This is the question posed on CityNerd video titled “Walkable Cities But They Keep Getting More Affordable”
If you ditched your car, could you afford to leave the suburbs for a great urban neighborhood?
Ray Delahanty answers the question in the 26 biggest US cities.
The analysis assumes the all-in cost of owning and operating a car is $1,000 per month, including purchase, insurance, fuel, and maintenance.
In the city, transportation costs might total about $250 per month for transit passes, biking, ride-hailing, and other small expenses.
This results in an effective $750 per month increase in the housing budget for city center residents who do not own a car.
The results of the video are quite interesting, as you can get more m² in walkable areas in most cities
My nearest supermarket is is a 3 minute walk away. I walk to the supermarket. We probably shop 3-4 times a week.
Buy food to cover 2 dinners and breakfast. Lunch is leftovers from previous dinner. I have a small fridge, so I can’t fit a week’s worth of food in there anyway.
Oh, and we transport everything in a backpack and / or shopping bags (with handles, only seen those paper bags without handles in American films).