How affordable is the community you live in (and I'm not just talking real estate figures)? The website Abogo can tell you the real costs of where you live now, not only factoring in housing costs, but transportation costs as well — which can add up to a lot. It also can tell you how much CO2 is generated by your car due to living in your area. In a nutshell: Abogo shows you the monetary and environmental benefits of living in "walkable" neighborhoods.
Using data from the Housing + Transportation Affordability Index, a project of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Abogo "estimate[s] total transportation costs for an average household from your region living in your neighborhood, including commuting, errands, and all the other trips around town." The site also factors in the costs of using a car — upkeep and gas usage — and public transit. For carbon emissions, the website currently only factors in car usage.
For example, I calculated the area around the CL Tampa office in Ybor City to find out the transportation costs for an average household and the carbon impact from vehicles of those who live in the area. Because of all of the amenities nearby (shops, grocers, etc.) and close knit neighborhoods, the surrounding area is on the lower end of the transportation cost and carbon spectrum.
This article appears in Aug 12-18, 2010.