Walkability Versus Livability: Changes in Neighborhood Satisfaction After Relocation to a Walkable, Mixed-Income Community in Austin, Texas.

Abstract

Aim: This study examined significant knowledge gaps in understanding walkability-livability relationships. Background: The concept of livability focuses on perceptions of neighborhood environments in relation to quality of life. As walkable communities become increasingly promoted for their health and environmental benefits, questions remain about how walkability affects perceived livability across individuals with various backgrounds and preferences. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study with residents relocated to a community that is not only walkable but also mixed-income in Austin, Texas, U.S. Surveys were used to capture their satisfaction with perceived livability (i.e., "a good place to live" and "a good place to raise children") and specific neighborhood features, and relevant personal, social, and environmental factors. We used (1) paired t-tests to examine pre-post move differences, (2) binary logistic regressions to predict perceived livability, and (3) multiple linear regressions to predict the pre-post differences in perceived livability. Results: Relocation to this community demonstrated improved satisfaction with two overall livability measures and specific neighborhood features related to convenient transportation, access to services, environmental quality, and social cohesion. Affordable housing residents had more consistent satisfaction and greater improvements, suggesting improved residential equality in this mixed-income community. Improvements in perceived crime safety, natural surroundings, walkable destinations, and air quality predicted improvement in both livability measures. Denser streets improved satisfaction with a good place to live but were insignificant for the change in satisfaction with a good place to raise children. Conclusions: More research is needed to address distinct population outcomes and livability specific to raising children.