Improving areas - making it safe, comfortable, and useful to walk in them - often means putting these neighborhoods out of reach for newcomers and, sometimes, even for those who already live there. This was mostly the story in the DC and Baltimore metro areas, though DC’s cost premiums stayed above the national average and Baltimore’s stayed below:Īlthough lower-income households are more in need of places where walking, bicycling, and transit are easy, the cost premium means it is harder for them to access and remain in these places. While the cost premium dropped for office space and multifamily homes in walkable places, nationally they still had a 44% and 41% cost premium, respectively, while retail has actually increased its cost premium by 14 percentage points, renting for 41% more than equivalent spaces in drivable suburbs. The pandemic, which pushed a lot of office employers to rethink their office space needs and the retooling of retail to serve different kinds of customers, didn’t upset this dynamic. Nationally, the authors found that there are not enough walkable places to meet demand, meaning those areas have a cost premium when compared to the drivable suburban areas of the rest of the same region. This edition focuses on the 35 largest metro areas in the country, together holding a bit more than half of the US population and more than half of its GDP. The 2023 edition of the Foot Traffic Ahead report is Smart Growth America’s fourth in the series, which examines the role and extent of walkable places in the largest metro areas of the United States. Pushing both up the rankings would be straightforward, though difficult, but just trying could make both the Washington and Baltimore regions economically and socially healthier and more vibrant. Only New York City and Boston outrank it.īaltimore ranks towards the middle of the pack on walkability at number 20, but, according to the same report, does a slightly better job of ensuring people of all incomes have access to it than DC. The Washington region boasts a host of walkable suburbs and town centers, a walkable core, and the high-quality transit to support it all. Greater Washington is the 3rd most walkable in the United States, according to a recent report by Smart Growth America. Eastern Market Flea Market by Hector Arbuckle used with permission.
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