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Global News Blog

News and views from Green Map System’s staff, board and our regional Hubs!

New Green Map Guide in Chinese!

4Bs Hive Guide to Green Mapping in Chinese

We are happy to announce that an important Guide to Making Green Maps has been translated into simplified Chinese!

Created in Europe by the 4BsHive, this colorful guide highlights 4 different ways to create Green Maps. With the help of wonderful mapmakers at the China Mangrove Conservation Network and our staff members Hui Zhou and Aaron Reiss, this fantastic resource is now available to our growing community of local Green Mapmakers in China, and to the public.

Download in Chinese as a compressed 2MB PDF or as a full scale, zipped 19MB PDF here. read more »

Fresh French News!

Olivier Hoessly at Green Map

Faire défiler le texte vers le bas pour accéder à la traduction Française

Hi!

I am Olivier Hoessly, I just graduated from American University in Washington DC and I am helping Green Map System as an intern, for few months! I have studied in the United States for about two years but I grew up in the south of France between Nice and Monaco.

Today I come to you with exciting news! In my attempt to reach out to France I have been focusing a lot on social media in order to attract potential new Mapmakers. And the good news is that the French Press Release I prepared is published today on a French environmental blog and we want you to check it out!read more »

Responsible Tourism Exchanges

Green Map System is taking part in two important events that aim to increase the positive value of travel.

The First International Jerusalem Symposium on Green and Accessible Pilgrimage brings 600 delegates from all religions and cities that host pilgrimages together on April 21-24, 2013. Hosted by the Green Pilgrimage Network Ambassador, Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Naomi Tsur, who stated, “The idea is at once both grand and simple, since while there is nothing new in pilgrimage, the idea of a global pilgrim partnership is an entirely new concept, which sets goals for urban sustainability and economic growth on the one hand, and for interfaith dialogue on the other.” read more »

15 years! Mapa Verde Cuba

Mapa Verde Cuba 15th anniversary book!

(En español abajo)

In 1998 Green Map presented at a Cuban conference and the Mapa Verde Cuba network began an amazing journey. National television has just helped to mark the 15th anniversary with this short video showing the spread of the network!

We invite you to view Gotica y Gotica, the award-winning video created by Mapa Verde Cuba to share their methods and outcomes (part 1, 2, 3, total 25 minutes). Mapa Verde Cuba also took part in our Bellagio Summit, and in CUExpo 2008 in Victoria BC.read more »

New Chinese Green Maps - 新生中国绿地图

Thanks to Hui Zhou, for this Chinese and English (below) update on two exciting mapping initiatives.

随着可持续发展理念在中国的不断深入,绿地图作为一种通过推广环境,生态,人文等多方面可持续发展的绘图工具也在被越来越多的中国民间环保组织认识,开发,并融入到自己的环保项目中。这一期博客着重讲述了三个中国环保组织与绿地图的故事。

上海绿洲生态保护交流中心于2012年夏天开始了它们的绿地图之旅。目前,该组织已经完成了科技馆湿地绿地图、西沙公园绿地图、滨江森林公园绿地图,

还有岑卜绿地图,而最特别的陆家嘴金融城慢生活绿地图还在制作中。直接参与到绿地图绘制的志愿者已经超过了300人,这些人有的是孩子、有的是企业员工,还有一部分是学生、社会志愿者。中心将创意融入到绿地图绘制中,将环保概念用更加生动形象的方式呈现在公众面前。比如说,起始于今年6月的西沙湿地绿地图巧妙地将螃蟹与绿地图结合,绘制出了《蟹泪洒湿地》的绿地图。中心现在正在期待陆家嘴慢生活绿地图的新鲜出炉,此地图意在呈现常人眼中金融中心快节奏生活的另一面,让大家从另一个角度了解上海。想了解更多关于上海绿洲的信息,请访问:oasiseco.org

read more »

Hurricane Sandy & Green Map's Home

Many have asked how we fared in the midst of Hurricane Sandy. We have been quite lucky. The floodwaters stopped just a few blocks from our office, sparing this lovely old building from damage. Nevertheless, both the office and my apartment lost power for the entire workweek. With my trusty bicycle, I found places to work outside the dark zone, and found ways to pitch in on the relief efforts (including riding supplies out to a hardhit area with Time’s Up).

We decided to add the high water mark to our map of energy resources – view it at OpenGreenMap.org/nycenergy (you can even embed it in your own website or blog). It's stunning to see how and where the water rose and as you probably know, Sandy's become a broad call to action for a more resilient approach to planning for climate change. We're surveying Green Mapmakers now and hope to share effective mapping resources shortly.

As noted in our Post-Sandy newsletter, on Sunday Dec 2nd, we held the Adapting to Change Cycling Tour. Riders explored resilient solutions that reduce energy consumption and increase climate awareness. Speakers included JK Canepa of CARP, Dan Miner of Beyond Oil NYC and David Bergman of EcoOptimist. This ride built upon our ’10 Days of Climate Action’ prize-winning Green Culture Cycling Tour, and its resulting map. It includes sites from our Energy edition - you can download the 2006 version of this map under Info on the right sidebar, too.

Our December tour's press coverage includes a Bowery Boogie report by Lorie Greenberg & David Bergman on this ride and a Play and Ideas blog post by Benjamin Heim Shepard for this terrific report on the ride. Peter Shapiro's video featuring David Bergman's talk is below.

We've continued the conversation with different participants as we have found this builds momentum for action and synergizes our ability to foment social change:read more »

NYC Compost Map in New Atlas

Compost Green Map of Manhattan as laid out for Food:An Atlas

"Food: An Atlas" a crowd-sourced, crowd-funded cartography project led by UC Berkeley professor Darin Jensen is looking to bring the Compost Green Map of Manhattan to a new, global audience!

"Food: An Atlas" is a collection of food related maps. It will feature Green Map System's Compost Map alongside maps about America's beershed and the global almond trade, as noted in this Atlantic article. Green Maps's newest project associate, Aaron Reiss, was excited to help adapt the map's layout for publication in this book - as a food and map enthusiast himself, Aaron spent much of his time at Yale mapping hidden food gems in New Haven.read more »

On the Road to Open!

At Green Map System, join us as we are starting down a new road....

Since 1995, Green Map has been a participatory initiative. We have co-created icons, engagement tools and mapmaking infrastructure utilized by hundreds of mapmakers in 65 countries. Open Green Map, our interactive platform, provides an intuitive resource with every site open to public commentary. Now, we are taking the next step to truly “going open”. Please take the journey with us, and support us as we open our data and much more to support a sustainable future. read more »

Green Map Archive Celebration March 27!

Green Map Archive delivered to NYPL on 10/2/12

On October 2, 2012, we moved 6 very full, well organized boxes containing hundreds of Green Maps and related materials contributed by Green Mapmakers from around the world to the New York Public Library's wonderful Map Room. There, each of the resources will be properly archived and available to the public, researchers, journalists, and other interested professionals as reference materials in perpetuity. We are delighted to have this collection delivered. We planned the launch, but then, Hurricane Sandy intervened. Impacts on the regional transit system lingered on, impacting staff at the NYPL, therefore our:read more »

Know it, Map it, Share it! eThekwini Municipality launches its Green Map

eThekwini Green Map launch - Ward 12 youth receive certificates for their participation in 'mapping sustainability'.
Set on the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, eThekwini Municipality recently launched the eThekwini Green Map at the 2012 Sustainable Living Exhibition. Providing an opportunity for locals and tourists to look at eThekwini through a sustainability lens, the Green Map offers a new perspective of the municipal area and visually communicates a ‘sustainability portrait’ of the communities within eThekwini.
Led by Imagine Durban, a council-led community based project on integrated, long-term planning and sustainable development, the eThekwini Green Map “will involve all citizens in building and enjoying a more sustainable city” says Bongumusa Zondo, Senior Manager of Imagine Durban. read more »

Riding on care free day in Zheng Ru

We are going to have a riding activity on 22th September--the car free day.On this day ,we will ride bike around Zheng Ru and share our green maps of Zheng Ru to all the residence along the route.Here is our post of the riding .

Drawing green map of Zheng Ru

After visiting and much preparation,we finally started to draw our green map. On 18th August,we got together in the community center and disscussed in groups on how to draw the map.We were divied into three groups and each group was resposible for a map.One map was about the cultural sites in Zheng Ru,another is about the natural sites and the third one is about the diposal procedure of garbage.At the end of the day,each group did a great work on the map.Have a look at our map now!

Visiting all over Zheng Ru town

On 21th and 28th July,our volunteers visited each site all over Zheng Ru.We walked into each commnunity and talked with the residence.Although the weather is really hot,we strived to visit every corner of the ancient towm.In this visit,we all learnt more about it and we toot a lot of beautiful pictures.

A training about green map

On 14th july,a trainer from Being Jing gave us a training about what is green map and how to make a greenmap.Voluntees disscussed together about the meanings of icons in green map warmly.After that we made a practice on the knowlege learned on the training. We visit a small area and drawn a green map of it!

Open Knowledge Fest & Helsinki!

Open Knowledge Festival

Green Map System’s director, Wendy Brawer, will soon be in Helsinki Finland, working next week with the wonderful leaders behind Helsinki Green Map at the Open Knowledge Festival. Helsinki's outstanding array of interactive maps and their website GreenMap.fi.

Here are the Open Knowledge Festival Sustainability Stream Outcomes

Here is a Good Map Summit Report with photos and more photos of the day (which was also Helsinki's Autonomy Day). read more »

Joburg Green Map arrives in time for Spring!

Johannesburg - the City of Gold - is hoping to give itself a green spring cleaning this week as it launches its very own city wide Green Map for the first time. Like all Green Maps it features the world renowned icons that are associated with the global Green Map project and is visually similar to the Cape Town Green Map so as to keep a consistent style going across the country.

Content wise, the Joburg Green Map is focused on issues which affect the city and has a comprehensive listing of sites associated specifically with recycling, parks and fresh food. It also has its own community of green events and bloggers which are contributing fresh thinking to the topic of the environment in the city. read more »

and now Twitter!

Helsinki Green Map is now on Twitter!
Follow us! @HKIGreenMap
HKIGreenMap on Twitter

Green Map co-hosts local series in August

Sara D Sustainability Series

Our organization's home community is always changing. At Green Map System, we want everyone to feel they are an important part of the transition toward a more sustainable and healthy NYC.

This August, we are teaming up with long-time partners at Time's Up! to present a sustainability workshop series in a wonderful community garden called M’Finda Kalunga.

Each Friday evening, please join us for the free Sara D Sustainability Series from 6:30-8:30pm. The series includes:

• 8/10 - Bike Repair & Safety with Time's Up! read more »

Workshop Photos and Other Materials

Youth Mapmakers in Tirana Albania

Explore these links to experience more of the Tirana Albania workshops in Summer 2012. The American Association of Geographers article on the bottom is especially recommended. Green Map System congratulates project leader Juna Papajorgji and everyone who participated in this important mapping initiative!

Making the Green Maps

Workshop Photos

Letter to the Mayor of Tirana in Albanianread more »

First Green Map for Tirana, Albania - Developed in ArcGIS Explorer

Green Map developed in ArcGIS Explorer

Students of the school "Deshmoret e Lirise" prepared the first Green Map for Tirana, the capital of Albania. They created a Green Map showing the present locations of green resources, and a Future Green Map capturing their proposal for new green resources. They composed the maps using paper and crayons, and afterwards used ArcGIS Explorer to transfer those maps into a Geographic Information System. At the end, they wrote a letter to the Mayor of Tirana, asking for their work to be published on the web site of the Municipality of Tirana.

Read their letter to the Mayor in English and in Albanian.read more »