Walk Score Unveils America's Most Walkable Nei...(e economicenvironmental health and socia...),Health

"We developed Walk Score to help people evaluate the walkability of individual addresses as they search for a great place to live," says Mike Mathieu, founder of Front Seat. "Ultimately, we'd like to see every property listing include a Walk Score -- 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, Walk Score of 80."

The Walk Score algorithm works by identifying the closest grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops and other amenities near a given address. The neighborhoods were weighted by population and assigned a Walk Score between 0 and 100. Walk Scores greater than 70 indicate neighborhoods where it's possible to get by without owning a car, while scores of 90+ qualify as a "Walker's Paradise."

"As Americans look to reduce their environmental impact and ease reliance on cars, the appeal of walkable communities continues to grow," says Christopher Leinberger of the Brookings Institution. "People increasingly value the convenience and connectedness that vibrant, walkable communities offer -- and the health, safety and environmental benefits are icing on the cake."

About Front Seat and Walk Score

Walk Score is a project of Front Seat, a civic software company based in Seattle. Front Seat software connects people to the places we live, the resources we consume, and our communities. Since its launch in July 2007, Walk Score has become the most popular measure of walkability in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., with more than two million addresses scored. The Walk Score team is advised by an eight-person Advisory Board, which includes urban planning, environmental and technical experts from institutions such as Sightline Institute, The Brookings Institution, and Google. Detailed methodology information is available on the Walk Score web site.