I’m a HUGE fan of walker friendly neighbourhoods. I haven’t driven a car in more than a decade and I don’t like to bike in the city so I walk everywhere. I think that the more we build cities and towns to be walkable, the healthier we’ll be. The more we discourage people from driving to big box stores, the more we will be able to withdraw from our reliance on oil. A friend at work was telling me about what life was like when he lived and worked in the U.S. and about how it wasn’t as walker friendly as Ottawa. He also sent me this website and it’s fantastic! You just enter an address and it gives you a ranking as to how walkable your location is, based on a few critieria. It also lists how far you are from things like bookstores, pharmacies, grocery stores, banks, etc.
I don’t know if it covers all Canadian cities, but Ottawa is definitely in there! If I ever decide to move, I’ll be using this website to find the best place to live. I would imagine that it can also be used when travelling and trying to find the right place to stay at and what’s nearby.
(My current residence got a score of 90. I really do live in a walker’s paradise!) 
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That’s a great site! Thanks for the link.
No probs, glad you like it!
Kingston rates a 98% ~ i never knew!
Heh, I didn’t know that either. I haven’t been to Kingston since I skipped my high school graduation in order to participate in the provincial track and field meet at Queen’s! (I placed 13th in discus, scored a personal best – was so much more fun than graduating)
I’ll have to visit Kingston soon and see how walkable it is!
My location only scored a 48% . I thought it would have been better. Excellent site. Thanks for sharing.
I guess you don’t live in a place that would satisfy most people who depend on walking to run errands and have access to services. But, it all comes down to people’s needs.
You’re welcome, I’m glad you liked the site!
my bronson apartment got an 83, which is great… my old town near hamilton only got a 72 but i remember it being so walkable! weird, i didn’t think my new location would beat it. this was so neat, thanks.
Heh, probably because the site doesn’t take some things into account.. maybe you had more shortcuts at your old location? Hard to tell but yeah, I find that in general, downtown life in Ottawa is excellent for walking. You’re welcome!