, though, to see how much was less than a mile away from our house. Forget about walking — we’ll stick with our bikes!
12 | Posted by Ann | Jul 27, 01:59 PM
I was sad to see that our house (just outside of the Proctor district proper) only scored around a 60. In fact, I walk a lot more (to the Farmer’s Market, groceries, library, parks, coffee places) than I did at my old Seattle residence, which scored in the upper 80s. There are some funky choices within the categories, though—and perhaps in what they think makes life “walkable.”
13 | Posted by Alison | Jul 27, 05:32 PM
I scored 68 at just a few blocks from 6th/Alder. I suppose the score depends on how much you like to walk. I should put in some friends addresses who I know live “close to amenities” but the street has not even a shoulder to walk on. (UP blows-my opinion.) Nothing like living in the thick of things! Add the bus stop in front of ABC cafe and the I “walked” to Seattle last month.
15 | Posted by Christine | Jul 29, 12:45 PM
So I wonder where in Tacoma has the lowest score. I know we all love our local neighborhoods, but they’re not all very walkable. The North slope ranges from mid-50’s to about 80 near Stadium District.
For those of you who thought UPS was a school – walkscore says not so. Did you alumni realize you just hung out in a park for a few years?
I’d like to see walkscore add one of those Zillow/Wiki features where you can add local businesses that are not already listed. (Dave’s Meat Market or 8th & J park anyone?)
Other than wasting the few minutes Derek mentioned, the site also causes people to talk about how walkable their neighborhoods are. This is a very good thing.
16 | Posted by DavidS | Jul 30, 11:29 AM
the sprawlish areas of south south tacoma and out by the bridge have to have the worst walkable scores. My place at Thea’s Landing got a 78, pretty respectable. Altough the no grocery store didn’t hurt, but not realizing you have to walk around the waterway not straight across gave it a false boost on a few things. My parents place in the heart of the very booming Downtown Bellingam got a rocking 92! Great website though, I first saw this on buschix before I saw it here. I am gald it is getting around.
17 | Posted by Andrew | Jul 30, 08:40 PM
Hey, check it out, the TNT editorial page blog “discovered” WalkScore. Apparently having it on a local blog isn’t enough to warrant their notice, it has to appear in the WaPost… Tsk, tsk.
18 | Posted by jamie from thriceallamerican | Aug 9, 08:46 AM
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