Rediscovering Walking

If you can't walk to the corner market for a few groceries, you might be suburban.

If you have never walked to the library, you might live too far from town.

If you can't walk to a nice restaurant and stroll home with your sweetie under a full moon, you might be missing something special.

Healdsburg, my work-base in the wine country, still retains it's original small town charm. We have a plaza where people can congregate for weekly outdoor concerts. There are markets at both ends of town and more shopping in the middle, so people can walk north or south and shop within walking distance of home. There is a real downtown area that's often thronged with people sightseeing, hanging out, or grabbing a meal. It just feels right to be here.

Our real estate office is only a block from the plaza and judging by the number of people who want to grab real estate flyers and brochures, almost everyone is intrigued by the idea of living here as well, Towns and neighborhoods built on a human walking scale are just plain comfortable..

100

This graphic is from the great website, Walkscore.com. Walkscore rates towns based on how many amenities are within walking distance of your location. The link above shows that Healdsburg scored 100 which is a great walkability result. You should visit the WalkScore site and put in your address to see how your town is doing for walkability.

In addition to simple scoring, the site has lots of useful information about walking, quality of life, and the existence of great walkable areas even in cities that aren't known for being friendly to walkers. If you feel at all civically inclined, their front page currently has a walkability link to encourage politicians to support walking, biking, and transit in the 2009 Transportation Bill.

Whether you are rural, subarban, or a city dweller, walking more is good for your health, good for the planet if you're cutting down on driving, and good for your spirit. A brisk walk on a crisp summer morning with the dew still on the grass is refreshing no matter where you are. Even if you just take one fewer driving trip per week, you are doing yourself and the planet a favor.