Open Mapping Workshops Provide GeoData Guidance to Planners

A major new trend in cartography and urban planning, Web Mapping can safely be regarded as one of the hottest new public engagement tools. Historically, cartography was expensive, restrictive, and complex. However, with the relatively recent rise of web mapping, a range of free and proprietary data and technology has been born. As a result, the barrier to entry for creating maps on the web has shifted from that of the paper atlas and other traditional cartography.

For the novice, the difference between web mapping and web cartography is that traditional mappers primarily deal with technological issues, while cartographers also study theoretic aspects: the use of web maps, the evaluation and optimization of techniques and workflows, the usability of web maps, social aspects, and more. Web GIS is similar to web mapping but with an emphasis on analysis, processing of project specific geodata and exploratory aspects.

Confused? What we hope planners understand is how useful Web mapping can be to your public engagement efforts. Web maps can easily deliver up to date information about community, that residents and visitors are interested in. Some examples:

• A map displaying voting results related to city projects, can identify who else in the community cares about the same priorities
• A map displaying the traffic situation in real time by using traffic data collected by sensor networks helps citizens avoid problematic areas on their drive to work.
• A map showing the current locations of mass transit vehicles such as buses or trains, allowing patrons to minimize their waiting time at stops or stations, or be aware of delays in service.
• Maps displaying a city’s best parks, museums, restaurants, etc. to visit, can build a sense of pride in community

The Where2012 team has has put together some fab workshops explaining the ins and outs of web mapping, and providing some toolbox tips for using the best open source tools to engage your community. Attendees won’t want to miss these sessions:

An Open Web Mapping Tool Box

Learn how to map beautiful interactive maps for web and mobile using the best open source tools. The workshop starts with a walk through of how web mapping works – data processing and designing a map, to rendering systems, Javascript frameworks, and future vector-rendering potentials. This will include several deep dives into examples to show what’s possible, targeted at both technical and non-technical users. Learn more >>

Serendipity as a Service

Through examples culled from two years of experience making real-time mobile introductions between nearby people who share common interests, presenter Gabe Smedresman  will share best practices for wielding this powerful dataset to deliver situationally relevant serendipitous opportunities and orchestrate small-world moments. When availability, location accuracy, and social context must be taken into account, the most challenging factors can be knowing when, in what form, and how often to reach out. Attendees will take away lessons learned from managing multiple location sources, determining user availability, interpreting proximity in different urban densities, and variations in response rates by situation. Learn more about this workshop >>

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