How it is calculated

What we count, how far it may be and how much it weighs. Every number here comes from the same code that computes the reports.

How we count, in short

One question

How much of an ordinary week can you do on foot from this door, and how pleasant is the walk.

Minutes, not metres

For every place we find the walk along streets and work out how long it really takes: your pace, the hill, the wait at crossings, the stretches beside a highway. A pharmacy 400 metres away across six lanes and uphill is further than one 600 metres away along a quiet street. The report shows both numbers: minutes on the clock and the minutes it counts as.

Close is full value, far is none

Anything within about five minutes counts in full. Beyond that the value falls smoothly, without a cliff, and reaches zero at fifteen to twenty minutes depending on the kind of place.

The first one matters most

The nearest grocery gives most of the points, a second and a third add choice, a tenth cafe adds nothing. A supermarket counts for more than a corner shop, a real park for more than a patch of lawn. Some things cannot be replaced: with no grocery in reach, the groceries part loses much of its value however many bakeries stand nearby.

The profile changes what you need

With a child the pace is slower, steps and slopes cost more, and a school, a playground and a park become essential. Without a car, public transport weighs most and holds back everything else when it is weak. For an older person hills cost the most, and a clinic and benches matter.

Transport by what it gives you

We count the lines you can reach, not the stops. A metro line is worth three bus lines, and a frequent line more than a rare one. In a city with a metro the nearest station comes first, even when you need a bus to get to it.

Noise and air take points away

A busy road, a railway or a flight path near the address, and air worse than the World Health Organization's guideline, lower the score. A quiet address gets nothing extra for being quiet.

How far to trust the number

Everything comes from OpenStreetMap, and some places are mapped better than others. We measure how detailed the map is around the address. Where it is thin, the score is shown as "at least" and no verdict is given: an empty map is not a bad neighbourhood.

Every point can be traced

Each part of the score lists the places that earned its points, with the route, the minutes and the reason. Nothing in it comes from opinions, reviews or prices.

In pictures

How far the door really reaches

The areas you can walk to from Gran Vía 28, Madrid in 5, 10 and 15 minutes, along its streets. The dashed circle is what a ruler on the map would promise.

5 minutes on foot
10 minutes on foot
15 minutes on foot
15 minutes as the crow flies

Five minutes is full value

A grocery within 5 minutes of the door counts in full. Further out its value falls, slowly at first, and at 20 minutes it counts for nothing.

A railway doubles a short walk

Around Gran Vía 28, Madrid a walk is on average 1.21 times the straight line. Where tracks or a six-lane road lie between you and the shop, you walk to the crossing first.

2.2 km of major roads
892 m of stairs
84 closed passages

The parts and what goes into each

Groceries 9%

A supermarket or a grocery shop, a bakery, a greengrocer, a market. What you buy every few days.

What is counted	Weight	Full value within	Nothing beyond	Nearest places share	Notes
Groceriesweight 75% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 70% · 20% · 10%. lesser kinds count from 50%.	75%	5 min	20 min	70% · 20% · 10%	lesser kinds count from 50%
Bakery, greengrocer, marketweight 25% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 15 min Notes Nearest places share: 70% · 30%. lesser kinds count from 70%.	25%	5 min	15 min	70% · 30%	lesser kinds count from 70%

Services nearby 13%

A pharmacy, a bank or a cash machine, the post and parcel lockers, a hairdresser or a repair shop, a shopping centre.

What is counted	Weight	Full value within	Nothing beyond	Nearest places share	Notes
Pharmacyweight 36% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 85% · 15%. all places of the kind count alike.	36%	5 min	20 min	85% · 15%	all places of the kind count alike
Bank or cash machineweight 15% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 100%. lesser kinds count from 70%.	15%	5 min	20 min	100%	lesser kinds count from 70%
Post and parcel lockersweight 15% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 100%. lesser kinds count from 70%.	15%	5 min	20 min	100%	lesser kinds count from 70%
Everyday servicesweight 22% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 15 min Notes Nearest places share: 40% · 30% · 20% · 10%. one place of each kind.	22%	5 min	15 min	40% · 30% · 20% · 10%	one place of each kind
Shopping centreweight 13% · in full up to 8 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 70% · 30%. all places of the kind count alike.	13%	8 min	20 min	70% · 30%	all places of the kind count alike

Public transport 18%

The lines you can reach on foot. A metro line counts for three bus lines, a frequent line for more than a rare one.

This part is counted by lines, not by places. What a line of each mode is worth: Lines, by kind

Education and children 10%

Kindergartens, schools, playgrounds, classes. With a child it is a walk made twice a day.

What is counted	Weight	Full value within	Nothing beyond	Nearest places share	Notes
Kindergartenweight 29% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 15 min Notes Nearest places share: 80% · 20%. lesser kinds count from 80%.	29%	5 min	15 min	80% · 20%	lesser kinds count from 80%
Schoolweight 36% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 80% · 20%. all places of the kind count alike.	36%	5 min	20 min	80% · 20%	all places of the kind count alike
Playgroundweight 21% · in full up to 3 min · nothing after 10 min Notes Nearest places share: 70% · 30%. all places of the kind count alike.	21%	3 min	10 min	70% · 30%	all places of the kind count alike
Classes, college, universityweight 14% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 60% · 40%. one place of each kind.	14%	5 min	20 min	60% · 40%	one place of each kind

Health 9%

A clinic, a dentist, a hospital. Rarely needed, badly missed when far.

What is counted	Weight	Full value within	Nothing beyond	Nearest places share	Notes
Clinic or doctorweight 60% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 70% · 30%. lesser kinds count from 50%.	60%	5 min	20 min	70% · 30%	lesser kinds count from 50%
Dentistweight 20% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 100%. all places of the kind count alike.	20%	5 min	20 min	100%	all places of the kind count alike
Hospitalweight 20% · in full up to 8 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 100%. all places of the kind count alike.	20%	8 min	20 min	100%	all places of the kind count alike

Parks and sport 14%

A park, a forest, a sports ground, benches. A beach or the sea within a walk counts like a park; a lake or a river bank adds points.

What is counted	Weight	Full value within	Nothing beyond	Nearest places share	Notes
Park or gardenweight 55% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 15 min Notes Nearest places share: 70% · 30%. lesser kinds count from 70%.	55%	5 min	15 min	70% · 30%	lesser kinds count from 70%
Forest and open natureweight 18% · in full up to 8 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 100%. all places of the kind count alike.	18%	8 min	20 min	100%	all places of the kind count alike
Sportweight 27% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 50% · 30% · 20%. one place of each kind; lesser kinds count from 70%.	27%	5 min	20 min	50% · 30% · 20%	one place of each kind; lesser kinds count from 70%
Benches	Benches are counted, not walked to: how many stand within five minutes of the door. They enter the score only in the profile «Older person».
The sea, a lake, a river bank	A beach or the sea coast within a walk counts as a park in the row above: a beach in full, a bare coast as 70% of one. On top of that, a beach, a coast or a large stretch of water within a 20-minute walk raises this part: at 5 minutes or closer a beach closes 50% of the gap between the part and 100, a bare shoreline counts as 60% of a beach. A pond or a short canal does not count, and an address far from any water loses nothing.

Street network 14%

How direct the streets are, and what the walks lose to slopes, waits at wide roads and traffic alongside.

Measured on the streets around the address, linear between the two marks.

What is counted	Weight	0 points at	100 points at
Intersection densityweight 35% · 0 points at: 20 intersections per km² · 100 points at: 100 intersections per km²	35%	20 intersections per km²	100 intersections per km²
Directness of routesweight 25% · 0 points at: the walk is 2 times the straight line · 100 points at: the walk is 1.25 times the straight line	25%	the walk is 2 times the straight line	the walk is 1.25 times the straight line
Comfort of the walksweight 40% · 0 points at: 70% of the walking time is plain walking on the level · 100 points at: 100% of the walking time is plain walking on the level	40%	70% of the walking time is plain walking on the level	100% of the walking time is plain walking on the level

Cafes and culture 8%

Cafes, restaurants, a cinema, a museum, a library. Places you go to for no errand at all.

What is counted	Weight	Full value within	Nothing beyond	Nearest places share	Notes
Cafe or restaurantweight 44% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 15 min Notes Nearest places share: 50% · 30% · 20%. lesser kinds count from 70%.	44%	5 min	15 min	50% · 30% · 20%	lesser kinds count from 70%
Cinema, theatre, museumweight 33% · in full up to 8 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 50% · 30% · 20%. one place of each kind; lesser kinds count from 60%.	33%	8 min	20 min	50% · 30% · 20%	one place of each kind; lesser kinds count from 60%
Libraryweight 22% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 100%. all places of the kind count alike.	22%	5 min	20 min	100%	all places of the kind count alike

Bikes and shared cars 3%

Cycle lanes and tracks nearby, the ride to the city centre, bike share and parking, chargers and shared cars.

What is counted	Weight	Full value within	Nothing beyond	Nearest places share	Notes
Bike shareweight 20% · in full up to 3 min · nothing after 10 min Notes Nearest places share: 100%. all places of the kind count alike.	20%	3 min	10 min	100%	all places of the kind count alike
Bike parkingweight 10% · in full up to 2 min · nothing after 6 min Notes Nearest places share: 100%. all places of the kind count alike.	10%	2 min	6 min	100%	all places of the kind count alike
EV chargingweight 10% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 15 min Notes Nearest places share: 100%. all places of the kind count alike.	10%	5 min	15 min	100%	all places of the kind count alike
Car sharingweight 10% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 15 min Notes Nearest places share: 100%. all places of the kind count alike.	10%	5 min	15 min	100%	all places of the kind count alike
Cycle lanes nearby	25% of this part. The length of cycle lanes and tracks within a kilometre of the address, and the longest unbroken stretch among them: a network you can ride along counts for more than scattered pieces. It counts in full at 8 km of them within 1 km and an unbroken stretch of 3 km; the length gives 60% of the need, the stretch the rest.
By bicycle to the centre	25% of this part. One route by bicycle to the centre of the city or town the address is in; its minutes grow with the climb. Up to 10 min the ride counts in full, from 60 min it counts nothing, and a route along cycle lanes and quiet streets keeps more of its value. Where there is no city or no route, the need is left out and never scored zero. Minutes are counted at 15 km/h plus one minute for every 10 m of climb. A ride under 1 km counts in full whatever the streets; from 2 km a ride wholly on busy roads keeps 60% of its value, and a metre on a quiet street counts as 0.5 of a metre on a cycle lane.

Remote work 1%

A coworking space, or a cafe and a library where you can sit with a laptop.

What is counted	Weight	Full value within	Nothing beyond	Nearest places share	Notes
Coworkingweight 50% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 70% · 30%. all places of the kind count alike.	50%	5 min	20 min	70% · 30%	all places of the kind count alike
Cafe to work fromweight 30% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 12 min Notes Nearest places share: 60% · 40%. all places of the kind count alike.	30%	5 min	12 min	60% · 40%	all places of the kind count alike
Library to work fromweight 20% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 100%. all places of the kind count alike.	20%	5 min	20 min	100%	all places of the kind count alike

Pets 1%

A dog park, a vet, a pet shop.

What is counted	Weight	Full value within	Nothing beyond	Nearest places share	Notes
Dog parkweight 40% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 15 min Notes Nearest places share: 100%. all places of the kind count alike.	40%	5 min	15 min	100%	all places of the kind count alike
Vetweight 40% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 100%. all places of the kind count alike.	40%	5 min	20 min	100%	all places of the kind count alike
Pet shopweight 20% · in full up to 5 min · nothing after 20 min Notes Nearest places share: 100%. all places of the kind count alike.	20%	5 min	20 min	100%	all places of the kind count alike

Lines, by kind

How much one line of each kind is worth, and how far its stop may be. 6 such units fill the transport part completely.

Kind of line	Worth	Full value within	Nothing beyond
Metro	3	5 min	18 min
Light rail	2	5 min	18 min
Train	1.5	5 min	18 min
Monorail	1.5	5 min	18 min
Tram	1.5	3 min	12 min
Trolleybus	1	3 min	12 min
Bus	1	3 min	12 min
Shared taxi	0.5	3 min	12 min
Minibus	0.5	3 min	12 min

In a city with a metro

You walk further

In a big city people walk further: places count up to 20 to 25 minutes on foot, and the further a place is, the less it gives. A city is big when a metro runs within 40 km of the address.

The nearest station

The report always starts the transport block with the nearest metro or rail station and the way to it, on foot and by bus or tram. A station within 15 minutes counts in full; further away, the longer the way, the less it counts. A metro line weighs more than bus lines.

A real shopping centre

Only a large shopping centre counts: a big building, several shops inside, or a name people know. A single room with "department store" on the sign does not.

Cafes without ratings

We have no reviews or ratings: the sites that hold them do not allow reuse. So the three nearest places count, not how many there are, and the report says plainly that their quality is not known.

Car sharing by app

Where cars are picked up anywhere in the city through an app, the map has no stations and we do not look for them. The need stays out of the score and its weight goes to the rest.

Profiles

Each profile has its own weights, walking pace and essentials.

Groceries9%
Services nearby13%
Public transport18%
Education and children10%
Health9%
Parks and sport14%
Street network14%
Cafes and culture8%
Bikes and shared cars3%
Remote work1%
Pets1%

Walking pace: 80 m/minHas to be in reach: groceries, pharmacy

Profile	Groceries	Services nearby	Public transport	Education and children	Health	Parks and sport	Street network	Cafes and culture	Bikes and shared cars	Remote work	Pets	Pace	Essential
General	9%	13%	18%	10%	9%	14%	14%	8%	3%	1%	1%	80 m/min	Groceries, Pharmacy
Family with a child	8%	11%	13%	22%	11%	16%	13%	4%	1%	1%	1%	65 m/min	Groceries, Pharmacy, School, Playground, Park or garden
Without a car	10%	14%	28%	6%	8%	10%	15%	6%	2%	1%	1%	80 m/min	Groceries, Pharmacy
Older person	11%	14%	15%	2%	18%	15%	18%	5%	1%	0%	2%	60 m/min	Groceries, Pharmacy, Clinic or doctor, Park or garden
Remote worker	8%	12%	13%	4%	8%	13%	13%	11%	4%	13%	1%	80 m/min	Groceries, Pharmacy
Pet owner	8%	12%	15%	5%	8%	19%	14%	6%	2%	1%	10%	80 m/min	Groceries, Pharmacy

What the number means

90–100Everything on footEvery daily need, a real park and fast transport within a few easy minutes, on a fairly quiet street.
75–89Most errands on footDaily life works without a car. One or two things are missing, or the street is loud.
60–74The basics on footFood, a pharmacy and a stop are near. The rest takes a ride or a long walk.
45–59Half on footSome things are near, or all of them are near but uphill or across a big road.
25–44Mostly by transportA shop or a stop can be reached. Life is organised around rides.
0–24Hard without a carNothing useful within a comfortable walk.

What takes points away

Noise

The level at the address is worked out from the roads, railways and runways around it. Each decibel above 55 dB costs 0.5 of a point, up to 10 points.

The noise is worked out for the spot the building stands on. Inside a flat it depends on which way the windows face and on the glazing: a flat facing the courtyard can be much quieter.

Road
Railway
Runway

Air

The yearly average of fine particles and nitrogen dioxide against the WHO guideline, up to 8 points. The worse of the two counts.

Fine particles PM2.5
Yearly average, µg/m³	5	10	15	25	35	50
Points off	0	1.5	3	5	7	8

Nitrogen dioxide
Yearly average, µg/m³	10	20	40	60
Points off	0	1	3	4

Industry

An industrial area closer than 300 m costs up to 4 points.

Together they never take more than 20 points.

Shown, not scored

These are mapped unevenly from country to country, or modelled too coarsely for one street. So the report states them as facts.

Greenery

The share of the surroundings covered by parks, forest and grass.

Parks are drawn as areas in some countries and left out in others, so the share reflects the map as much as the ground.

Step-free access

Step-free places, lowered kerbs, tactile paving and stairs on the way.

For most places the map says nothing about steps, so a missing note says nothing either.

Lighting and night

Lit streets and places open through the night.

The map gives lighting for a small and uneven share of streets.

Climate

Hot days, frost and rain over the last full year.

The weather archive is a grid of several kilometres: the same for a whole district.

Relief

Height above sea level and how steep the streets are.

The height model smooths out short steep streets.

How far to trust a score

Next to every score stands its confidence, built from four measurements of the map around the address.

Address precision: 15% of the confidence
How much is mapped around: 35% of the confidence
Detail of footpaths and crossings: 25% of the confidence
Routes along real streets: 25% of the confidence

High from 75%, medium from 45%, low below that. A low-confidence score is shown as "at least" and never appears among our examples.

Sources and their limits

Places, streets, crossings and barriers: OpenStreetMap. Volunteers map it, so coverage differs by country and a missing shop lowers the score.
Walks: our own routing on the OpenStreetMap street network, with slopes from the Open-Meteo height model. The route drawn on the map comes from OSRM and the reach areas from Valhalla, so on a hill they can differ from the minutes that were scored.
Address search: Photon and Nominatim. A street without a house number is placed at its middle.
Air, relief and climate: Open-Meteo, with air data from CAMS. Model grids, not sensors at the address.
The map gives the class of a road, not its traffic. Noise and the cost of walking beside a road are read from its class, lanes and speed limit, so a quiet main road is charged like a busy one.
Timetables are not open worldwide. Frequency is used where the map states it; elsewhere ten rare minibus lines can score like ten trunk lines.
Air comes from a model grid of 10 to 40 km. Two addresses in one city get the same air penalty, and a street canyon is not seen.
One method worldwide: no weights per country.

Data sources and licences

The reports are made from open data. Each source is credited here as its licence asks.

Heights, climate and air: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0 licence. open-meteo.com
Air quality: Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), the European Union's Copernicus programme. atmosphere.copernicus.eu
Addresses in Argentina: Datos Argentina, georef, CC BY 4.0 licence. datosgobar.github.io/georef-ar-api
The visitor's country and city from the IP address: DB-IP, CC BY 4.0 licence. db-ip.com