Walk Score: One of the Best Google Mashups Ever

Here’s some fun for your Wednesday. Check out www.walkscore.com. The site is a google maps mashup which rates any address in the United States in terms of it’s “walkability” – to what degree you can walk to basic conveniences, restaurants, parks and other urban features. It’s a pretty basic calculation that does not take into consideration the quality of the streets or the nature of the urban fabric, but still gives a rather insightful look at how our cities are built.
Placing your business or home in a location that does not depend 100% on the automobile is a good idea for many reasons and this kind of metric makes that decision deliciously visible.