English

City Green Map Movement sees a Revival

Jakarta — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 03:13:35 -0400

By Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 07/15/2008

After three years in the wilderness, a movement to map out green spaces in Jakarta is back in vogue, riding the global trend toward an environmentally conscious lifestyle.

"The campaigning stage is over, people are aware of the 'green' lifestyle now. Let's focus on green maps' effectiveness, power to change, availability and design," Marco Kusumawijaya, a founder of the "green map" movement said Saturday.

The green map project involves communities, big and small, mapping out their neighborhoods.

The mapmaking process is a creative one. People from all walks of life can contribute. Even children, guided by adults, can make their own green maps of their locales.

"Green maps can be used even before they are complete. Through green mapmaking, people meet and exchange information about the neighborhood," said Elanto Wijoyono, coordinator of Indonesia Green Map.

He added the maps could contain as many details and interesting facts as the contributors wanted.

The first green map in Jakarta was of Kemang, South Jakarta, made in 2001 by a group of residents, architects and media workers. The second map, in 2002, was of Kebayoran Baru, also in South Jakarta.

The main aim of the green map movement is to promote healthy and sustainable cities by pointing out features not necessarily marked out on other maps, such as green areas, open spaces, heritage buildings, rare trees, bird-viewing sites and other places of interest.

The 2003 Menteng green map, for instance, points out the home of a traditional healer renowned for his medicinal herbs.

The last Jakarta green map was that of the Old Town in West and North Jakarta, made in 2005.

These four green maps were welcomed by many in the city, and even sold out at Aksara Bookstore in Kemang, said David Sagita, one of the movement's founders. But he added they were hit by distribution problems, and said he wanted the next batch of maps to reach a wider public.

The movement's founders and members are now calling for the new maps to embrace city communities like the Green Monster, Bike to Work and groups interested in heritage buildings as well as the city's flora and fauna.

"We can ask Bike to Work communities to make a map of bike routes," said Nirwono Joga, an architect and a green map founder.

"Maps are drawn up based on the neighborhood. But we can probably base the next green maps on places of interest, such as heritage and historical sites," Marco said, adding the maps could also include green communities.

"For instance, we can mark out composting facilities or plant vendors on the maps."

Indah Sulistiana, an architect, said private companies in the city's central business districts should be allowed to contribute to the maps because of their efforts in promoting a more environmentally conscious lifestyle.

Several firms in Jakarta have adopted energy saving practices, as well as reuse and recycle campaigns. Indah said these companies would need maps that indicated where they could recycle their waste.

Sixteen cities across the country are being green-mapped, including Bukittinggi in West Sumatra, Buton in Southeast Sulawesi, Yogyakarta, Sanur in Bali, Bandung in West Java and Banda Aceh in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam. The project is a non-profit endeavor, and all green map activists work as volunteers.

International Green Map:
www.greenmap.org

Indonesian Green Map:
http://greenmap.or.id
http://petahijau.wordpress.com
greenmapindonesia@yahoogroups.com
petahijau@yahoo.co.id

Dubai Info by Series of Articles

Dubai Green Map — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:43:23 -0400

I will start to periodically feed this blog with series of articles filled with information about Dubai, aiming to eventually touch on the environmental issues, trying on one side, to highlight the importance and beauty of this unique city, and on the other side, to provide Dubai Green Map project with a backup of database, information and facts, about the city's natural, cultural and green locations, address the sustainability matter, and increase public awareness of the necessity to care about Dubai and preserve its environment.

Articles will include information and facts that are gathered from different resource, which will be stated respectively.

According to Wikipedia – The free encyclopedia, Dubai page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai - says:

Dubai

Dubai (in Arabic: دبيّ‎, transliteration: dubaīy) is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and is one of the country's main cities, sometimes called "Dubai City" to distinguish it from the emirate.

The modern emirate of Dubai was created consequent with the formation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971. However, written accounts documenting the existence of the city have existed at least 150 years prior to the formation of the UAE.
Dubai shares legal, political, military and economic functions with the other emirates within a federal framework, although each emirate has jurisdiction over some functions such as civic law enforcement and provision and upkeep of local facilities. Dubai has the largest population and is the second largest emirate by area, after Abu Dhabi.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the only two emirates to possess veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country's legislature. Dubai has been ruled by the Al Maktoum dynasty since 1833. The emirates' current ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is also the Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE.

A majority of the emirate's revenues are from trade, manufacturing and financial services. Revenues from petroleum and natural gas contribute less than 6% (2006) of Dubai's US$ 37 billion economy (2005). Dubai has attracted world-wide attention through innovative real estate projects and sports events. This increased attention, coinciding with its emergence as a world business hub, has also highlighted human rights issues concerning its largely foreign workforce.

Etymology

In the 1820s, Dubai was referred to as Al Wasl by British historians. However, few records pertaining to the cultural history of the UAE or its constituent emirates exist due to the region's vocal traditions in recording and passing down folklore and myth. The linguistic origins of the word Dubai are also in dispute, as some believe it to have originated from Persian, while some believe that Arabic is the linguistic root of the word.
According to Fedel Handhal, researcher in the history and culture of the UAE, the word Dubai may have come from the word Daba (a derivative of Yadub), which means to creep; the word may be a reference to the flow of Dubai Creek inland.

Facts & Statistics

Country: United Arab Emirates
Emirate: Dubai
Incorporated (town): June 9, 1833
Incorporated (emirate): December 2, 1971
Founder: Maktoum bin Bati bin Suhail (1833)
Ruler: Sh. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Crown Prince: Sh. Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
Government Type: Constitutional monarchy [citation needed]
Emirate Area: 4,114 km² (1,588.4 sq mi)
Metro: 1,287.4 km² (497.1 sq mi)
Population (2008): 2,261,995
Density: 408.18/km² (1,057.2/sq mi)
Nationalities:
42.3% Indian
17% Emirati
13.3% Pakistani
9.1% Arab (other)
7.5% Bangladeshi
10.8% Others
Time zone: UAE standard time (UTC+4)

Posted by: R. A. Sanam
Jun 24, 2008 - Dubai, UAE

T-shirts and more: Get Inspired!

Roaring Fork Valley Green Map — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:53:43 -0400

Hi Mappies,
Has anybody made a Green Map t-shirt out there? I don't see any in the Store on the homepage.
thx,
jason white carbondale, co, usa

Baltimore Green Map website is launched!

Baltimore Green Map — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:39:43 -0400

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Baltimore Green Map introductory website at www.baltogreenmap.org. We are using 48 of the V3 icons and presenting all an opportunity to Nominate a Site. An interview with Wendy Brawer and me (Baltimore Project Director) will be aired on our local public radio station in time to be part of the Baltimore Festival of Maps. We'll post that as soon as available. Thanks to Wendy for years of encouragement and to our hero Thomas for responding so quickly to suggestions as we deployed the beta Online Green Map as part of our site.
Janet

Testing the new OpenGreenMap

Rockland Green Map — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:10:31 -0400

We have started to add sites to the OpenGreenMap! Exciting to be part of testing this new G R E A T initiative.

See you out there in cyberspace!

We will not make a paper map after all. Maybe a poster for display and PR, but the rest will be webbased.

Please send us comments, here or on www.rocklandgreenmap.org!

Thanks
Anna

Jerusalem Environment and Nature Conference

Jerusalem Green Map — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:40:46 -0400

A one of its kind environmental conference (18-19 May 2008) is taking place in Jerusalem initiated by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, and supported by the Jerusalem Municipality, The Ministry of Environmental Protection and a variety of other bodies.

The two day event will bring together national and international speakers to discuss a range of pressing environmental issues, and examine Israel's current environmental situation.

The Jerusalem Green Map will be well represented at the conference with computer work stations to enable visitors to search the website (Hebrew and English), unique tours "in the footsteps of the Jerusalem Green Map", Green Map Systems material on offer and more!

For more information go to http://www.aspni.org/pdf/jmconf_0508.pdf
or http://www.teva.org.il/?CategoryID=649&ArticleID=2438&Page=1

Green Map Launch WEEK a great success!

Houston TX — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:01:00 -0400

More than 2000 Houston Greenmaps were handed out at the Gulf Coast Green and Houston green Expo between April 3rd and April 6th!

Westchester County Green Map Project Receives Best of New York Award

Westchester County Green Map — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:46:19 -0400

On March 19, 2008, the Westchester County Green Map was awarded the Best of New York Award in the Green IT category. Selections were made by the Center for Digital Government. The Best of New York Awards honors New York government agencies for IT innovation and excellence.

Video for the $50,000 Competition

Thomas at Green Map — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:20:43 -0500

We've just made a video to promote our entry in the America's Giving competition - please forward it to friends and colleagues, and put it up on your blogs and websites!

And donate $10 today! Only two weeks left...

New Video - Celebrating the Green Maps of 2007

Thomas at Green Map — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:43:55 -0500

We've just produced a new video, which celebrates all the Green Maps that were published in 2007. The Wall of Maps in the Green Map office is rapidly filling!

Feel free to share this video on your own blog, Facebook, or MySpace pages!

And remember, there's only two weeks left on the Global Giving Challenge - we're in with a really good chance of winning $50,000 - so please pass it around your friends and networks to encourage people to donate!
More details about the challenge in our blog
You can donate at http://givingchallenge.globalgiving.com/dy/registry/ag.html?regid=899&cmd=prevfund