this is a fine and fruitful moment for thinking about cartography. There are whole relatively new genres, from the M.R.I. to video-game landscapes to social media-based graphics that depict trending tweets and online conversations.
It could be argued that a ghostly, cobwebby apparition produced by Facebook, generated by Facebook users’ connections, is too different from a map produced by Eratosthenes of Cyrene for the Great Library of Alexandria to coexist in the same book. But Mr. Garfield prefers skipping and sampling. His chapters are mere snippets, and his book’s guiding principle is casual fun — to the extent that it even has one.
Here’s a look at the Brooklyn Ikea, as seen on Google’s newly launched Indoor Maps desktop/Android feature that exposes the floorplans of buildings, stores, airports, train stations, and so on around the U.S. and select European and Scandinavian countries. This is the latest in the tech giant’s ever-growing stream of products that break down barriers between indoors and out and meld public and private spaces, from the Google Street View updates that provide a glimpse into the mirrored hallways of the Palace of Versailles to the stunning photography that finally allows the public unrestricted access to the much-shrouded Google data centers.
(via New Google ‘Indoor Maps’ Confirm Ikea is, in Fact, a Maze - Cool Map Thing - Curbed National)
Alain sez, “Artist Jeffrey Beebe’s website dedicated to his autobiographical/imaginary world called Refractoria; the website features dozens hand-drawn geopolitical maps, city maps, celestial charts, genealogical charts, etc. profoundly influenced by OD&D/AD&D 1st Edition and various fantasy maps.”
(via Hand-drawn maps of an imaginary kingdom are artist’s autobiography/confessional - Boing Boing)
During the last 50 years, New York City dwellers have been acquiring small plots of public space, often times not even realizing it. Every plaza or garden area located in front of an overly tall building is a privately-owned public space (POPS) and in part, belongs to New York City citizens in a unique kind of way.
Skyscraper developers cut a deal with New York City officials that ensured certain restrictions were relaxed regarding the height of their buildings. As long as developers converted a portion of their building’s lot into privately-owned public space, they were allowed to construct taller buildings with added square footage. There are over 500 POPS scattered across New York City.
Newly beta-launched website APOPS (Advocates for Privately-Owned Public Spaces) intends to introduce the entire population of New York City to each one of these POPS. Plots are scattered across Midtown, Lower Manhattan, the Upper East and West Sides and even span into Brooklyn and Long Island.
![WBEZ [compiled] an interactive map of gang territory throughout the city. Using a reference called the Gang Book, published by the Chicago Crime Commission, as well as public homicide data, the public radio station created an overlay of communities and gangs that’s searchable by addres.
s (via Is It Harmful to Release Gang Maps? - Neighborhoods - The Atlantic Cities)](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc3a67kroR1qzdiowo1_500.jpg)
WBEZ [compiled] an interactive map of gang territory throughout the city. Using a reference called the Gang Book, published by the Chicago Crime Commission, as well as public homicide data, the public radio station created an overlay of communities and gangs that’s searchable by addres.
s (via Is It Harmful to Release Gang Maps? - Neighborhoods - The Atlantic Cities)
Tianguis, or outdoor markets, in Mexico City, appear in “different neighbourhoods on different days of the week, and filled with vendors selling everything from fresh vegetables to pirated Montblanc watches.” This account notes that “plastic awnings, blue, yellow, or most often, red, enclose the rows of stalls as thoroughly as concrete encloses a shopping mall.” Evidently, this occurs at a scale that it is actually visible on Google maps: Recurring Rivers of Red
An up-to-date live stream of photos from any location on Earth, allowing you to see whatever is happening “right now”: Worldcam is a simple web app.
Provide it with two pieces of information — city and location — and you can do everything from look into the office buildings of your favorite companies (e.g. Google, Apple, Microsoft) to visit famous landmarks (e.g. Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Rushmore, the Great Wall).
…The fact that you can quickly look inside buildings around the world is what makes Worldcam a pretty interesting service.
(via Worldcam Lets You Peek Inside Private Buildings Through Instagram Photos)
Google has created a new mobile app that gives people facts about the places around them — unprompted, without the need to even ask for the information. The app, Field Trip, offers historical trivia about a park, an architectural factoid about a building or reviews of a nearby restaurant. Google says it’s like having a local friend with you as you make your way through a city.
