Walkable neighborhoods increase business, property values

Walkability is the latest buzzword in real estate. While the concept is nothing new, millennials fueled by health consciousness and a sense of community purpose are snapping up properties in connected neighborhoods and Springfield’s urban core is booming with student housing.

“I see it a lot when someone moves in from out of state, walkability is something they’re really looking for,” said Murney Associates, Realtors agent Laurel Bryant. “There’s a huge push among millennials for neighborhoods like these, people who don’t want to be two-car dependent.”

Does that make an area walkable? Not necessarily. Online ranking system Walk Score rates cities based on an algorithm that analyzes hundreds of walking routes to nearby amenities. Points are awarded based on the distance to amenities – such as grocery stores, schools, dining and parks. Amenities within a five-minute walk – or roughly a quarter mile – are given maximum points.

Springfield has a Walk Score of 35, ranking it car dependent. Scores above 50 are considered somewhat walkable, 70-89 is very walkable, and the top echelon of 90-100 is considered a “walker’s paradise.” Ranking No. 1 in America, New York City has an overall Walk Score of 88, but 103 individual neighborhoods rank as a walker’s paradise, with 13 – think Little Italy and Gramercy Park – receiving a perfect score.

Other studies, such as The Walkable Neighborhoods Project through the Springfield Healthy Living Alliance, rate neighborhoods based on factors such as sidewalks, crossing aids, land use and speed limits.

What’s the benefit of a high Walk Score? Bryant said it’s hard to quantify but invaluable.

“Houses in Rountree, University Heights, Phelps Gove, those type of areas sell very quickly and walkability is a huge factor in that,” said the 22-year real estate veteran.

Springfield standout
In the Rountree neighborhood, it seems all sidewalks lead to the corner of Pickwick Street and Cherry Avenue. With a Walk Score of 60 – ranking it third in the Queen City – the area is home to multiple businesses’ such as Pickwick Place, Ott’s Pasta and Cherry Picker Package and Fare. Tea Bar and Bites owner Colleen Smith has served up edibles such as caramel rolls and chicken curry salad for more than 12 years.

“Walkability effects a lot, it brings us the support of the neighborhood,” said Smith, a Rountree resident. “I knew I wanted to have a business in this neighborhood because of that influence. People walk from home, ride their bikes and I’ve even had a family sled in on snow days.”

Larger cities tend to have higher scores, but Springfield is in good company toward the bottom.

“Of the top 50, many of the larger cities have lower scores, such as a 38 in Las Vegas, a 35 in Austin, Texas, and 24 in Charlotte, (N.C.),” said Aleisha Jacobson, business manager for Seattle-based Walk Score. “A lower rate isn’t an indication of a bad city. It just may be more spread out than others.”

Originally incubated in West Coast community-minded think tank Front Seat, Walk Score now is part of Redfin, an online real estate database and brokerage service. Walk Score research found a correlation between walkability to everything from your waist to your pocketbook.

“Residents in highly walkable neighborhoods tend to weigh 6 to 10 pounds less,” Jacobson said. “Also, for every point your Walk Score increases, we believe it adds about $3,000 in property value.”

Company research shows not only does walkability lead to a more friendly community but also a more active one. For every 10 minutes a person spends in a daily car commute, time spent in community activities falls by roughly 10 percent.

“Front porches make strong communities,” Bryant said. “Connectivity means investment. Investment means you care about the good of your community.”

Walk Score’s ultimate goal is to become part of standard real estate listings: two bedroom, two bath, Walk Score 82. It hasn’t come to fruition in Springfield yet, but Bryant said it may not be far off.

“A few years ago, I was working with a professor to sell his home. He asked that I include the Walk Score in the listing,” said Bryant, who also lives in Rountree. “Since then, I’ve made it a point to include walking notes in my listings.”

Walk Score alternative
A study by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, part of the Federal Highway Administration, noted several limitations of relying on Walk Score. While the algorithm is based on recent research around walkability, it does not account for factors that also affect the propensity to walk, such as street design, safety and topography.

The 2012-13 Springfield Walkable Neighborhoods Project considered these factors and more. Studying 12 neighborhoods via walking observations, the project’s uniqueness makes a city-to-city comparison difficult.

“We can’t really tell how we compare to other cities, but it can tell us where we need to improve,” said Jon Mooney, administrator of the Chronic Disease Prevention Division for the Springfield-Greene County Health Department. “Springfield does recreation well and a lot of areas scored really well there, but not as much when it comes to walking for needs or services.”

Areas such as Grant Beach received an 87 percent for sidewalk availability, Midtown scored 95 percent. Mooney said the city has taken efforts another step in the right direction, passing the Complete Street Project.

According to the December 2014 bill, “Every public street, walkway and greenway trail right-of-way in Springfield should be planned, designed, constructed, maintained and operated to the fullest extent feasible to provide a transportation system such that all users will have transportation options to safely and conveniently travel to their destination.”

A complete street policy does not mandate specific features, but rather require full evaluation of the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users and drivers.

“It’s harder to redesign an existing community, but this project takes in account all road improvements going forward,” Mooney said. “That foresight can change a city.”

For its efforts, Springfield was named a Bronze Level Walk Friendly Community by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center in 2015. Of the 57 Walk Friendly Communities across the nation, Seattle, remains the only Platinum Level Walk Friendly Community.

“Some people aren’t attracted to that mix of residential and commercial, but most agree a good sidewalk system is key,” said agent Bryant. “Walkability is a buzzword right now, but I also think it might be here to stay.”