What is a walk score?

What Is A Walk Score?

Walk scores and walkability are often used in real estate terminology, but what do they mean? Are they meaningful, quantifiable things or only real estate conversations? Do they matter? Here is all you should know.

Real estate agents always attempt to add value as clients hunt for their next possible property. There is a tendency on real estate websites to provide a Walk Score with each listing.

The purpose of a walk score is to express an aggregate amount of data with a single measure. A Walk score is the estimated friendliness of a house for its owner to walk to daily necessities. Walk Score is a comprehensive, publicly accessible "walkability index" established in the United States that assigns a numeric value to every location in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The walk score measures a property's "walkability" by examining the accessibility to surrounding facilities on foot. The primary notion is that the greater the walk score, the closer the neighborhood's amenities. There is a free internet version and a premium professional version.

Future tenants of a property may readily determine how close they will be to daily conveniences, such as stores, public transportation, parks, restaurants, coffee shops, and essential services.

The Walk Score Canada entails calculating a score from zero to a hundred (0 to 100). The calculation depends on the walking distance from a specific property to a range of critical facilities that an average person needs daily.

How Is Walk Score Calculated?

The calculation considers the walking distance between a specific property and seven adjacent amenities: grocery, eating and drinking, retail, chores, parks, institutions, and culture and entertainment. Maximum points are granted for locations within a quarter-mile walking distance, while fewer points are awarded for areas up to 1.5 miles away. The result is scaled to match a 0 to 100 scale; a score of 0 indicates that all errands need a vehicle and the region is car-dependent. The maximum Score of 100 indicates that a car is not necessary to reside in the area since it is possible to complete everyday errands on foot.

What Is A Good Walk Score In Real Estate

Neighborhoods with a score of 70 or above are highly walkable. The top scores are at least 90 and higher.

Here's how Walk Score segregates their scores:

● 90-100: Walker's Paradise. Routine errands do not need a vehicle.

● 70-89: Very Walkable. The majority of chores may be possible to complete on foot.

● 50-69: Fairly walkable. Only some tasks are likely to be achieved on foot.

● 25-49: Car-Dependent. Most errands need a vehicle.

● 0-24: Car-Dependent. Almost all activities need a car.

Walk Score also considers population density and road attributes, such as block length and junction density. Further, the Walk Score does not account for aesthetics or hygiene. It is not a metric of a walk's quality. Walk Score also generates transit and bike ratings to indicate the effort required to reach destinations by bike or public transportation.

Occasionally, a walkability score could be helpful, whereas it might be misleading other times. If walkability is important to you as a buyer, knowing how the Score is generated might help you avoid overlooking houses that are more walkable than their scores imply.

The Importance Of Walkability 

The walkability of a community is an important attribute. The presence of pedestrians on the roads is indicative of a flourishing community. Not by chance are walkable neighborhoods more prosperous, healthier, and happier.

A community's walkability is the degree to which it supports strolling for utility and enjoyment. A walkable neighborhood provides essential facilities within easy reach, so residents do not need to drive. Walkable areas are not simply accessible but pleasurable. Even when facilities are similarly accessible, shopping, visiting, and traveling by foot is more pleasurable in specific communities than in others. The advantages of walkability are evident, and urban planners are still researching methods to make towns more walkable.

Upgrades to walkability may need long-term preparation, but many could be implemented if local organizations and companies take the initiative. Ultimately, a more walkable city benefits the neighborhood and the everyday lives of its residents.

Apart from walk score or good walkability, another major factor is Walk Appeal. Walk Appeal aims to identify and evaluate the aspects contributing to a more enjoyable streetscape. Using the complementing concept of Walk Appeal, planning experts have sought to address the flaws with Walk Score. Instead of only concentrating on walkable distances, Walk Appeal also considers quality.

As we already mentioned, the more people on the streets, the more thriving the community may seem. Also, it results in a strong community. Hence, Walk Appeal emphasizes that if the surroundings favor walking, people would walk farther and enjoy the experience more. If, on the other hand, a street environment is unfriendly to pedestrians, individuals will be less inclined to walk longer distances. Regrettably, the concept's value is constrained since it is challenging to quantify. Walk Score can rapidly assess large regions by accumulating internet data, while Walk Appeal needs an on-the-ground examination.

Top Toronto Neighbourhoods for Walk Score

*Data pulled from walkscore.com

What Are The Benefits Of Choosing Good Walkability Property? 

The advantages of walkability to human health, the planet, our wallets, and our communities are unexpected. The foundation for happier, wealthier, and more sustainable citizens is walkable areas with public transportation access and immediate vicinity to other individuals and businesses. Here are some possible benefits of a good walking score in Canada.

● Health Benefits: 30 minutes of daily walking may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, overweight, diabetes, and depression. On average, people in walkable areas are 6 to 10 pounds lighter than those in expansive communities. Walking, particularly in areas with convenient access to public transportation and facilities, may decrease stress and boost enjoyment.

● Environment: Walking produces no greenhouse gas emissions or other contaminants. Further, walkability may reduce the need for homeowners to own or operate a vehicle.

● Financial Benefits: Walking may significantly cut transportation expenditures, mainly if it is compensated for driving a vehicle. Moreover, maintaining a car adds to one's expenses, including regular maintenance, fuel, etc. So, walking in a neighborhood with a good score and access to public transit will save you a lot.

● Fostering a good community: Walking is accessible and beneficial to business. Walking improves local familiarisation and enhances the possibility of meeting neighbors, fostering community.

Some Red Flags Associated With Walk Score

Walk score is dependent on the information sources available. If it is unaware of the Coffeehouse across the road from your residence, it cannot include it in its rankings. You have the option to upload missing neighborhood facilities to Google's Local Search API and boost your walk score ranking as a result. Walk Score is also ignorant of several essential elements since it does not account for terrain, roadway design, public transit accessibility, or water bodies in its ranks. The Walk Score methodology does not measure a neighborhood's aesthetic appeal but rather it's car-free living. This greenery may boost your quality of life if you live anywhere near a nature park or hiking paths, but it will not increase your walk score.

Walk Score does not account for walkway width or connection. However, proximity to your favorite stores is of minimal use if there are no safe sidewalks along the way. Walk Score assesses closeness. However, it entirely disregards three crucial factors:

● Accessibility

● Appeal

● Security

How To Increase Walkability?

Walkable communities are more appealing and encourage a healthier way of life. Fortunately, the technique for increasing walkability and walking regularity is relatively straightforward and may be implemented within a minimal budget and time frame.

Providing walkers with accessibility, security, and walkability is the foundation for increasing walkability. If any of these conditions are missing, individuals will seek other modes of transportation.

1. Improve access

Pedestrian accessibility is a fundamental factor, although a surprising percentage of projects emphasize car design. This preference for cars generally eliminates pedestrian access for residents, increasing unnecessary car travel under the pretext of convenience. In the end, the client must pay a higher price for transportation, and companies must spend more on parking spots.

Some tips on improving pedestrian access include:

● Make locations available to pedestrians by prioritizing the entrances of sidewalks and walkways over automobile parking.

● When parking is centralized and priced correctly, spaces become more walkable.

● Link crowded areas with transit. Connect crowded neighborhoods with bus routes to increase the number of pedestrian journeys.

2. Increase safety

Both perceived and real protection significantly impact the decision between walking and driving. Walking is generally safer than driving, although this perception is not always accepted. Individuals may perceive walking as more dangerous, despite its relative safety, owing to the physical vulnerabilities they experience while out in the open, adjacent to massive, fast-moving vehicles.

A few design modifications may boost pedestrian comfort and safety. These include:

● Connect walkways. The utility of sidewalks drastically diminishes when they are not linked. Pedestrians require a continuous path to reach their location safely.

● Add barriers. At times, pedestrians can come close to heavy traffic, leading to fatalities and using barricades or trees as a barrier to safeguard pedestrians while preserving the surrounding area's natural beauty.

● Provide sufficient illumination. Walking doesn't halt after sunset. Ensure the safety and comfort of people on walking paths by providing enough lighting.

3. Enhance the aesthetic appeal:

An aesthetic appeal may be difficult to quantify, but its importance is undeniable; the distance pedestrians travel frequently relies on the route's attractiveness. Creating more walkable spaces is possible by adhering to basic design principles.

● Create enticing environments. People want to be stimulated when walking and are more inclined to do so in places with aesthetically appealing architecture, art, and facilities.

● Create a feeling of natural enclosure. People feel safer in enclosed environments. Shrubs, trees, and flowerbeds are outstanding landscaping elements for creating a pleasant outdoor environment for pedestrians.

● Build parks. Parks provide a tranquil environment for pedestrians to explore or pass through on route to their location. Further, this also increases the number of journeys made on foot.

How To Promote Your Walk Score in Toronto?

The most straightforward and accurate approach to promoting the walkability of your home is to include its Walk Score in your renting listings. This online tool considers factors such as your apartment's proximity to eateries, parks, libraries, malls, and institutions. Your walk score is determined by your address's proximity to these landmarks; the greater the Score, the more pedestrians in the area. The website provides an extra rating for favorability. You will also get information on surrounding destinations that will assist you in highlighting your property's excellent characteristics.

Further, a better walk score may result in higher property values, which is terrific news for landlords looking to maximize rental revenue. If your walk score does not seem high enough, identify any notable locations or companies within easy reach. Even if your property is not the most accessible on the market, prospective renters will still appreciate a nearby supermarket or an easily accessible park for their dogs or children.

Conclusion:

Walkability might be more crucial than ever before. Undoubtedly, as habits evolve to incorporate more strolling and riding, a property in a walkable neighborhood will remain a top priority for prospective renters. You'll fill vacancies more quickly, see a drop in vacancies, and see a boost in market rent rates if you provide the walking score information to potential renters.