How walkable is the Tri-Cities? New interactive map shows nation’s ‘15-minute cities’

One perk of living in the Tri-Cities is that many amenities are, at most, a 20-minute car ride away.

But how long do you think it would take to walk to your favorite grocery store? Or how about biking down to that corner pharmacy?

A new website by a Seattle-based spatial analyst aims to answer those questions.

Close.city is a free interactive map that shows travel times to more than two dozen types of amenities — think parks, public schools, farmers markets, libraries and even dentists.

Travel is measured in minutes spent walking, biking or taking public transit.

It’s currently in open beta and includes data for communities all around the United States. More features, destination types and data improvements are expected in the coming months.

“Proximity governs how we live, work and socialize,” writes Nat Henry, director of Henry Spatial Analysis, on the website’s about page. “Close is an interactive travel time map for people who want to be near the amenities that matter most to them.”

Henry’s national map is built on a foundation of publicly available data. He told the Seattle Times in a recent interview that it includes 3.2 million destinations mapped across 7.9 million geographic blocks.

The map also is a recognition of a popular urban planning concept called “15-minute cities,” which is roughly defined as allowing residents to be able to reach all essential amenities and services by either a short 15-minute walk or bike ride.

By building closer and promoting commuter alternatives to cars, 15-minute cities aim to create more livable, flexible and sustainable urban communities.

Henry’s map appears to be gaining steam. In its first week online, Close.city attracted more than 1 million page views.

He told the Times there’s “this enormous pent-up demand for walkable cities.”

So how does the Tri-Cities fare in all this discussion of close-knit communities? Well, it depends on the service.

Most neighborhoods in the Tri-Cities have access to a public park by way of a 15-minute walk, according to Close.city’s data.

But playgrounds are a bit farther out of the way.

Outside the core shopping centers, much of the Tri-Cities also is more than a 30-minute walk to the nearest supermarket.

But most Tri-Citians can bike 10-15 minutes to get to their nearest cafe or coffee shops.

Data shows that neighborhoods around West Pasco, Badger Mountain South and Badger Canyon lack amenities that are easily accessible by walking, biking or transit.

While Henry’s map is comprehensive, there remains some minor oversights in his data. For example, the Pasco branch of the Mid-Columbia Libraries system, located on Hopkins Street, is not listed among libraries in Tri-Cities.