The simple act of designing walkable communities promotes good health, supports economic prosperity, and advances environmental sustainability.

Walkable Communities Promote Good Health

• Walking 30 minutes a day can ward off chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer and stroke. Yet the lack of walking or physical inactivity contributes to death among 50% of the U.S. population.
• People who live in neighborhoods safer to walk make 4 times as many walking and biking trips, 3 times as many transit trips, take fewer car trips, and drive fewer miles.[1]
• Only 21% to 34% of U.S. adults meet public health recommendations of getting 30 minutes of physical activity by walking 5 times a week. [2]
• Physical inactivity costs California $13.3 billion in medical care, workers' compensation, and lost productivity each year. [3] If California residents improved their physical inactivity by 5% over the next 5 years, it woul dsave more than $1.3 billion per year. [4]

Walkable Communities Support Economic Prosperity

• Sales tax receipts from 97 local businesses (2010) in the Bird Rock community of San Diego spiked from approximately $122,000 to $152,000 in 2006 and 2007 immediately following installation of a series of roundabouts to calm traffic at La Jolla Boulevard. [5]
• A $4.5 million investment in streetscape and pedestrian improvements on School Street in Lodi, California, combined with economic development incentives, were credited with attracting 60 new businesses, decreasing the vacancy rate from 18% to 6% and increasing downtown sales tax revenue by 30%. 
• A recent report released by WalkSanDiego found neighborhood deemed to be more walkable maintained almost 5% more of their property value than not walkable neighborhoods.   The report created 11 study zones within the City of San Diego and compared assessed property values for property that transferred in 2007 to 2009. It then classified the study zones as ‘walkable’ or ‘not walkable’ based on a common consensus of people living and traveling to the areas. 

Walkable Communities Advance Environmental Sustainability

• Imagine the benefits of saving one pound of carbon dioxide for every one mile trip you don't drive. It would have a significant impact on California where 37% of the state's green house gas emissions come from transportation.
• The transportation sector is the fastest growing carbon dioxide source in the U.S. with emission rates rising 2% per year. Even with expected improvements in vehicle and fuel economy, carbon emissions from transportation would be 41% above today's levels by 2030 if driving is not curbed.
• In San Diego, approximately 74% of the population drives alone to work.
• To achieve state green house gas targets, SANDAG projects a 30% increase in people walking to work by the year 2050 in its Regional Transportation Plan. Such an increase will lead to 159,485 fewer automobile trips each day and 159,421 fewer pounds of carbon dioxide into the air each day.
• Similarly, SANDAG expects 30% more kids to walk and/or bike to school in order to meet green house gas targets. By 2050, if 28,051 more kids are walking or biking to shcool as anticipated, the region will experience 29,610 fewer automobile trips each day and enjoy 29,598 fewer pounds of carbon dioxide in the air.