What is a Green Map?

Each locally-made Green Map has a clear social and environmental justice focus. Each is unique, and all use Green Map icons to highlight assets and challenges.

Wendy Brawer, founder of Green Map System, provides background and explains how communities use map-making to change their world.

Why make a Green Map?

People make Green Maps for a range of reasons. We find that the process of making a map with people is as important as the final map, as the process of making a map supports learning about sustainable development. Making a map with people helps prompt important conversations about your community, so people start to develop a shared understanding of community priorities and challenges.

A Green Map can be made by anyone from young people to community leaders, educators or civic leadership organisations. You just need to start with a clear purpose and an enthusiasm for community empowerment.

Some examples of why people make Green Maps:

To support community consultation processes and develop action plans

To help people learn about sustainable development and systems change

To draw attention hidden community and natural assets that are under threat

To spark new ideas for adapting to climate change and building local resilience

To share information with people in an emergency or health crisis

To inform research about environmental protection

Whatever your reason, adaptable Green Map tools and learning resources can help you make an original map that helps visualize what matters to your community.

Pioneers of Community Map Making

Did you know? Green Map launched one of the world’s first universal mapping iconographies - and we did it for sustainable communities!

Green Map System is has categorised 170 different types of resources using our icons. Our icons are split into three main categories: Nature, Green Living, and Culture and Society.

Our icons have been matched to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to support communities to translate complex, interlinked issues into map form.

Find out more

Our platform

Our versatile map making tools have been utilized on printed, interactive and experiential Green Maps created in 65 countries

The Green Map Platform is designed for community map makers. The Platform enables people to work in a team to co-create, publish and distribute Green Maps digitally.

Unlike other online mapping platforms, ours is built with communities, collaboration, and a shared mission to tackle climate change and social injustice in mind.

The Platform is free, flexible, and easy-to-use for community map makers and there are many examples of how people have used these tools.

For more advanced tools and the customisation of the Platform we do charge. The Green Map Platform team work with a range of fee paying clients including grant funded community groups, networks and research projects.

All income generated by the Green Map Platform goes directly back into supporting our work to advance Green Map making globally.

The Green Map Platform Team

The Green Map Platform has been developed through a global collaboration between the nonprofit Green Map System, software developers GISCollective and design agency Tacit Tacit who have worked with the Green Mapmaking community for more than five years.

Collaborate with us

We believe good things can happen when people come together for a shared purpose.

The Green Map Platform has been built through collaboration. We are actively seeking opportunities to work with people, organisations, networks, academic institutions and policy influencers who can utilize our tools and help develop Green Map as a self-sustaining social enterprise.

Talk with us

Our global community

65 Countries

50k Mapped Places

1k Map-Makers

Over the last 30 years, we’ve helped our community explore their worlds, creating maps, collecting data, and using it to promote a more sustainable future.

From England to Ethiopia, in cities, and in schools, our mapmakers are united by our shared belief that mapping can help local communities become greener, more sustainable, and more connected. But that’s not all.

Since the beginning, our community has been helping us build the Green Map systems.

Food

USA. FEEDJeffco is using Green Map to help students learn how to plant, cook, and create food related businesses.

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Green Living

Scotland. Glasgow is using Green Map to promote community resources, sustainable businesses, and green spaces.

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Nature

Cuba. Mapa Verde is using Green Map to monitor the health of ecosystems like mangroves.

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What is a Green Map?

Why make a Green Map?