Our archive of Green Maps is being donated to the world famous Map Collection at the New York Public Library this summer! This will fulfill an important promise we made to Green Mapmakers, moreover it’s a great permanent home for over 500 locally designed and printed Green Maps along with a wide array of outreach and education resources that they have contributed to our Archive over the years.

You can read more about this Archive or watch a short video or progress report, but in short we are especially looking forward to sharing these remarkable maps with new audiences. Eventually, we’ll collaborate with the Library on a digital archive so high quality PDFs can be accessed via both our websites. read more »

中文博客在英文版之后

Green Kunming is a non-profit organization located at Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province in the southwest China. Officially established in 2006, the organization has been working hard to achieve their missions of “promoting the awareness of environment protection among the public, and advancing the solutions to environmental issues through scientific attitude and extensive collaborations”.

One of the great examples is Green Kunming’s active engagement with Green Map System through involving the local primary and secondary school students. Starting from 2009, a citywide annual map-making competition named “I love my hometown” was launched by Green Kunming in collaboration with the city’s Department of Education. The event has successfully inspired students’ attention to the environmental issues in their communities, where over 300 students and teachers sign up for the competition and participate in mapping the natural and cultural significances every year.

During the event, the host organizations offer free educations on Green Map mapmaking concepts and skills for primary and secondary school teachers, and the teachers will go back to their respective schools to deliver the instructions to the students, where the community discoveries and mapmaking activities will be followed up. The 4th “I love my hometown” Green Map competition is on its way to inspire more Kunming students to make a greener and better world.

Green Kunming's Mapmaker Profile connects to many of these maps. A video introducing Green Map System was produced by Green Kunming in Chinese, and can be found below or on their website.

In addition, you can explore a wonderful collection of pictures taken during the 2nd Green Map competition.

绿色昆明－融入未来的绿色使者

绿色昆明是一个于2006年正式成立于中国云南省省会春城昆明市的非盈利组织。自成立后，该组织便努力实践着其“运用科学的态度，通过多方合作，提高公众环境保护意识，关注并促进环境问题的解决”的使命。其中一个典型例子便是其通过融入当地的中小学生参与绿地图制作而与绿地图系统展开的积极合作。自2009年起，绿色昆明联合当地教育局联合开展了名为“我爱家乡”的年度性昆明中小学校绿地图竞赛活动。此活动已经激发了许多学生对于家乡环境问题的关注，每年有超过300位的学生与老师报名参与到将家乡的自然与文化特色标识到地图中的竞赛活动中。 每次活动，主办方会为报名参赛的中小学老师提供免费的绿地图制作培训和实践，老师们在培训结束后将绿地图的理念与制作技巧再传授给各自学校的学生，并带领学生在周边进行考察制图。第四届“我爱家乡”绿地图竞赛正在火热进行中，并为融入更多未来的绿色使者向前迈进。绿色昆明为此制作了中文版关于绿地图系统的介绍短片，并可通过下列链接观看：greenkm.org/detail/176.html，同时，第二届绿地图竞赛活动的现场照片也可以通过下列链接欣赏：greenkm.org/detail/360.html。綠色昆明绿地图资料

Written by Hui Zhouread more »

A new NYC Green Map is getting underway!

In 2012, we’ll confront NYC’s overflowing garbage cans, related climate, health and economic impacts by promoting waste prevention sites and strategies with a new citywide print edition, the Less = More Green Map of NYC.

Freshly researched, beautifully designed and distributed free, Less = More NYC will amplify practical resources and solutions. Compelling images, illustrations and examples will frame the map highlighting:

• Composting - dozens of drop off locations including Greenmarkets, gardens and demonstration sites;read more »

Energy in New York City!

The city that never sleeps uses a lot of energy! Green Map System's newest interactive Green Map brings crucial information to your fingertips, and invites your site suggestions, viewpoints and images to help keep it fresh and up to date.

Created in 2012-2012, a wide range of energy conserving, generating and demonstration sites are on the OpenGreenMap.org/nycenergy. With our power needs growing while there is an imperative to reduce our carbon footprint, this map will always be a work in progress. Our thanks to Con Edison's Strategic Partnership program for supporting this initiative.

We want to share this map with you. It's easy! Use the embed code beneath each map to add it to your own website or blog (on Wordpress, choose "html"-mode, not "visual"). We can make you a special widget if you let us know the centerpoint and base map you'd like - email apple [at] greenmap.org. It's free, but donations are welcome.

Click OpenGreenMap.org/nycenergy to explore the map alongside its legend on our social mapping platform.

Our team of interns and staff has included Brigid Keating (LEED Buildings (read her blog here), Aaron Miller (solar and renewable sites (see his blog and NY State energy map research), Alexandra Purdy, Melanie Reed and Yutaka Nakashima, as well as director Wendy Brawer.

Want to know more about how this map was made? Click About over the map to find more about the research and resources that went into this OpenGreenMap.org/nycenergy.

Widgets to Add to Your Website or Blog!

Citywide NYC Energy Green Map (map view, 100% x 600)

<iframe WIDTH="100%" HEIGHT="680" SRC="http://www.opengreenmap.org/greenmap_widget/22599?LAT=40.703497&LON=-73.893657&ZOOM=11&TYPE=Map" SCROLLING="auto" FRAMEBORDER="0" border="0"></iframe>read more »

Throughout the year, Green Map System welcomes several dynamic interns from various education backgrounds: for example, students studying Graphic Design, Tourism Management, and Environmental Science have all found their fit in the organization.

Brigid Keating, a NYU Urban Design and Architecture Studies student, came to Green Maps in the summer of 2011 and created OpenGreenMap.org/nyc-leed charting all of NYC’s LEED-certified buildings. “Green Map provided me with the opportunity to continue my education in sustainable design outside of the classroom,” says Brigid. One of Green Map’s newest additions, Hui Zhou, a NYU Tourism Management student, joined the team since February 2012 to translate the award-winning iconography into Chinese (download the poster in several languages at GreenMap.org/icons). In addition, Hui is also reaching out to the Mapmakers in China to keep them updated about the forthcoming Green Map Archive and Icon Expansion projects and developing reports for our generous Global Giving donors. Currently, all of Green Map’s interns are based in New York metro area. read more »

In November 2011, the Crisis Mappers International met in Geneva. I happened to be nearby, thanks to the Social Design Award bestowed upon our tools by the Papanek Foundation and meetings with regional Swiss and French Green Mapmakers organized by Earth Focus Foundation and SBM Conseil. Nicola Furey and her staff at Earth Focus joined me at the beautifully organized, well-documented ICCM 'unconference' and pitched in at our stand following the Ignite session in which I presented. read more »

From South Africa to the Americas, we’re on the news!

On Cape Town’s SAfm Enviro Show, host Nancy Richards interviewed designer Philip Todres on the wonderful Cape Town Green Map and Wendy Brawer about Open Green Map and progress in NYC on Thursday 5th Jan 2012. Both are linked here.

Carlos Martinez, formerly Green Map staff and now our Board Treasurer is creating radio segments for Radio Diaspora, a public affairs program on the issues and experiences of recent migrants from Caribbean and Latin America hosted by WRFG in Atlanta USA. This segment includes Campinas Green Mapmaker Leonardo Freire de Mello, along with director Wendy Brawer, Board member Thomas Turnbull and others on the Power of Maps. Enjoy! read more »

We are happy to share the good news that Open Green Map has won the NetSquared Invitational!

Green Map System is really thrilled that our little video has received lots of votes and the jury's support. This award comes with plenty of help for our social mapping platform's ongoing development in the coming months, which is really great because we have big plans!! Thank you voters, NetSquared, TechSoup, our staff and technical team as well as the Green Mapmakers who have now published more than 250 diverse Open Green Maps!read more »

December 13th is the 20th anniversary of a great idea!

I was with a group of New York activists at the United Nations, planning side events in New York during meetings leading up to the Earth Summit, which was held in Rio in 1992.

I thought about the individual’s experience during their 5 weeks in NYC – and realized a map would help people of all backgrounds discover signs of progress toward sustainability. I knew it was possible to make a fresh view of the city in a few weeks, and that it would be resource-efficient and fun!

That very day, I named the project the Green Apple Map and had 10,000 copies donated, thanks to the Municipal Art Society (Curitiba Brazil’s eco-innovations was their next exhibit and the Green Apple Map would highlight local examples). read more »

We are pleased to announce the debut of three new videos highlighting our tools, engagement, and icons.

These short videos demonstrate how Green Mapmakers can guide communities towards sustainable living choices both globally and locally.

Special thanks to the videography team at Dedicated Lane – Allie Compton and Christopher Fenech – for creating these 1 minute videos using images and clips made around the world by Green Mapmakers. Feel free to share them with your friends, family, and community, or embed them in your website, blog, and presentations.

We’ve also embedded the wonderful hour-long documentary about “4BsHive” project, highlighting outstanding teamwork over the last two years by four European cities. Created by the noted German filmmaker, Bjela Probowsy, it’s really a delightful way to experience the process developed by Green Mapmakers from Berlin, Bristol, Budapest and Bistrita.

Find out more about this great project at this poston our website or at 4bshive.wordpress.com/ where you can download the terrific new 4BsHive Guide to Green Mapping, explore photos and much more.

Find more Green Map videos on youtube.com/greenmapsystem!