Walk the Walk: Can urban policy encourage walking?

• Seattle implemented transportation policy plans to increase walkability indicators. • They were followed by a large increase in the share of walking trips for residents. • Walking increased for all gender, income and age groups, and all trip purposes. • The largest change was in wealthy adult men, the less disadvantaged groups. • Results support walkability policy, while considering socio-economic constraints. In recent decades, as the necessity to promote sustainable and healthy transportation modes has grown, walkability emerged as a term for a walkable environment. This paper aims to understand the role of walkability-promoting urban planning policies in changing travel behavior, and the influence such policies have on different population groups within the city. The paper focuses on Seattle, Washington, because in recent decades it has adopted sustainable and innovative urban and transportation policies that are generating international interest, and because comparative data over time exists for the city. Using a multi-stage methodology, combining quantitative and qualitative methods and data, we first analyzed major policies and projects that improved walkability indicators, and then analyzed the results of travel behavior surveys by mode share, and by gender, age, income group, and trip purpose, and aggregated the results. Our findings indicated that Seattle’s plans and projects, focused explicitly on improving walkability, were followed by a strong rise in the share of walking trips between 2006, 2017, and 2019, mostly at the expense of car trips. The study explains the differential impact these policies had on various population groups, and points to the vital role of urban policy in creating a walkable, sustainable urban environment.