Walkability Score Calculator
A walkability score from the walking distance to the things people need daily — groceries, school, transit, park, café — with each one decaying past a comfortable walk.
Each amenity scores full marks within 400 metres and decays to nothing by 1,600, following the distance-decay curves in walkability research.
How the walkability score calculator works
Each amenity scores full marks within 400 metres and decays to nothing by 1,600, following the distance-decay curves in walkability research. The amenities are weighted — a supermarket matters more than a café — and the weighted average is the score.
The method mirrors the published Walk Score approach without claiming to be it. Its value is in comparing two locations, or one location before and after a new shop opens.
Formula: score = Σ w_i × decay(d_i) / Σ w_i × 100
Worked examples
| Inputs | Walkability score (0–100) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| A mid-density suburb | 77.6 | somewhat walkable |
| An inner neighbourhood | 99.6 | walker's paradise |
| Outer suburbia | 15.1 | car-dependent |
FAQFrequently asked questions
What is a good walkability score?
Seventy and above means most errands can be done on foot. Below fifty, most cannot.
Why does the score decay rather than cut off?
Because people do walk 800 metres to a good shop, just less willingly. A smooth decay matches observed behaviour better than a hard limit.
Why is a supermarket weighted more than a café?
Because it is a daily need for everyone; a café is not. The weights follow the published approaches, roughly.
Is this Walk Score?
No — it uses the same idea with a simpler, transparent formula. The point is comparison, not a trademarked number.
What single change helps most?
The result row says: fixing the worst-served need. Usually that is groceries or transit, and usually it is a planning decision rather than a private one.
Where these figures come from
- UN-Habitat — Urban Indicators Guidelines — density, green space and public space benchmarks
- World Health Organization — Urban green spaces — the 9 m² per person minimum
- ITE — Parking Generation Manual — parking demand rates by land use
- Australian Bureau of Statistics — Regional population — Australia's national statistics agency
Last checked: September 2026. Default per-capita rates are mid-range figures from national statistical agencies and utility reports; every one is an input you should replace with the local figure.