Archive for June, 2010

We’re excited to announce a new grant from Active Living Research, a national program office of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The goal of the Active Living Research program is to support research to prevent childhood obesity and support active communities.

Under this grant, we will evaluate modifications to Walk Score that include using walking distances rather than as-the-crow-flies distances as well as deeper analysis of the road network to determine pedestrian friendliness.

As part of this collaborative grant, we will be working with Urban Design 4 Health and Dr. Lawrence Frank, a leading walkability researcher from the University of British Columbia.

It’s energizing to see the interest in Walk Score from the academic and policy communities, and we look forward to continuing to partner with researchers and organizations such as CEOs for Cities, Dr. Gary Pivo, and Dr. Lucas Carr.

The walkability of a neighborhood can be one of the most important factors in considering a senior living community. Many seniors do not drive and rely on their ability to walk to maintain their health and independence. Check out Assisted Living Source’s Top 100 Walkable Communities where assisted living facilities are listed by their Walk Score.