Walkability – or the ability to conveniently, safely, comfortably, and pleasurably walk to everyday needs and amenities – has been increasingly tied to improved health, broadly defined to include not just physical and mental health, but also social, community, environmental and even fiscal health. While the US and other Western countries have begun to make strides to increase walkability and promote healthy placemaking, China continues to push forward car-centric urbanization and along with it rising rates of obesity, diabetes, cancer, and air pollution. Yet China has a huge opportunity - over 50 new cities, each with populations of over 1 million people, will be built in the next 20 years. This presentation outlines how walkability is tied to the broad concept of health and identifies the key physical, socio-cultural and policy barriers that must be addressed in order to move toward more sustainable development that promotes livability and walkability, thereby enhancing the State – and health – of Chinese cities.

1. I have a confession to make.
I was asked to come here today because
people have come to think of me as the
methods girl, a data geek, a methodholic.
But actually, I'm a placeoholic
Methods, data, definition, rationalism, are just
my drugs of choice I use to feed my place
addiction
I very much embrace the notion that
If you cannot measure it, it doesn't exist
but not for the sake of measurement itself'
but for the sake of changing it
for the sake of convincing other people to
change it
for the sake of communicating the value of
urban design
But I didn't start out this way.
Improving
China’s
Why the Path Toward a
Sustainable China is a Walkable
One and How Best to Pave It
TM
Mariela Alfonzo, Ph.D.
Founder, State of PlaceTM
Assistant Research Professor, NYU
Shenyang, China
May 10th, 2015

2. ?

4. Walkability

5. Walkability

7. 1986 2009
SHAREOF
TRIPSBYBIKE
housing construction18B
SQ M 2000 –
= 5M
2014
1982 = 3,428
1990 – 2004
BUILT OUT
AREA
DENSITY
Communities
162%
67%
80%
2007
GATE
D

8. 12%
DIABETES IN
CHINA
2013
1%
1980
50%
2013
PRE-
DIABETES

9. 2004 2010
EMISSION
S per capitaCHINA’
SEMISSION RATE
1/3TO
P
of emitters
AIR
POLLUTION
IN 2010 RESPONSIBLE FOR
1.2 Million DEATHS 8
YOUNGEST
LUNG
CANCER
PATIENT ON
RECORD
YR
S
OL

10. $18.3B
INCOME LOSS
of
HEART
DISEASE,
STROKE &
DIABETES
IN CHINA
due to
IN 2005 ALONE
RESIDEN
TS
2.5B
500M
YRS LIFE EXPECTANCY
IN 2009
9
GROS
S
NATIONA
L
DUE TO
ENVIRONMENTALLOSS

12.  People who use public transit are less likely to be sedentary or
obese
 Proximity to public transit is linked to higher transit use
 More and higher quality sidewalks are linked to more walking &
a lower likelihood of being overweight
 Residents of neighborhoods with sidewalks on most streets
were 47% more likely to get moderate-to-vigorous physical
activity at least 5days per week for at least 30 minutes each day
than were residents of neighborhoods with sidewalks on few or
no streets
 For every 1% increase in the length of on-street bicycle lanes,
there was a 0.31% increase in bicycle commuters
 Fast and heavy traffic is commonly cited by youth and adults as
a barrier to walking and cycling
 High levels of vehicular traffic have been associated with lower
rates of physical activity in nearby areas.
 People who lived in compact, higher-density counties walked
more and were less likely to be obese and hypertensive than
people who lived in more sprawling counties

13.  Residents of counties with more sidewalks, bike lanes and
trails; more walkable mixed land use development; and strong
planning policies had higher levels of physical activity
 Walking for transportation was most strongly related to living
in neighborhoods with high residential density, mixed land use
and short distances to destinations
 In Atlanta, those who lived in the most walkable
neighborhoods were 35 percent less likely to be obese than
were residents who lived in the least walkable areas
 For each additional hour of driving per day, residents’ obesity
risk increased by 6 percent
 The obesity rate among adults who drove the most was 27%,
which is about 3x higher than the than the obesity rate (9.5%)
among those who drove the least
 Residents who lived within one mile of a park reported 38%
more exercise sessions and were 4x more likely to visit the
park at least once per week than were residents who lived
further away.

14. VMT in the US,
1971-2012
Mode Split in the US,
1960-2010

15.  Walkability is related to decreased vehicle miles traveled
(VMT) and increased walking
 CO2 emissions are largely linked to VMT
 Can extend link between walkability and VMT to walkability
and GHGs (Frank, et. al. 2010)
 Transit accessibility, residential density, and street
connectivity (all related to walkability) are related to
decreased energy expenditures related to motorized transport
and more walking
 People who live in neighborhoods with the lowest walkability
drive
 39 miles more per person each weekday
 30% more than those with the highest walkability
 On weekends, those in most walkable neighborhoods drive 40%
less
 Shifting 60% of new growth to compact patterns would:
 Save 85 million metric tons of CO2 by 2030
 Would be equal to a 28% increase in CAFE standards to 32 mpg in
2020 (but benefits extend well beyond)
 Equate to a fuel cost savings of $250 billion by 2030

16. Rockport (shoe company) advertisement
Fast forward ten years later.
Today walkability is such a known commodity that it’s even made its way onto a shoe
ad!
I cannot tell you how happy this makes me – when I first told my friends in Miami I
was moving to Southern California to study walkability, they thought I was nuts!
We’ve come a long way in the past 15 years. The health benefits of walkability are
now well known – people walk more when it’s, well, easier to walk! And that has
huge impacts on obesity rates and associated chronic diseases. The environmental
benefits of reduced GHGs and air quality have also come to light in the recent years.
People now talk about sustainability and resiliency in the same breath they talk
about walkability. And recent studies have even extolled the happiness factor that
walkability brings, not to mention sense of community and sense of place. But it’s
really the economic story that has pushed walkability to the real estate limelight…

17. Today, walkability is no longer a nice to have or
a luxury, it’s key to economic competitiveness.
Survey after survey now show that an
increasing number of both Millennials and
older adults want to live in lively, dynamic
places where it’s safe, convenient, and
pleasurable to walk to everyday destinations
and amenities. Walkability now even has a role
in the innovation and startup economy, with a
large majority of Venture Capital money going
to center cities or walkable suburbs. Even the
CEO of Twitter talks about the appeal of an
urban campus – and he’s not alone. Facebook,
Google and other major tech players are
increasingly locating in the walkable core of
cities. I cannot tell you how many stories I hear
about cities going the “walkability” route after
losing bids to lure large firms to other cities in
their regions that offered employees a better
quality of life, specifically walkability – this was
the case for Oklahoma City, where I just gave a
talk about the power of place at their second
biannual Placemaking conference.
Again, walkability is no longer a nice to have,
it’s a need to have.
80%
OF 18-34
SURVEYED WANT
TO LIVE IN
WALKABLE
NEIGHBORHOODS
YEAR
OLDS
40%
W I T H I
N OF DAILY
GOODS &
SERVICES1
WANT TO LIVE
> 50 YRS OLD
MI
5 INVESTMENT
M A R K E T S
58%
IN
TOP VC
OF
CAPITAL
W E N T
T OCE NTE R CI TY
O R
WALKABLE
SUBURBS

18. Over the past few years, New York City has
made a concerted effort to focus on place and
walkability – even though by all measures,
they were already pretty walkable. But this
dedication and focus has paid off.
This is an example of a redevelopment of an
under-used parking lot – you guys know those
well, no?
The City decided to convert it into a small
pedestrian plaza – using very inexpensive
materials, may I add. In a matter of three years,
the businesses around the plaza had
experienced an 172% increase in retail sales.
But that’s the tip of the iceberg.
172% Retail Sales
3 YearsDumbo
Brooklyn, NY

19. In a study by the NYC DOT, they found that
protected bike lanes not only had significant
safety benefits, they also translated to dollars
and cents – a 49% increase in retail sales
compared to 3% borough wide.

20. In Union Square, a small expansion of the
turning radii – literally going from a curvilinear
pattern to a 90 degree angle and giving that
space over to pedestrians reduced commercial
vacancies by 49% compared to 5% citywide!
That’s just some concrete and planters.

21. Again, with the parking. In Brooklyn, they
converted yet another underused parking area
– that translated into a 172% increase in retail
sales.
And even a more modest project – converting
a curb lane into outdoor seating for
pedestrians not only increased their volumes
by more than ¾ but also increased sales at
bordering businesses by 14%

22. And finally, back to the bike lanes, in
Manhattan, my neighborhood, dedicated bike
lanes not only had positive benefits in terms of
safety and traffic flow but also reduced
commercial vacancies by 47% compared to 2%
borough wide.

23. But this isn’t just in NYC.
In a study by Ceos for Cities of the 30 top
metros, they found that an increase of 1 pt in
Walkscore – a proxy for walkability that
measures proximity to different commercial
destinations ranging from 1-100 – translated
into price premiums ranging from $700 to
$3000 in terms of for sale residential values. In
a different study out of Arizona State University,
they found that an increase of 10pts in
Walkscore was associated with an increase of
5-8% in commercial values5-8%Commercial
Values
$700 - $3k
For-sale
Residential
Premiums

24. Transit enters the equation as well – with
property values within walking distance to a
transit station had a 40% premium – now a
lesson there – there cannot just be a transit
stop, it has to be connected to destinations
and amenities. Think about all of the empty
lots near Houston’s light rail – they are ripe
with opportunity…
Property values within
walking distance of
public transit stations
are 40% higher than
other properties in the
same region.

25. And walkability doesn’t just mean price
premiums – it means resiliency too. Since the
housing peak in the mid 2000s, residential
values in walkable neighborhoods had less
than half the decline in value.
Residential values in
walkable neighborhoods
experienced less than
half the average decline
in value from the
housing peak in the mid
2000s

26. To that end, not only did values decline less in
walkable neighborhoods during the recession,
they have rebounded that much more since, as
you can see here in an interactive tool by
Moody’s and Real Capital Analytics, prices have
risen more sharply in highly walkable CBDs,
followed by walkable suburbs, with car
dependent suburbs still struggling to get get
back to peak prices
 Residential values more stable in walkable neighborhoods
 Have experienced less than half the average decline in
value from the housing peak
 A 10pt increase in Walk Score linked to 5-8% increase in
commercial values
 A 1pt increase in Walk Score linked to $700-$3000 for-sale
residential premiums
 Avg. operating cost /yr., Bike: $308
 Avg. operating cost/yr. Car: $8,220
 Urban mixed-use developments generate 25-59x
revenue/acre than suburban counterparts
 1% rise in urban sprawl index increases obesity risk by 0.5%
 In 2008, medical $$ to treat obesity in US, approx. $147B

27. But this isn’t just about individual price
premiums. As I mentioned before, there are
serious economic development implications of
walkability for city’s bottom lines as well. A
study for Raleigh, NC, concluded that a six-
story building downtown produces 50 times as
much property tax revenue per acre as an
average Walmart store. Even a three-story
residential building produces more property
tax revenue per-acre than a major shopping
mall.
Municipal Property Tax Yield (per acre)
in Raleigh, NC, 2011
$2,078
$2,837
$22,175
$26,098
$30,057
$110,461
Walmart
Single-family residential
Crabtree Valley Mall
3-4 story Residential
3 story Office
6 story Mixed-use
Outside central
business district
Within central
business district
Silver, M. (2012). Presentation for the City of Raleigh.

28. And in yet another study
conducted by SGA in 2013,
mixed-use downtown
development was found to
generate 10 times the tax
revenue per acre, saves 38
percent on upfront infrastructure
costs per unit, and saves 10
percent on ongoing delivery of
services compared to sprawl.
Walkability impacts budgets as
well…
Mixed Use Development vs. Sprawl

29. Well, these are the issues that I’ve been trying
to address through my research and with State
of Place.
So after years of extolling the value of
walkability, I finally had the opportunity to
show them the money.
Nearly three years ago, I co-authored a
Brookings study with Chris Leinberger about
the value of of urban design and walkability.
We gathered built environment and real estate
data from over 60 neighborhoods in the
Washington DC Metro area that were sampled
from over 240 neighborhoods along a
continuum of walkability, from the auto-
dominated exurbs to the highly walkable core.
And I developed the first official State of Place
algorithm! I created a comprehensive index,
ranging from 0 to 100, to make sense out of
the 162 data points we were gathering with
the audit tool – the same one we had used in
Houston.
And then came Brookings! I finally
had the opportunity to truly tie built
environment features not just to
walking, health, sense of place and
community, but to economic value.
We gathered IMI and real estate data
from over 60 neighborhoods in the
Washington DC Metro area that were
sampled from over 240
neighborhoods along a continuum of
walkability, from the auto-dominated
exurbs to the highly walkable core. A
meta-analyses examining the results
of dozens of studies evaluating the
relationship between the built
environment and walking guided the
development of the first official State
of Place algorithm – finally! I created
a comprehensive index, ranging from
0 to 100, to make sense out of the
162 data points we were gathering
with the IMI. I’ll go into that more in
just a little bit, but first the real
Eureka moment:

30. As the State of Place Index increased, so did a variety of other real
estate values.
Specifically, we divided the Index into five levels of walkability – or
quality of place – and for each level increase, we saw premiums of
nearly $9/sqft in office rents, $7/sqft in retail rents, an 80% increase in
retail sales, a $300/unit increase in residential rents, and more than
$81/sqft in for sale residential value.
Very Low
State of Place™ Index
Tied to Economic Value
0 - 20 Low
Moderate
Good
Very
Good21 - 40
41 - 60
61 - 80
81 -
100
*PREMIUMS FOR EACH
LEVEL INCREASE
+ $9 SF OFFICE RENTS
+ $7 SF RETAIL RENTS
+80%
RETAIL
REVENUES
+ $300 UNIT RES. RENT
+$81
SF FOR-SALE
RES. VALUE

31. When you aggregate what that means in terms
of going from the lowest to the highest level of
State of Place, the numbers are quite startling.When you aggregate what that means in terms
of going from the lowest to the highest level of
State of Place, the numbers are quite startling.
+ $37 sq. ft. Office Rents
+ $30 sq. ft. Retail Rents
+340% Retail Revenues
+ $1281/Unit Residential Rent
+$347 sq. ft. For-sale Residential
State of Place™ Index: 90, Very Good
State of Place™ Index: 5, Very Low

32. And all in all, these premiums have serious
implications for economic development in
terms of retail and property tax bases
And all in all, these premiums have serious
implications for economic development in
terms of retail and property tax bases
WASHINGTON, DC

34. I think what was most exciting about the
Brookings study for me was the immediate
applicability of its findings not just to showcase
the value of place – but to be able to weave a
data-driven story to support not just the why –
but the how. And for me, it was the perfect
way to blend the consummate academic with
the energetic entrepreneur in me.
Today, state of place is an urban data analytics
platform that allows placemakers – cities,
developers, investors, planners and designers –
to identify and economically justify the optimal
design, planning, and development projects
that create thriving places people love.
I’m going to briefly guide you through how we
are doing that.
TM

35. So in the last three years since the Brookings
study, we got the opportunity to update the
underlying audit tool when we applied it to the
Chinese context. We refined many of the existing
inventory items, deleted extraneous items, and
added items mainly related to pedestrian and
bicycle barriers and architectural and building
quality. In the end, we ended up with 286 items,
all collected at the block level.
280+
URBAN
DESIGN
FEATURES
TOUCH,
SEE &
FEEL
WALKABILIT
Y
FROM
ARCADES
TO
ZEBRA STRIPES

36. We collect this data on-site (or using Google street
view). We use “people-power” to collect this data.
All raters must go through a training process to
ensure the integrity and reliability of the data,
including a video training and quiz. It takes about
10-15 minutes per block, and the data is collected
using our State of Place app, which significantly
streamlines the process relative to our paper and
pencil days! One of advantages is that virtually
anyone can be trained to collect this data, including
high school students and community members,
allowing the opportunity to foster community
engagement along with collecting quantitative data.
TRAINING
VIDEO
+
INTERACTIVE
QUIZ
TRAINED COMMUNITY
MEMBERS OR STAFF
COLLECT DATA
MINUTES/B
L O C K
10-15
STATE OF
PLACE APP
SEAMLESSLY
TRANSFERS
DATA TO
SERVERS

37. As I mentioned previously, the State of Place Index itself is a score from o to 100 – you do not
need to have every single item present to achieve a score of 100. Rather, 100 represents the
highest observed score from our continuum of very low to very high walkable neighborhoods –
it’s a realistic goal. The Index is broken down into ten urban design dimensions, all of which
have been empirically linked to whether or not people walked, identified in the metaanalysis I
mentioned earlier. Each of the individual sub dimensions is also scored from o to 100. The
algorithm is structured in such a way as to capture urban design elements as part of a whole,
so it’s not additive but interactional – it calculates if, then, what scenarios.
Overall, this creates the State of Place profile, which provides a quick snapshot of how a
neighborhood is doing from an urban design perspective – see, there, I said it again! One can
identify its built environment assets and needs, starting to set priorities for how best to
address the needs of a neighborhood – more on that later.
It’s also broken up into four sets of urban design features –the Urban Fabric, or the nuts and
bolts of the neighborhood, its bones; various types of Destinations to walk to; the level of
Human Comfort for the pedestrian; and Liveliness and Upkeep. These are organized in terms of
their level of resiliency, or how hard it would be to change them once they are in place. It’s
much harder to fix and existing urban fabric than to add some sidewalks and trees.
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
DENSITY
FORM
CONNECTIVIT
Y
PROXIMITY
PARKS & PUBLIC
SPACES
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
PEDESTRIAN & BIKE
AMENITIES
TRAFFIC SAFETY
AESTHETICS
PERSONAL SAFETY
URBAN
FABRIC
DESTINATIONS
HUMAN
NEEDS &
COMFORT
LIVELINESS &
UPKEEP
STATE OF PLACE™ INDEX & PROFILE

38. For Density, we are measuring building
compactness and height, not so much
population density – this is particularly
important in terms of making it feasible to
have enough destinations to walk to within a
reasonable walking distance. It can also
influence the scale of city – is it for cars or
people?
DENSITY
Compactness &
Height

39. Related to that is Urban Form. Here we are
measuring streetscape continuity, so we take
into account building setbacks, how the
building meets the street, the siting of
buildings, and the number and width of
buildings. This is what I like to call the
hugability of a street. If the form is off, a street
can feel aloof or it can feel suffocating. You
know you’ve achieved the right proportions of
setbacks, street width, and building height
when it feels like the street is hugging you.
FORM
Streetscape Continuity

40. CONNECTIVITY
Access &
Barriers

41. Proximity refers to the diversity of the land use
mix – the number of non-residential land uses
there are to walk to. So literally, how many of
your daily needs, services, and amenities are
present within a certain distance of you
PROXIMITY
Land Use Mix

42. With parks and public spaces, we include the
presence hard and soft scape public spaces, as
well as their quality and accessibility. These are
often the soul and life of neighborhoods, they
are the city’s living rooms. Along with
museums and monuments, these are the
places you bring your friends and families to
when they come visit. I can tell a lot about a
city based on how people use their public
spaces.
PARKS & PUBLIC
SPACES

43. We also look at recreational facilities –
separately. This is getting a bit more at
recreational walking, but the literature found
this to be an important determinant for
physical activity, so we measure the presence
of outdoor and indoor physical activity
facilities.
RECREATIONAL
FACILITIES
Photo Credit Bill Cotter

44. Pedestrian and bike amenities refer to aspects
of the built environment that make it
comfortable or pleasant to be a pedestrian, so
sidewalk presence and quality, seating, bike
lane presence and type, street trees, etc. Along
with form, these are the features that truly
help distinguish car-focused neighborhoods
from people-first places – they are the things
that make you want to linger…
PEDESTRIAN
AMENITIES

45. BICYCLIST
AMENITIES

46. Along with that, we look at traffic safety. Here
we are mainly focusing on the quality and
safety of the intersection as well as the
presence of traffic calming features. These
include the presence of curbcuts, crosswalk
markings, traffic standards, and on-street
parking. These are the features that help
manage all of the mobile members of the
public realm – people, strollers, bicyclists,
scooters, cars, and buses.
TRAFFIC
SAFETY

47. Aesthetics goes beyond the visually pleasing; it
also includes aspects of urban design that
make places more dynamic and inviting. We
look at the transparency of buildings, colors,
outdoor dining, street trees, building
maintenance, ground floor uses, etc. This is
charm, character, the wow factor – the things
you’ll most remember about places.
AESTHETIC
S
Liveliness &

48. Finally, personal safety refers not to actual
crime data but rather the aspects of the built
environment that influence our perception of
safety – these are called physical incivilities
and include features like graffiti, litter, broken
windows, abandoned buildings and lighting.
These features actually influence walking rates
more than the rates of crime incidents.
PERSONAL
SAFETY

49. Neighborhood 1: Xintiandi (“High” walkable)
N= 129 segments
N = 129 resident surveys
STATE OF PLACE™ INDEX = 54.8

50. Neighborhood 2: Zhongshan Park (“Medium” walkable)
N = 60 segments
N = 243 resident surveys
STATE OF PLACE™ INDEX = 42.2

51. Neighborhood 3: Lianhua Lu (“Low” walkable)
N = 97 segments
N = 291 resident surveys
STATE OF PLACE™ INDEX = 41.9

52. Neighborhood 4: Fengqi Lu (“High” walkable)
N = 97 segments
N = 291 resident surveys
STATE OF PLACE™ INDEX = 40.7

53. Neighborhood 5: Cuiyuan (“Medium” walkable)
N= 18 segments
N = 217 resident surveys
STATE OF PLACE™ INDEX = N/A

54. Neighborhood 6: Guihua Cheng (“Low” walkable)
N= 127 segments
N = 234 resident surveys
STATE OF PLACE™ INDEX = 34.8

55. +22MIN
COMMUTING
DESTINATIONS
EXERCISE
+3.5MIN
+4.6MIN
+14MIN

56. 22.7
29.5
23.9
6.5
22
16.5
Low
Income
Middle
Income
High
Income
BMI
Min
Walk/
Wk

146. U.S.
In last decade
CHINA
has added
2/3 of
population
will have
Chinese cities221
over
1 million ppl
By
2025 CHINA NEEDS
170 new mass-transit
5B new sq.m. of roads
40B new sq.m. of floor space

147. Identify Priorities
State of Place Index
State of Place Profiles
Scenario Analysis
Run Analytics

148. Platform conducts “multi-criterion assessment” to
identify top priorities.
Example, Walkability as a Goal:
Dimension Performanc
e
Ranking for Goal
(Walkability)
Impact* Feasibilit
y
Communit
y
Score
Density 76.5 9 .432 1 4.3 91.4
Form 65.4 9 .543 1 7.1 169.1
Connectivity 55.8 9 .342 1 6.3 136.0
Proximity 74.3 9 .765 2 9.5 353.9
Parks & Public Spaces 23.5 9 .634 2 7.4
873.0
Recreational Facilities 13.4 9 .548 2 5.7
854.2
Pedestrian Amenities 55.4 9 .813 3 8.6
979.0
Traffic Safety 43.1 9 .745 3 8.8 1144.5
Aesthetics 58.4 9 .436 4 7.5 962.3
Personal Safety 71.3 9 .512 4 9.3 529.0
*Impact scores listed here are for explanatory purposes only;
the actual impact scores are proprietary.

149. Identify Priorities
State of Place Index
State of Place Profiles
Scenario Analysis
Run Analytics

150. Compare Interventions
See Recommendations
Compare Projects

151. Choose Dimensions To Compare
Density
Form
Connectivity
Proximity
Parks & Public Spaces
Recreational Facilities
Pedestrian & Bicyclist Amenities
Traffic Safety
Aesthetics
Personal Safety
✓
✓
✓

152. Parks &
Public Spaces
$80,000
Pedestrian & Bicyclist
Amenities
Traffic
Safety
Add Park
Add Plaza
New PlazaPark Maintenance
Arcades
Benches
Sidewalk Buffers
Street Trees
Sidewalk Buffers
Crosswalks
Curbcuts
Midblock Crossing
Pedestrian Countdown
CurbCuts
Enter Project Cost Enter Project Cost
Select Interventions

153. Com. property tax
For-sale residential
Office rents
Retail rents
Residential rents
Res. property taxes
Vacancy Rates
Retail Rents
Enter Baseline
Select Goal
Calculate Predicted ROI

154. Parks &
Public Spaces
$80,000
Pedestrian & Bicyclist
Amenities
Traffic
Safety
$300,000 $150,000
$1.09/sf $0.89/sf
Park Maintenance Sidewalk Buffers Curbcuts
$1.43/sf
Predicted ROI: Retail Rents
+4.3% +3.1% +3.7%
Impact on State of Place Index

155. Extending that in terms of what it means for
value for money and total value capture…gives
you an objective way to compare scenarios
AND communicate and justify its value
Parks &
Public Spaces
$80,000
Pedestrian & Bicyclist
Amenities
Traffic
Safety
$300,000 $150,000
$1.09/sf $0.89/sf
Park Maintenance Sidewalk Buffers Curbcuts
$1.43/sf
Predicted ROI: Retail Rents
+4.3% +3.1% +3.7%
Impact on State of Place Index
$1.36/dollar $.03/dollar $.10/dollar
Value for Money: 100k sqft
$109k $89k $143k
Total Value Captured: 100k sqft

156. Compare Interventions
See Recommendations
Compare Projects

157. Enter Project Cost Enter Project Cost
Enter Project Information
Neighborhood 1
$1,800,000
Neighborhood 1 Neighborhood 1
Project 1 Project 2 Project 3

158. Com. property tax
For-sale residential
Office rents
Retail rents
Residential rents
Res. property taxes
Vacancy Rates
Retail Rents
Enter Baseline
Select Goal
Calculate Predicted ROI

159. Neighborhood 1
$1,800,000
Neighborhood 1 Neighborhood 1
$2,700,000 $2,300,000
$1.43/sf $0.99/sf
Project 1 Project 2 Project 3
$1.56/sf
Predicted ROI: Retail Rents
+6.0% +2.0% +11.0%
Impact on State of Place Index
Map It

160. We are doing this currently for one of our
clients who is managing a $30M equity fund
focusing on underserved neighborhoods in
Boston. They are using State of Place to help
identify which development projects will have
the most impact on Place – and ultimately
informing which ones they will fund.
Predicted ROI Impact of Proposed Projects

162. Ultimately, my mission has been not only to
create the academic evidence to put place –
and walkability – into the equation, but to
transform that evidence into an accessible,
real-world tool to advance the state of place of
real communities. Ever-driven by my
Westchester story – my aim, my passion, has
been to offer the choice of place. No one
should have to go through that much effort to
get a chicken terriyaki sub (even if it was
mighty tasty) or a gallon of milk – or a cocktail,
or place to gather with friends or family.
Everyone should have the option of
experiencing the infectiousness of powerful
places.
Thanks very much
TM
mariela@stateofplace.org
www.stateofplace.org
For full demo: bit.ly/DemoSoP