MSNBC.com unveiled a cool feature yesterday that shows the power of databases and maps as a new form of journalism. Integrating publicly available data about bridge safety with some Microsoft maps, the Bridge Tracker allows a user to enter a start and destination and "check out" all the bridges that will be crossed. I'm guessing this project was borne in the wake of the Minneapolis bridge disaster of last summer and it's a very cool display for data.

Another site that launched last week that expands the idea to crime, building permits, liquor licenses and more is called Everyblock. It's available in San Francisco, Chicago and New York and combines incredible amounts of data into sortable views and maps.

My industry goes ga-ga over these projects because they are great tools for journalists. But I wonder how interesting "regular" readers will find them. Would you want to know about all the liquor license applications and building permits that were recently filed in your neighborhood? And how much do you care about the safety of the bridges you drive over? As one co-worker remarked, "Does it give you an alternate route" if you don't like the main one? (If you're driving from Tacoma to Seattle, there is no alternate route. But that's a different issue altogether.)