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 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.