People will have a more difficult time walking around downtown Mobile than downtown Huntsville or downtown Birmingham according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) national walkability index.

The city’s walkability score currently averages around 12 in the downtown region. This score sits well below Huntsville and Birmingham’s average downtown scores, 16.5 and 17.8 respectively. To calculate scores for a particular city area, the EPA index measures intersection density, proximity to transit stops, and diversity of land use.

“The definition of walkability is simple: a walkable place is easy to walk around,” the index says. “Walkable communities come in various sizes and styles depending upon where they are located in the country; whether they are in a city, suburban area, or small town; and whether they have public transit. A walkable community in a small Northeastern village could look very different from a Southwestern city.”

For more information about the EPA’s methodology visit https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-06/documents/national_walkability_index_methodology_and_user_guide_june2021.pdf.

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