Environmental Correlates of Walking and Cycling. Based on a comprehensive literature review the authors concluded that high density urban design, walking, and public health were empirically interrelated. They also called for the creation of a walkability index.

In 2004, another highly cited article, Obesity Relationships with Community Design, Physical Activity, and Time Spent in Cars, quantitatively linked walkability to obesity. A 2026 commentary by Margaret B. Nolan refers to the article as remarkably