This paper describes ways to evaluate the value of walking (the activity)
and walkability (the quality of walking conditions, including safety, comfort and
convenience). Walking and walkability provide a variety of benefits, including basic mobility, consumer cost savings, cost savings (reduced external costs), efficient land use, community livability, improved fitness and public health, economic development, and support for equity objectives. Current transportation planning practices tend to undervalue walking.
More
comprehensive analysis techniques, described in this paper, are likely to
increase public support for walking and other nonmotorized modes of travel.
http://www.vtpi.org/walkability.pdf
