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

The city’s walkability score currently sits around 17.8 in the downtown region, outranking both Huntsville and Mobile’s average downtown scores, 16.5 and 12 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.”

City plans

Walkability has been one of the main priorities listed in plans to develop the Birmingham region and Jefferson County as a whole over the next several years as the Lede previously reported.