Walkability is a critical feature of neighbourhood health. It is not all about how accessible the places you need to get to are, how long it takes to get there and whether you need a car. It is also about whether you feel safe on your way and what that walk can do to improve the connection between people and places, and between people themselves.

There are lots of fancy metrics to analyse your area, but our favourites are the ‘popsicle test’ and the ‘Halloween test’ – possibly encapsulating everything a town planner needs to think about.