Audit Tool

The Audit Tool will help you assess the walkability of your workplace by following these seven simple steps:

1. Obtain (or create, if necessary) a map of the campus or area around your place of work that you wish to audit, including likely pedestrian destinations, such as parking lots, nearby restaurants, shops, parks, etc.
2. Decide, either by observation or inference, the most useful or likely pedestrian route between each location of interest on your map, eventually assembling a network of walking segments (link to glossary) that make up your most common walking routes. Label these segments ‘A,' ‘B,' ‘C,' or 1, 2, 3 to identify one from the other. See Sample Audit Report Map for an example.
3. Take the audit tool to the location under study. Take as many copies as you have identified segments on your map—for example, if you have 10 segments on your map, take 10 copies. You will use a copy of the audit tool to assess each segment individually. The tool assesses factors related to safety, aesthetics and recreational potential, with safety being the most important.
4. Begin with your first segment, and use the attached audit to rank each feature, using the description provided on the audit. There is no right or wrong answers. Simply pick the number that most accurately represents your understanding of the segment. Also answer the questions at the bottom of the audit tool, noting potential dangers and improvements.
5. Repeat step 4 for each segment of your map. Some segments may be very different from each other, and some may be very similar.
6. Once you have completed the audit form for all the segments on your map, use the formula in the box halfway through the audit form to create a numerical score for each segment. This score, ranging from 0-100, makes safety considerations the most important, followed by things like accessibility and aesthetics (medium importance), and finally shade (least important).
7. Now you can input the scores from each segment on your map, and generate a report. If you like, you can follow the format of   the CDC sample report.  The sample designates segments with scores of 0–39 points as high risk and unattractive (red), scores of 40–69 as medium-risk and average or non-descript looking (yellow), and 70 and above as low-risk and pleasant. The questions you answer at the bottom of the audit tool can help you prioritize your needs and wants for improving the walking routes.

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