Our findings show that there is an ever-present demand for walkable urban places; people want to live, work, and play in spaces that are vibrant and well-connected. This demand is indicated by premiums, or higher prices, for housing located in walkable urban places. For example, in the Washington, DC metro area, the premium for for-sale housing in walkable urban areas was 90% in 2021, meaning that it cost 90% more to live in walkable urban areas than not. Walkable urbanism only comprises about 1.2% of a region’s total land area, pushing premiums higher and higher, and leaving historically marginalized and low-income communities behind. The major reason for the high walkable urban price premiums is the artificial constraint on walkable urban land availability. In most metropolitan areas, it is illegal to build at densities that allow for walkable urbanism due to restrictive zoning policies. Addressing these constraints on housing supply and maintaining a focus on affordability is a key recommendation arising from the Foot Traffic Ahead analysis.

In the largest 35 metros, walkable urban land comprises only 1.2% of the regions’ total land mass, but accounts for over one-fifth (19.1%) of the nation’s annual gross domestic product (GDP). In other words, the bulk of economic activity and wealth in a region is generated in walkable urban areas. This supports more efficient use of space and infrastructure while generating higher rates of local tax revenue. In the top 35 metros, approximately one-third of all jobs are in significant walkable urban places. This is partly due to real estate product premiums and out-sized population in these areas, but also because of the unique assets walkable urban areas tend to have. Walkable urbanism plays a critical role in each metro region as well as in the nation as a whole.

Our research shows that a higher level of walkable urbanism is correlated with increased educational attainment and greater economic vitality. The top eight regions in our FTA rankings have a population-weighted educational attainment of 42% with a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 33% in the lowest-ranking metros. The eight highest-ranked metros on our FTA Index have an average per capita GDP of $68,285; the lowest-ranked eight metros GDP per capita is just $50,297—representing a 36% per capita GDP increase associated with a greater amount of walkable urban places. Regions with more walkable urbanism tend to host larger, more robust economies that favor knowledge economy industries like tech, medicine, and other professional services. Agglomeration forces, essentially the clustering of similar industries and economies, bolster the area’s resilience.

Walkable urban places also increase community health and overall quality of life by providing more opportunities for physical exercise, cultivating a sense of identity and community, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, and fostering social justice and racial equity by providing distributed access to the opportunities walkable urban places provide.