Urban Future Walkability Ratings

Abstract

This study ranks seven different cities in the Western United States on their plans for improving urban walkability. The seven cities included are Scottsdale, AZ; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; San Antonio, TX; Portland, OR; San Francisco, CA; and Denver, CO. Each of these cities is ranked based on its most up-to-date walkability-action plan that is produced either by the city government or by a campaign organization directly affiliated with the city government. A set of criteria was developed based on the data found in similar studies. After the nine criteria were determined, each of the city’s action plans was assessed on both the inclusion and detail of the criteria. The city was then given a score for each category. A score of 0 indicates that the criterion was not mentioned in the action plan at all while 1 point means it was mentioned, but without any actionable plan or specific information on how it would be implemented, and 2 points means it was not only mentioned in the plan, but there were concrete examples of where and when it would be implemented. Ultimately, the scores were as follows: Los Angeles and San Antonio, 15 Points each; Scottsdale and Denver, 13 points each; San Francisco, 9 Points; Las Vegas, 7 Points; and Portland, 3 Points. The cities with the highest scores (Los Angeles and San Antonio) aren’t those with the best walkability currently, but rather those that have the most detailed and transparent plans to improve their walkability in the future. This study highlights the cities’ plans to promote urban resiliency, which is important to understand considering the many compounding challenges, such as climate change and population growth, that impact urban areas.