Alexandria’s Walkability

 

It is generally agreed that a walkable community is a good thing. In 2023, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) conducted a Community and Transportation Preferences Survey of 2,000 adults to gauge what community attributes people find most desirable within America’s 50 largest metropolitan areas. 

Among noteworthy findings of the survey, if deciding today where to live:

Block Party

  • 79% said being within an easy walk of other places and things, such as shops and parks, is very/somewhat important. 78% of those indicated that they would be willing to pay more to live in a walkable community

  • 85% said sidewalks and places to walk are very/somewhat important

  • 65% said having public transport nearby is very/somewhat important

  • 56% said they would prefer a house with a small yard and be able to walk to places vs. 44% who would prefer a large yard and would need to drive to most places

  • 53% would prefer an attached dwelling (own or rent a townhouse/condo/ apartment) and be able to walk to shops, restaurants, and a short commute to work vs. 47% who would prefer a single-family home (own or rent) and have to drive to shops, restaurants and a longer commute

Bikes on River Path

How does Old Town North fare by these standards? AARP is one organization that scores communities on various aspects of livability, including transportation and walkability. The City of Alexandria joined AARP’s Age-Friendly Network in 2016. In 2023, AARP gave Alexandria a score of 70 for transportation overall, and placed it in the top third of communities nationwide for walkability.

Walkable Arts District—Rendering of Metro Stage

What do you think? Does Old Town North meet your expectations for walkability? How could walkability be improved, in your opinion? If you have comments, please visit the Old Town North Alliance website at: https://www.oldtownnorthalliance.com/news , Scroll to the bottom of the page and leave your comment. Thank you!

Walkable shopping

By the way, you can check out AARP’s Livability Index, and the scores of communities nationwide, at https://livabilityindex.aarp.org/

Linda Vitello