The importance of a walkable suburb
When you’re pondering where the best places to live in Melbourne are, you might think about factors like what sort of housing populates the area – maybe you’re after a large home to accommodate you, your wife, three kids and a Labrador called Russell. Or perhaps you have children that are about to graduate from high school, and you’re looking for real estate within a short distance of local universities.
For every recreational facility in the local area, residents applied an extra 21 minutes worth of physical activity per week.
Findings show the walkability of a suburb is fast becoming one of the most crucial qualities people are looking for when deciding where to live in Melbourne. This trait refers to how pedestrian-friendly a suburb is, including walking distance to local amenities and nearby infrastructure.
Walking the talk
A September 21 article by Michael Yardney for Property Update mentions that there is a correlation between neighbourhoods with a high level of walkability and its market value; showing that the demand for it certainly is there.
Perhaps this is because there’s a large number of health, as well as obvious convenience benefits. Research from the University of Melbourne reveals that the well-being of residents was generally higher when they had greater access to nearby shops, public transport, parks and other local facilities. The study discovered that for every recreational facility in the local area, residents applied an extra 21 minutes worth of physical activity per week.
Not to mention, it could do wonders for your expenditure as well. Every time you head out for a walk to the shops or a cafe, it means you’re not jumping into a car, starting up its engine and burning fuel.
Being far from public transport and hubs of activity doesn’t make an area the most pedestrian-friendly.If this quality is high on your priority list, it could be worth looking into Carlton real estate. Walk Score has rated this suburb as the best in the city in terms of walkability. With Carlton being so deeply embedded in the inner city, it’s hard to fault its almost perfect score. The suburb includes Melbourne University, the Museum, and The Royal Children’s Hospital is in the neighbouring suburb. With many more attractions within a stone’s throw, giving residents every reason to throw on a pair of shoes and go for a brisk walk.
Improving spaces
The City of Darebin has announced plans to improve shared path etiquette between pedestrians and bike-riders, public transport options, as well as create pop-up parks
However, don’t assume suburbs lower on Walk Score’s index aren’t worth checking out. For instance, let’s take a look at living in Preston, Coburg or Northcote real estate. These suburbs still ranked relatively well but aren’t placed on the highest end of the list. Does this mean these aren’t pedestrian-friendly suburbs? Absolutely not.
These areas boast nearby tram and/or train stations, and have no shortage of cafes and local shopping. Furthermore, there is plenty in the works to develop more and more walkable spaces. For instance, the City of Darebin has announced plans to improve shared path etiquette between pedestrians and bike-riders, public transport options, as well as create pop-up parks; all of which will help to create a greater sense of walkability in the mentioned suburbs.
As you can see, how pedestrian-friendly a suburb is can make a big difference. Why not get in touch with Nelson Alexander and see how we can help you in your process of moving to Melbourne. If walkability is a major factor for you, we’ll search high and low to find you homes in great suburbs with plenty of recreational facilities, walking paths and more.
