Walk score™ as a global estimate of neighborhood walkability.
BACKGROUND
Walk Score recently has been demonstrated as a valid and reliable tool for estimating access to nearby facilities, a critical component of the physical activity environment. It has not yet been determined whether Walk Score relates to other critical components of the physical activity environment, including street connectivity, access to public transit, residential density, and crime.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between Walk Score and objective/subjective measures of the physical activity environment.


METHODS
Walk Scores were calculated for residential addresses of 296 participants of two RCTs (2006-2009). Street connectivity, residential density, access to public transit provisions, and crime were objectively measured (GIS) and cross-referenced with Walk Scores and participant's perceptions of the environment (e.g., perceived crime, access to physical activity facilities, perceived neighborhood walkability). Pairwise Pearson correlations were calculated in March 2010 to compare Walk Score to subjective/objective measures of neighborhood walkability.


RESULTS
Significant positive correlations were identified between Walk Score and several objective (e.g., street connectivity, residential density and access to public transit provisions) and subjective (e.g., summed score of the physical activity environment) measures of the physical activity environment. However, positive correlations also were observed between Walk Score and crime.


CONCLUSIONS
Collectively, these findings support Walk Score as a free, easy-to-use, and quick proxy of neighborhood density and access to nearby amenities. However, positive associations between Walk Score and reported crime highlight a limitation of Walk Score and warrant caution of its use.
Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA. carrl@ecu.edu
Lucas J
LJ
Carr
Shira I
SI
Dunsiger
Bess H
BH
Marcus
D003415:Crime / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012237:Rhode Island; D012449:Safety; D014186:Transportation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016138:Walking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*