Tools to help you measure if your streets are designed for safe walking

Cities are often unsure of which walkability reforms to focus on or how to prioritize investments. Based upon 10 years of research, the Microscale Audit for Pedestrian Streetscape (MAPS) Mini tool can help city leaders assess the activity-friendliness of streets, sidewalks and crossings, and identify specific features that are feasible to modify and related to physical activity. The 15-item MAPS -Mini audit tool, designed specifically for practitioners and advocates to use in their work to create healthy environments, can help communities identify the types of micro-level design elements that can be expected to result in increased walking for people of all ages. Cities can use the MAPS-Mini tool to conduct neighborhood walk audits, compare scores across neighborhoods and across cities, create maps showing ratings of streets and overall neighborhoods, organize community groups to assess whole neighborhoods and advocate for improvements, or use the data to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of streetscapes across cities.

For cities or community groups interested in adopting MAPS-Mini, Active Living Research offers training and assistance with managing the results, and can consult with you about how to use the data to make neighborhood or city healthier. A web-based app is available for data collection. For more information, contact Chad Spoon, ALR communications and partnership manager.