Why you should live in a walkable neighbourhood

Condodomain never fails to yield interesting, blog-gable material.

In their post ‘Don’t be lazy and walk home’- the site’s inspiration is WalkScore which lists these reasons:
Why Walking Matters

Walkable neighborhoods offer surprising benefits to our health, the environment, and our communities.

Better health: A study in Washington State found that the average resident of a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood weighs 7 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood1. Residents of walkable neighborhoods drive less and suffer fewer car accidents, a leading cause of death between the ages of 15 - 45.


“We are here to show those guys that are inching their way on the freeways in their metal coffins that the human spirit is still alive.”

- Patrick Swayze, Point Break

–>Reduction in greenhouse gas: Cars are a leading cause of global warming. Your feet are zero pollution transportation machines.

More transportation options: Compact neighborhoods tend to have higher population density, which leads to more public transportation options and bicycle infrastructure. Not only is taking the bus cheaper than driving, but riding a bus is ten times safer than driving a car2!

Increased social capital: Walking increases social capital by promoting face-to-face interaction with your neighbors. Studies have shown that for each 10 minutes a person spends in a daily car commute, time spent in community activities falls by 10 percent3.

Stronger local businesses: Dense, walkable neighborhoods provide local businesses with the foot traffic they need to thrive. It’s easier for pedestrians to shop at many stores on one trip, since they don’t need to drive between destinations.

as to why you (should) live in ‘compact neighbourhoods’.

Below is my (very Singapore-specific) take on the ‘walking distance to everything’ phenomenon:

1. The trend for downtown living just about contributed to the disproportionate benefits to the 9/10/11 districts in the property boom. 9 took off phenomenally, because 9 essentially means- walking distance to Orchard Road- which spells just about anything from Starbucks, to movie theatres and plenty of shopping.

Dist 11, you’d notice is stratified- from the Novena/Chancery areas which are walking distance to amenities to the ones on Bukit Timah(which still has plenty of ‘bargains’ given the otherwise exorbitant 9/10/11 pricetags) and the prices for the latter I’ve always chalked up to the inaccessibility to ‘amenities’.

Holland Village(district 10)- took off in a belated manner, and never quite as much as its dist. 9 brethrens. Most telling, perhaps, is the way en bloc sales have taken place, with Dist 10 sites being slated for re-development after most of the prime sites in Dist 9 have been taken up.

So with respect to ‘less consumption’ in the vein of ‘less pollution=we’re saving the world’- I don’t think so. Compact neighbourhoods, whether they be in Dist 9 or somewhere in Jurong, are always characterised by an accessibility to shopping centres and have traditionally attracted those attracted to the availability and accessibility of consumption.

Whatever greenhouse gases saved from not having to drive around are probably offset through the level of consumption generated both due to the expectations and habits of the people such centrally located neighbourhoods attract as well as the level of consumption expected of and encouraged by-living in these neighbourhoods.

2.In terms of ‘being healthy’- I’d reckon I’d see more people ‘being healthy’(evening jogs, walking their dogs) around the green area of Bukit Timah and Pasir Panjang as opposed to the highly dense, highly accessible areas of Orchard Rd.

And everytime you see a property ad touting ‘private lifts’- remember it’s for the comfort of those who do NOT want to see their neighbours.

Although I agree with the last point.