Butetown is a vibrant multicultural community at the heart of the Cardiff docks. Known to its residents and many around the world as 'Tiger Bay', Butetown has a celebrated history of racial and cultural integration and a very strong sense of community spirit. However, the community has been ignored by much of the recent developments of Cardiff Bay (Wales hottest new tourist destination) and the community is at the top of the welsh chart of multiple deprivation, suffering from a range of social problems such as high unemployment, poor health and well-being and lack of community facilities and services.

However, it is a very active community with many organizations and individuals working hard to tackle these social issues. The Butetown Communities First Partnership (made up of community members, voluntary and business sector) agreed that a local Green Map project would be a fun and effective way to engage with the community and promote social cohesion between the many organizations working in the area. Our main goal of the project is to use green mapping as a method to rejuvenate pride within the local community by celebrating its vibrant past and heritage, and also as a tool to encourage change in our campaigning for better community facilities and services. Another important aspect is to improve environmental and sustainable education in this area of virtually no green space and little environmental awareness.

Butetown is very densely populated with around 5000 living in a strip about 1 mile long and 1/2 mile wide. This will make it very easy for us to map by foot! We hope to involve all the community in the project but it will be initially lead by young people from 8-25. We are currently working in local primary schools on mini mapping projects of the schools and then each of the 3 schools will map a certain icon in the wider community i.e. historical feature. Young people from local youth provisions and outreach work will than do some photo mapping and design and produce the map with a local artist. A blank fold out map surrounded by icons is also being sent to each household to give everyone the chance to take part. We are also aiming set up an environmental action group with our mapmakers and put on a number of regular environmental events.