Inspiration
As a renter tired of relying on basic walkability scores, I wanted a tool that truly captures what makes a neighborhood livable—beyond just "walkable." I saw friends struggle to assess car-free living or winter walking comfort in urban areas, so I set out to build something holistic for everyday people making housing decisions.
What it does
WalkScore Plus delivers a complete neighborhood analysis: multi-modal mobility scores (walk/bike/transit), 15-minute amenity access, car-free feasibility, nighttime safety, and seasonal walking comfort. Users can compare up to three locations side-by-side to make informed housing choices.
How we built it
I started with wireframing core pages (Home, Report, Comparison) in Figma, then built the frontend with React for responsiveness. Integrated mapping libraries for the 15-minute radius tool, and used Chart.js to visualize scores. Backend logic was built with Node.js to process location data and generate actionable insights.
Challenges we ran into
Designing intuitive visual comparisons for up to three locations was tricky—balancing clarity with detail took multiple iterations. Also, ensuring the seasonal comfort index accurately reflected regional weather patterns required refining how we weighted factors like sidewalk maintenance and pedestrian protection.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Creating a tool that’s both functional and user-friendly—no technical expertise needed to navigate. The visual summary snapshot has been a hit, condensing complex data into a single, easy-to-digest view that helps users quickly spot a neighborhood’s strengths and weaknesses.
What we learned
I deepened my skills in data visualization and responsive design, but more importantly, learned to prioritize user needs over feature creep. Iterating with real users (friends, local renters) taught me that simplicity beats complexity for everyday housing decision-making.
What's next for this project
We plan to expand amenity categories to include childcare and senior services, add localized weather data for seasonal comfort, and integrate with local real estate listings to link livability metrics directly to available homes. We’re also exploring mobile optimization for on-the-go neighborhood scouting.
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