Deals Too Good to Map…

Have you spent countless hours looking for an affordable deal on a quick getaway?  With many people now looking to save money rather than spend money on a vacation, many airlines, hotels, and resorts are slashing prices in order to encourage people to continue to travel and explore during these times of economic uncertainty.  The interactive map, Flee Market, is an online tool where fellow travelers can advertise and map various discount, deals, and locations for the family still looking to go on a vacation this summer.  

To read more about this site, click here.  Or to view the map or find your own vacation deal, click here…

Kenneth E. Liwag, Rutgers University Planning Intern, VERTICES, LLC.

Mapping Towns as We Know Them…

Residents of Cowichan County, Canada got together to last month to map what they perceived to be important assets of their community.  Such things as historic landmarks, cycling trails, and even environmental sites that are being neglected were mapped.  The event allowed the citizens of Cowichan County to learn more about their environment and where they live, where their food comes from, and where their children and their children’s children may grow up.  The event turned into more of a social gathering rather than a social experiment which helped increase the number of residents that came to the event.  

For more information about the Cowichan County effort, click here…

Mapping the True Identity…

National Geographic is taking nominations for a geotourism mapping initiative where travelers can nominate places for a interactive maps that are due to debut in September.  The idea of interactive geotourism allows the community and off the beaten travelers themselves identify and geotag often overlooked tourist spots.  The main focus is to identify places that emphasize the character, environment, heritage, culture, and aesthetics of a place.  Places of local importance that may be of importance to a traveler who is looking to get in tune with the local culture is what National Geographic hopes to put on stage.

For more information about the project, click here…

Kenneth E. Liwag; Rutgers University Planning Intern; VERTICES, LLC.

Beware: Mapping is Contagious!

Crime mapping is sweeping the nation with so many communities looking towards mapping crimes to keep the public informed and the city safe.  Since the inception of CrimeView Community, as many as 40 states and hundreds of communities have taken the initiative to map the crime that occurs in their towns.  The ability to give residents information about the safety of their town allows them to make more conscious and safer decisions and also permits the police force to recognize crime-prone areas and to handle these areas accordingly.

To read more about the spread of crime mapping, click here…

Kenneth E. Liwag; Rutgers University Planning Intern; VERTICES, LLC.

Mapping and Development…

The county government of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania has decided to invest in the mapping of the Allegheny River Trail.  A 32-mile stretch of land that encompasses 18 municipalities will be able to reap the benefits of the map by haing the interactive map detail the individualized ownership of the trail, various economic opportunities along the trail, and identifying the trail land characteristics.  The map itself will also connect with other interactive maps that have already been constructed regarding other parks and trails in the area.  The mapping of the trail and the adjacent communities will provide a level of information never before seen or difficult to obtain that will allow development in these areas to be much more accessible.

To read more about the Allegheny County efforts, click here…

Kenneth E. Liwag; Rutgers University Planning Intern; VERTICES, LLC.

The Externalities of Mapping…

The Economic Development department and GIS/Technology department of Frederick County, Maryland have joined forces to map out the major business parks and retails centers located in their county.  While it is advantageous to have this information for their personal use, the main focus of the map is too provide valuable information to possible businesses looking to do business in their area.  The ability for businesses to have access to valuable information regarding zoning, lot sizes, and availability 24 hours a day, 7 days a week will give Frederick County the leading edge against its neighboring counties when trying to lure businesses in.  The county hopes to provide an easy and seamless transition for any businesses looking to expand or relocate to the Frederick County area through its new and innovative interactive map.

For more information about the initiatives of Frederick County, click here…

Kenneth E. Liwag; Rutgers University Planning Intern; VERTICES, LLC.

Mapping the History of a Town…

Folks in a village  in the province of the Northwest Territories in Canada have assembled to map the rich history and heritage on their map.  Three young men are planning to map such things as important fishing sites, hunting sites, and areas of spiritual importance.  The three have also begun interviewing all the residents of the village to collect data for the map and have also started a family tree to complement the historical value of the map they hope to create.  The map and display will go up in a nearby community center so that the residents can view the progress and the history of their village and so that other villages can see what community mapping can do to bring a community closer together.

To read more about this project, click here…

Kenneth E. Liwag; Rutgers University Planning Intern; VERTICES, LLC.

Mapping and the Rural US…

This piece from the New York Times helps to justify the $350 million portion of the stimulus bill slated to map all the areas of the United States with less than adequate accessbility to internet broadband service.  While this information may be easily accessible by asking internet providers where their respective services extend to, the companies themselves may not be so willing to volunteer that information.  Either way, it seems that internet accessbility is a major component of education availability and communication accessibility in the stimulus bill.

For more information, click here…

Kenneth E. Liwag; Rutgers University Planning Intern; VERTICES, LLC.

In an emergency?! Mapping can help…

The local government of Franklin County, Ohio has been hard at work pinpointing every single important detail of their county on a map including individual building in a complex, fire hydrants, and bus routes.  Why all the trouble, you ask?  This initiative, set to debut this summer, is supposed to aid ambulances and fire trucks in locating and getting where they need to go to in the least amount of time.  They believe the county characteristics on a map will help aid them in this goal.  This initiative will not only aid EMTs or firefighters but the county government will also be able to use the map and will assist them in calculating such things as how much salt is required during snow storms or planning new routes for the bus system.

For more information about the initiatives of Franklin County, read here…

Kenneth E. Liwag, Rutgers University Planning Intern, VERTICES, LLC.

Mapping and the Census…

It’s almost that time of the decade again!!!  The U.S. Census Bureau is getting its army of workers together again to count every single person that currently lives in the United States and in the state of South Carolina, they have plenty to gain from this round of counts.  South Carolina has seen an upswing in their population and if they are able to account for every single resident in their state they may be able to grad one more seat in the House of Representatives.  The Census is extremely important to mapping and GIS as it provides us with invaluable data that can be portrayed visually into maps and visualize various statistics.

To read more about the Census and its value to South Carolina, click here…

Kenneth E. Liwag, Rutgers University Planning Intern, VERTICES, LLC.