Walk Score Launches Bike Score

Since it was founded in 2007, Walk Score – an online service that rates the walkability of addresses around the United States – has become a much-used tool for people looking to buy, sell, and rent real estate.

But of course, there's also a certain set of urbanist geeks for whom a high mark is a source of bragging rights, as in, “Dude, my new apartment has a Walk Score of 97!” Not only does the service account for the proximity of shops, restaurants, parks, and similar amenities, it also factors in things like block length and transit access, which can affect the texture and connectedness of a neighborhood. In effect, it quantifies what makes one place less car-dependent than another.