This study evaluates the inclusiveness of walkable housing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Using a series of regression models that control for an array of factors, this study finds that blacks are more likely to live in less walkable areas, a factor which could result in increased societal costs. These models suggest that this factor may mask other highly collinear factors including income, education, and social networks. This phenomenon is explored with qualitative interviews that reinforce this finding and illustrate the many push and pull factors that influence housing choice. These findings are then used to develop potential hypotheses as to why minorities may be living in less walkable locations and to propose policy solutions that could be used to encourage more inclusive walkable housing.Keywords: walkability; neighbourhoods; equity; housing; inclusive design Introduction Planning research has shown correlations between urban sprawl and obesity (Saelens et al. 2003, Frank et al. 2004, Ewing 2005. Additional work has correlated higher walkability with increased walking behaviour and improved population health, independent of race, education, income, or lifestyle preferences. There have been significant analyses of how the built environment affects walking behaviour, but there have been little analyses on income and market-based mechanisms, demographics, or related social equity issues behind residential choice (Cervero and Duncan 2003, Handy et al. 2005, Sallis and Glanz 2006. These factors are especially important for low-income and minority populations who have historically suffered from location-based discrimination, and may not have the financial means to choose more walkable neighbourhoods (Massey 2004, Williams andJackson 2005). Such housing inequity creates a public health issue, since planning research has shown correlations between housing and transportation characteristics and population health. Presumably, people with access to walkable neighbourhoods could improve their well-being. However, housing research suggests that walkability is not equitably allocated;# 2014 The Author(s). Published by Taylor & Francis. This is an Open Access article. Non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly attributed, cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way, is permitted. The moral rights of the named author(s) have been asserted. * Email: wriggs@calpoly.edu Local Environment, 2016 Vol. 21, No. 5, 527 -554, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2014 price, sorting, discrimination, and individual preferences create barriers to walkable neighbourhoods as a health resource.This study evaluates the inclusiveness of walkable neighbourhoods in the San Francisco Bay Area. Like many urban areas that have experienced growth in recent years, the inner core of the Bay Are saw price stability throughout the recent economic downturn (Glaeser et al. 2012, Brahinsky 2014. This is consistent with other literature throughout the USA and abroad th...
