The Science Is In: Walkability Works

BIGGER PICTURE | A landmark study proves that walkable cities actually cause people to walk more, and shows why the Triangle must keep growing inward and upward

These graphs will all make sense in a minute.

Scientists have long known that people who live in more walkable neighborhoods (and countries!) walk more, and as a result have better health outcomes.

It makes intuitive sense that people who have places to walk to, and better environments to walk in, are more likely to walk than people who don’t. However obvious that claim seems, it’s been difficult to prove causality — to figure out whether that correlation wasn’t just because the people who like to walk move to walkable places… and therefore walk more.