Mike’s Real Estate Show

  I was alerted to the following web site from a listener to the show, Michael Houlihan, Managing Member for Foss Creek Villas, LLC. Mike, who will be on the show later in July, was boasting of the “walkability” of the Foss Creek Villas in Healdsburg (www.fosscreekvillas.com). His community was in the “90’s” for “walkability” which means one living in Foss Creek Villas could get by WITHOUT A CAR!! Here is an explanation of the “walkscore” system and the web site. http://www.walkscore.com

“What is Walk Score? We help people find houses and apartments in walkable neighborhoods. Walk Score shows you a map of what’s nearby and calculates a Walk Score for any property. Living in a walkable neighborhood is good for the environment and good for your health. ”

“How It Works
Walk Score helps people find walkable places to live. Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. Walk Score measures how easy it is to live a car-lite lifestyle—not how pretty the area is for walking.”

“What does my score mean?
Your Walk Score is a number between 0 and 100. Here are general guidelines for interpreting your score:

90 - 100 = Walkers’ Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.
70 - 90 = Very Walkable: It’s possible to get by without owning a car.
50 - 70 = Some Walkable Locations: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.
25 - 50 = Not Walkable: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must.
0 - 25 = Driving Only: Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!
Walk Score™ uses a patent-pending system to calculate the walkability of an address based on:

The distance to walkable locations near an address.
Calculating a score for each of these locations.
Combining these scores into one easy to read Walk Score.”

Why Walking Matters
Walkable neighborhoods offer surprising benefits to our health, the environment, and our communities.

Better health: A study in Washington State found that the average resident of a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood weighs 7 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood1. Residents of walkable neighborhoods drive less and suffer fewer car accidents, a leading cause of death between the ages of 15 - 45.

Reduction in greenhouse gas: Cars are a leading cause of global warming. Your feet are zero pollution transportation machines.

More transportation options: Compact neighborhoods tend to have higher population density, which leads to more public transportation options and bicycle infrastructure. Not only is taking the bus cheaper than driving, but riding a bus is ten times safer than driving a car2!

Increased social capital: Walking increases social capital by promoting face-to-face interaction with your neighbors. Studies have shown that for each 10 minutes a person spends in a daily car commute, time spent in community activities falls by 10 percent3.

Stronger local businesses: Dense, walkable neighborhoods provide local businesses with the foot traffic they need to thrive. It’s easier for pedestrians to shop at many stores on one trip, since they don’t need to drive between destinations.

It Adds Up
Our friends at the Sightline Institute summed it up best in the 2006 Cascadia Scorecard:

“Over time, these differences compound. Step by step, the extra walking helps the family in the compact neighborhood remain, well, compact. They keep off weight and exercise more, helping to prevent chronic ailments such as diabetes and heart disease. Fewer miles in cars—and perhaps more in buses—keep them safer from fatal or debilitating crashes. The air they breathe may even be cleaner than their suburban counterparts’, especially if they spend less time in the “pollution tunnel” of busy highways. And they may interact with their neighbors more, which helps connect them to their community and fosters close friendships within their own neighborhood. This in turn may help buoy their health and lift their spirits in hard times.

Conversely, the family in the sprawling neighborhood is more prone to weight gain and inactivity (and the resulting disease) and car and truck crashes (and the resulting devastation). They spend more time in their cars, which may expose them to worse air quality on the highway, while diminishing their contacts with neighbors and involvement in their community.

The difference between the families on any of these measures would not be large. But small differences spread across millions of such families amount to colossal costs: sprawl cuts short Cascadians’ lives.”

I think it would be fun to apply this score to the areas you have designated as possible home relocation areas. You might want to re-think your “walkability” score in light of $5.00 per gallon gas!! Have fuN!