Community Corner

'Main Streets' Mean More Walking

A study shows residents who live close to traditional shopping districts are less likely to take a car to get where they're going.

If you live in a neighborhood close to a “main street" district, you walk more than residents who don't, according to a recently released study. 

A research team at University of California at Irvine examined towns in California (Patch discovered the results from a post on Streets Blog) and—surprise, surprise—found that residents of communities with traditional main street designs walked more. 

The study also revealed residents close to these “main streets” use their cars less often than people in more suburban settings.

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Some of the findings are reinforced by Baltimore City's pedestrian friendly neighborhood rankings on Walk Score.

This summer the website ranked the neighborhoods in Baltimore in terms of pedestrian friendliness. And those rankings appear to confirm the idea that "main streets" nearby result in residents walking more.

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The North Baltimore neighborhoods of Hampden and Charles Village were both in the top 10 in terms of walker-friendly neighborhoods. Both of those communities feature vibrant commercial districts that encourage residents to walk to nearby businesses.

Although a shopping district alone isn’t enough to cause a neighborhood’s “walkability” ranking to shoot up. Mount Washington has a shopping district but received the lowest “Walk Score” of any of the neighborhoods covered by North Baltimore Patch.

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