Walkability
A new site, walkscore.com, helps calculate how walkable an address is.
The site generates a WalkScore(tm) by measuring distances to walkable locations near the address and presents the results as a google map mashup. Of course, there are limitations such as safety, pedestrian friendly design, freeway intersections, weather, etc.
The site is focused on helping real estate brokers and buyers evaluate the walkability of their property. Real estate websites can generate a widget to embed on their pages.
However, this service combined with satellite imagery is bound to give walk-minded travelers a good idea of what ground transportation they may need (or not) at a destination.
The WalkScore may also have some usefulness as an inverse suburban sprawl score. Low scores are probably not desirable for people who want to walk for exercise or community services.
Here are scores from local downtown areas:
Carrboro - 89
Raleigh Moore Square - 89
Cary Downtown - 82
Apex Downtown - 65
Holly Springs - 38