A city’s walkability contributes to improved health outcomes for residents, lower crime rates and increased civic engagement. Governments can use data and artificial intelligence to improve their streets for pedestrians.
Walkable neighborhoods have long been prized among urban designers. Walkability is linked to benefits including higher property values, less crime and better health among residents. For example, one recent study found that older adults living in easy-to-walk communities not only had better physical health, but also higher cognitive functions.Another study found that walkable neighborhoods are associated with more arts organizations and higher levels of civic engagement.
There are many ways cities can become more walkable. Jeff Speck, a city planner who has written two books on the subject, Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America One Step at a Time and Walkable City Rules: 101 Steps to Making Better Places, has identified countless ways to improve the walkability of cities such as providing mixed use development, consolidating parking, providing good transit and biking options, and even planting more trees. But in addition to improving the physical features that make cities more walkable, some cities are using technology to address this problem
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