VT Census Case Studies : Walk Score

Created and last modified by molfe on 09 Aug 2015

Brief Overall Description of the Dataset:

The Walk Score mission is to promote walkable neighborhoods for their environmental, health, and economic benefits. Walk Score data is used by over 30,000 real estate sites and over 13 million scores per day are viewed across this network. Walk Score products include an interactive Neighborhood Map, the Walk Score API, Public Transit API, and Travel Time API. Walk Score and Transit Score are patented systems, multiple other patents are pending.

Similar to the Walk Score, the company also assigns a Bike Score and Transit Score to points on the map. Walk Score can generate a commute report that shows the time required to travel between two points, providing a visual representation of the changes in elevation during the trip. Commuting options include walking, bicycling, driving, or taking public transport.

This data set can be of potential use of Maponics or Location, Inc does not turn out. Walk Score ‘only’ provides these walk and transportation scores, while the others offer a greater range of data to include housing data.

Link:  https://www.walkscore.com/

Date Inventory Completed: 6/9/2015

Screening

  • Is the data collected opinion-based?
  • Is the data collection recurring (must be collected at least annually)?
  • Is there data available for 2013?
  • Is the data collected at the property or housing unit level?
  • Can we access the data by August 15th?

Purpose

  • What is the purpose of the organization collecting the data?

Walk Score is a website providing a numerical ranking or score for any address based on the accessibility of surroundings by walking.

  • Why is it collected and how does the organization use it?

The Walk Score mission is to promote walkable neighborhoods for their environmental, health, and economic benefits.

  • Who else uses the data?

Policy makers, researchers, businesses

  • Who do they sell the data to?

Research institutions, academics, and city planners

 

Method

  • What is the data collection method? 

Data are transformed into scores through algorithms

  • What is the type of data collected? 

Designed

  • If designed, who created the questions?

Algorithms created my Walk Score employees.

  • What is the raw source of the collected data (prior to any aggregation)? 

Data is collected from many different sources (i.e.bike lane shapefiles from cities, USGS elevation, Google, Open Street Map). 


Description

  • What is the general topic of the data (1-2 words)?

Walkability, transportation

  • What are the earliest and latest dates for which data is available?

Not stated

  • Is data collected and available periodically?

Yes

  • How soon after a reference period ends can a data source be prepared and provided? 

Not Stated


Selectivity

  • What is the universe (e.g., population) that the data represents?

Walk Score data is available in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.


Accessibility

  • How is the data accessed? 

Walk Score data is available in a variety of formats including shapefiles, spreadsheets, and via our APIs. https://www.walkscore.com/professional/research.php

  • Is it open data?

Online data is, raw data requires purchase

  • Any legal, regulatory, or administrative restrictions on accessing the data source?

  • Cost? - One time or annual or project based payment?

Not stated

Does this dataset appear to meet our needs for the Census study? YES

Full Inventory

Description

  • Features
    • What is the temporal nature of the data: longitudinal, time-series, or one time point?

“Walk Score data can be tracked over time to measure historical trends. For example, the percentage of residents in a city who can walk to fresh food in 5 minutes.”

    • Geospatial? If Yes, at what level?

A Walk Score may be assigned to a particular address or an entire region


Metadata

  • Is there information available to assess the transparency and soundness of the methods to gather the data for our purposes?

Some methodology is provided about how the scores were derived

  • Is there a description of each variable in the source along with their valid values?

Yes

  • Are there unique IDs for unique elements that can be used for linking data?

Unknown

  • Is there a data dictionary or codebook?

https://www.walkscore.com/methodology.shtml

 

Selectivity

  • What unit is represented at the record level of the data source? 

We can provide Walk Score data for individual addresses or larger geographic areas like postal codes.

  • Does this universe match the stated intentions for the data collection? If not, what has been included or excluded and why?

Uknown

  • What is the sampling technique used (if applicable)? 

Not stated

  • What was the coverage?

Not stated


Stability/Coherence

  • Were there any changes to the universe of data being captured (including geographical areas covered) and if so what were they?

Not stated

  • Were there any changes in the data capture method and if so what were they?

Not stated

  • Were there any changes in the sources of data and if so what were they? 

Not stated

 

Accuracy

  • Any known sources of error?

Specifically, Walk Score doesn't calculate whether there are sidewalks, how many lanes of traffic one must cross, how much crime occurs in the area, or what the weather is typically like. It also doesn't differentiate between types of amenities, for example a supermarket grocery store versus a small food mart selling mostly liquor and chips.

  • Describe any quality control checks performed by the data’s owner.

Claim to continuously work on improving algorithm to match what is being used in research and policy.

 

Accessibility

  • Any records or fields collected, but not included in data source, such as for confidentiality reasons)? 

None stated

  • Is there a subset of variables and/or data that is must be obtained through a separate process? (e.g. state level data openly available, but one must apply to get census tract)? If yes, is there a separate legal, regulatory, or administrative restrictions on accessing the data source? Cost? - One time or annual or project based payment?

Online data is free (can search up individual location to receive basic walkability, biking- and transit scores. Raw data over larger geographic areas must be bought. No cost listed.


Privacy and security

  • Was consent given by participant? If so, how was consent given?

None stated

  • Are there legal limitations or restrictions on the use of the data? 
  • What confidentiality policies does the source have? 

None stated

 

Research

  • What research has been done with this dataset? 

Real estate, public health, and financial industries

  • Include any links to research if provided:

https://www.walkscore.com/professional/public-health-research.php

https://www.walkscore.com/professional/walkability-research.php

  • List any other data use notes provided by the supplier.

 

Gaps/Concerns

  • Feasibility - can all jurisdiction levels provide the data (if applicable)
  • Data ownership - a lack of clarity in legal guidance stemming from a lack of clarity with who owns digital data?
  • Data collection authority - what data is reasonably private and what constitutes unwarranted intrusion?
  • Describe any other notes you have or any gaps/concerns you see with this dataset: