Years ago, most city people lived in neighborhoods that were close to everything essential, and everyone walked. Kids walked to school and parents walked to the hardware store or grocery store. It was not uncommon to walk to restaurants or bars, and everyone walked to parks, libraries, and places of worship. In those days, adults and children spent time on their front porches and waved at neighbors when they strolled by. Back then, neighborhoods were safer, the air was cleaner, and people were healthier. Many families managed with just one car.

Gradually things changed. People began to move out of cities in favor of suburban developments and automobiles by necessity became more pervasive. In most cases, this meant people were located far from the resources they require on a daily basis, making walking impractical. Today some neighborhoods don’t even have sidewalks. A typical family has multiple cars and spends a lot of time and money on transportation.

While conventional suburban developments continue to be popular, some people are beginning to recognize the value of living close to the resources they value the most. The result is an increase in demand for housing in what are called walkable neighborhoods; places where families can leave their cars in the garage and walk to stores, restaurants, schools, libraries, and parks.

What is Walkability?

To some extent, walkability varies with the individual, as everyone has a different idea of how far they are willing to walk or bike before they get the car out of the garage. For example, families with children will have different needs from Empty Nesters and young couples. In addition, while many walkable neighborhoods are urban and close to downtown, others are mixed-use, suburban developments. In the latter, if they are well planned, critical resources such as gyms, restaurants, libraries, coffee shops, and walking trails are part of the subdivision from the start. Often planned communities such as this also offer easy access to resources outside of the area, such as jobs or the airport, via public transportation or walking/biking trails.

One example of a walkable community in our area is Old Trail in western Albemarle County. Old Trail features a Village Center that includes shops, restaurants, and a salon. People seeking to work out can go to the gym, take a swim in the pool, or enjoy a round of golf at the local course. Medical care is available at a satellite office of the Augusta Medical Center and there is talk of a grocery store opening on-site in the future. All of these resources are centrally located and within walking distance of Old Trail residents. In addition, a new Harris Teeter is about a mile away, and while that may be a walkable distance for some, the lack of sidewalks means it may still be necessary (for safety reasons) to drive a car, although not very far. Plans are in the works to make it easier and safer to walk or bike to this and many of the other nearby Crozet resources.

Another walkable Charlottesville area community is Belvedere. Located off of Rio Road just 2.5 miles from downtown Charlottesville, it offers properties in a range of different prices including (in the near future) apartments. Belvedere also features extensive walking and biking trails. Drew Holzwarth, head of Piedmont Realty & Construction, which builds in Belvedere, emphasized the importance of these trails for walkability within the community as well as to the outside. He also stressed that for trails such as these to be effective, they must be part of the master plan for the community. In the case of Belvedere, he said, the walkways were laid out at the same time they planned the streets.

Today Belvedere’s trails link up with the Rivanna Trail System and (in the future) with the bike trails that will be a part of Meadowcreek Parkway. This means residents can walk to the Downtown Mall and other points along the way using paths that begin right in their subdivision. Belvedere also boasts a central gathering place called a Village Green and eventually will have shops, office space, restaurants, a coffee house, and other similar resources, all within walking distance of residents.

If you want more information about walkability, start with a visit to www.walkscore.com. This Web site maps any home in relation to local resources such as restaurants, coffee shops, libraries, schools, grocery stores, and parks. It then assigns a walkability score between 1 and 100. The average walkability score for Charlottesville is 71.

Of course, the best way to determine if a neighborhood is right for you is to go there. Check out the various resources to see if they are ones you would use, talk to the neighbors, and notice if there are people out walking or biking. Then decide if a neighborhood is walkable enough for your needs.

A Different Lifestyle

The demand for walkability is in essence a quest for a different lifestyle. It comes from individuals who want to spend more time with family and leisure activities and less time in the car, and are willing to relocate to find what they need. Research shows these individuals may be environmentally and health conscious young professionals such as singles or young couples who don’t yet have children. Another group with a high demand for walkability is the Empty Nesters tired of spending long hours on crowded highways and who are also yearning for a simpler lifestyle.

The demand for walkable communities is, however, not limited to childless couples. Many parents prefer communities that provide sidewalks or trails so that children can walk or bike safely to and from school, the local swimming pool, library, or pizza place. Fortunately, planned communities such as Old Trail or Belvedere offer a range of housing styles and prices to meet the needs of families of all sizes, and the agents who work in these areas agree that the heterogeneity of the communities is a plus for everyone.

The Appeal of Walkable Communities

A big part of the appeal of these special neighborhoods is the opportunity to meet other people and be part of a community. Andrea Gruber, a REALTOR® with Real Estate III, sells property in Old Trail and calls it a dream come true for many families. To illustrate the excitement that many people feel about living there, Gruber reported that one of her clients expressed interest in a lot that was already sold, but on which the owner had yet to build. She offered to call the owners to see if they would be interested in selling the lot. The owners’ answer was an emphatic, “No.” They said even if they were offered $600,000 for the lot they would not sell, because they were so looking forward to living the Old Trail lifestyle.

Jonathan Kauffmann, a REALTOR® with Nest Realty Group, says that the concept of walkable communities is very popular elsewhere. When people from those areas move here, they seek out communities like Old Trail because they are already sold on the concept of walkability. In Old Trail, sidewalks connect the different neighborhoods to each other and to all the amenities. Kids can bike safely to restaurants, the library, or the pool without having to cross any busy streets. Most children are close enough to walk to school if they choose, although buses also service the neighborhood. Eventually there will be walking and biking trails to the schools, making the trip by foot even easier.

In large urban areas, walkability often means living close to downtown. While this has its advantages, it also means living in older homes. Kauffmann pointed out that part of the appeal of a community like Old Trail is that it provides all of the benefits of walkability, plus the opportunity to live in a newer home.

At Belvedere, the appeal of walkability is enhanced by extra-large sidewalks that are 5’ wide and 5’ from the road. Jay Kalagher, an agent with Real Estate III, described them as both comfortable and safe. In addition, he said, most homes have rear-load garages that are approached via an alley. This means walkers have an easier time, since they don’t have to contend with breaks in the sidewalk for driveways. They can also enjoy the many parks which Drew Holzwarth says are part of the original plan for this community. These include green spaces (called pocket parks) within 200’ of each of the lots. Cluster mailboxes are situated near these mini parks, making them a natural place for residents to gather and get to know each other.

Of course, walkability has a special appeal to people interested in a greener, healthier lifestyle. A car that spends more time in the garage contributes less to air pollution and greenhouse gases, while people who walk more and drive less are healthier both from the exercise and the cleaner air. Holzwarth pointed out that in Belvedere many people can use public transportation to get to work, allowing some families to trade in at least one of their cars.

Since they drive less, people in walkable communities can have more money in their pockets than those who live in traditional suburban developments. A study in Atlanta showed two-person households in the most walkable neighborhoods saved approximately $640 per year compared to their counterparts in more auto-oriented areas. Similarly, author and real estate developer Christopher Leinberger states that car-dependent households spend as much as 25% of their income on transportation, compared to as little as 9% spent by those living in walkable urban environments. Of course, as gas prices rise, this gap may increase.

Property Values in Walkable Neighborhoods

Does the demand for walkable communities translate into higher prices for the homes there? In a recent study commissioned by CEOs for Cities (www.ceosforcities.org), economists found a strong positive correlation between walkability and home prices in 13 of 15 communities even after controlling for other factors that influence home values. The relative scarcity of these kinds of communities suggests that demand may push prices up.

Some predicted demographic shifts also suggest increases in the demand for walkable communities. Arthur Nelson, a resident fellow at Virginia Tech’s Metropolitan Institute, projects a one-third increase in the U.S. population over the next 30 years, of which only 12% will be households with children. Single-person households, on the other hand, will account for as much as 34% of this increase which, along with a large aging population, could contribute to an increase in the demand for walkable neighborhoods.

The agents who work in Old Trail and Belvedere agree that walkability enhances home values. Kauffmann said sales in Old Trail have been brisk. He noticed an increase in demand as more amenities opened up in the Village Center. Andrea Gruber feels that Old Trail property values have held their own, and pointed to all the new housing starts in 2009. Belvedere set records in 2009 as the best-selling new home subdivision for detached homes. Both Drew Holzwarth and Jay Kalagher look for that positive trend to continue in 2010.

 Celeste Smucker is a writer, editor and author of Sold on Me, Daily Inspiration for Real Estate Agents. She lives near Charlottesville.