My wife and I finally live somewhere with high walkability. It's wonderful, and highly underrated.

Of the many things that affect walkability, intersections aren't generally high on my list. But we do have one of these pedestrian scrambles near us and, as pedestrians, it _is_ a lot nicer. It has a rather large impact radius too: since it's the quickest way to get from the left side of the road to the right side (or vice versa), we can plan our walking path a couple blocks ahead and avoid having to cross at other intersections.

But like I said, intersections aren't high on my list for things that make cities pedestrian-friendly. Having quiet, nice looking side streets that connect all the various significant locations is the most important thing.

We avoid walking along major roads at all costs. For people who don't walk, it's hard to appreciate just how loud and droning busy streets can be. Walking along peaceful side streets is just that; peaceful. Miles can whiz by. But walking next to major streets is physically draining and turns the walk into a slog. Major streets also often lack big trees, which provide shaded respites during the walk in summer, and they're generally dull and give no flavor for the city.

The next important thing is having a good sprinkling of the necessities around: places to eat, stores, parks, etc. When things are close by, it's easy to convince yourself and others to walk instead of drive. "It's a beautiful day outside and this restaurant is only half a mile that way. Let's go for a walk!"

Walking around my city makes me feel more connected to it; adds a sense of pride. It gives you eyes on how the city is really doing; areas that are improving and areas that need help. Imagine if every denizen had that perspective!

And for programmers, like most of us here, I can't think of anything better. It gets you out of the chair, and walking is a great elucidator of thoughts and bugs.