Measuring the robustness of neighbourhood business districts

A key component of vibrant urban neighbourhoods is the neighbourhood business district (NBD) – the place for amenities, shopping, social engagement and recreation. In order to provide these advantages and be competitive with big box and online retailers, the NBD must be easily accessible and provide a basic range of goods and services. Yet few tools exist that measure both the access and completeness of amenities on NBDs. This paper presents a systematic analysis and provides cities with a tool to assess NBDs and create policies and programmes to support more complete, robust and useful neighbourhood business districts.