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04 · Mobility Patterns

Does Walk Score Predict How People Actually Walk?

R Walk Score Mobility Data Spatial Statistics
1

Background & motivation

At Yale's Livable City Lab, I built a geodatabase to answer a pretty simple question: does a high Walk Score actually mean people walk more? Not consistently. The mismatch tracks closely with distance from downtown, which is why I treat the score as a screening tool now, not something I'd trust as an outcome measure on its own.

2

National picture: score vs. behavior

Score vs. observed behavior — by metro area
Scatter plot of observed walking trips vs theoretical Walk Score across U.S. metro areas
Observed walking trips vs. Walk Score
Scatter plot of observed walking distance vs theoretical Walk Score across U.S. metro areas
Observed walking distance vs. Walk Score
Scatter plot of observed walking time vs theoretical Walk Score across U.S. metro areas
Observed walking time vs. Walk Score
Polynomial fit of observed walking trips against Walk Score, R-squared 0.29
Polynomial fit, trips vs. Walk Score (R² = 0.29)
Distribution by walkability category
Kernel density of observed walking trips by walkability category
Walking trips by category
Kernel density of observed walking distance by walkability category
Walking distance by category
Kernel density of observed walking time by walkability category
Walking time by category
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Case study: underperforming neighborhoods in Los Angeles

Underperforming tracts — mapped
Map of Los Angeles tracts underperforming on observed walking trips relative to Walk Score
By observed walking trips
Map of Los Angeles tracts underperforming on observed walking distance relative to Walk Score
By observed walking distance
Map of Los Angeles tracts underperforming on observed walking time relative to Walk Score
By observed walking time
Distance from city center
Average Walk Score of underperforming Los Angeles tracts by distance from city center
Average Walk Score
Average observed walking trips of underperforming Los Angeles tracts by distance from city center
Average walking trips
Average observed walking distance of underperforming Los Angeles tracts by distance from city center
Average walking distance
Average observed walking time of underperforming Los Angeles tracts by distance from city center
Average walking time