A Walk across Europe: Development of a high-resolution walkability index

Abstract

Physical inactivity significantly contributes to obesity and other non-communicable diseases, yet efforts to increase population-wide physical activity levels have met with limited success. The built environment plays a pivotal role in encouraging active behaviors like walking. Walkability indices, which aggregate various environmental features, provide a valuable tool for promoting healthy, walkable environments. However, a standardized, high-resolution walkability index for Europe has been lacking. This study addresses that gap by developing a standardized, high-resolution walkability index for the entire European region. Seven core components were selected to define walkability: walkable street length, intersection density, green spaces, slope, public transport access, land use mix, and 15-minute walking isochrones. These were derived from harmonized, high-resolution datasets such as Sentinel-2, NASA's elevation models, OpenStreetMap, and CORINE Land Cover. A 100 m x 100 m hierarchical grid system and advanced geospatial methods, like network buffers and distance decay, were used at scale to efficiently model real-world density and proximity effects. The resulting index was weighted by population and analyzed at different spatial levels using visual mapping, spatial clustering, and correlation analysis. Findings revealed a distinct urban-to-rural gradient, with high walkability scores concentrated in compact urban centers rich in street connectivity and land use diversity. The index highlighted cities like Barcelona, Berlin, Munich, Paris, and Warsaw as walkability leaders. This standardized, high-resolution walkability index serves as a practical tool for researchers, planners, and policymakers aiming to support active living and public health across diverse European contexts.