I’m planning to develop an online tool that makes it really easy for any Green Mapmaker to build an online Green Map. A lot of people have been asking for something like this, so I want to make sure that it’s as useful as possible.

This is a big project, so I think there will be three stages:

• 1) Mapmakers can set up an online Green Map which is available on our website at a subdomain (e.g. newyork.greenmapearth.org)
• 2) Mapmakers set up their online map on our site, but can then copy and paste special code to their website to insert their online Green Map into their own website
• 3) Mapmakers who have experience of web development can build the whole thing on their own website and own database, so they don’t need to use Green Map’s website at all.

Number 3 is really a separate project, and a lot of great work has been done on this already by Cork Green Map (www.corkgreenmap.org).

The way this would work is that a Mapmaker who is registered with Green Map System would log on to GreenMap.org and set up a new online Green Map. Then there would be three steps to get the map going:

• 1) The Mapmaker would set up the new online map:
  • a. Give it a title
  • b. Choose a sub-domain for it (eg newyork.greenmapearth.org, or sydney.greenmapearth.org)
  • c. Choose the location and scale of the map
  • d. Choose whether to use the Map view in Google, or the satellite view (the satellite view works really well for many areas where the map coverage is bad)
• 2) Then the icons would be set up
  • a. Choose which icons to use from the standard set
  • b. Optionally add local icons
  • c. Optionally change the descriptions of the standard icons
  • d. Optionally translate the descriptions of the icons
  • e. Optionally change the categories of the icons, rename the categories, etc.
• 3) Then the data would be added to the map (the Sites on the Green Map)
  • a. Each site would have:
    • i. Title
    • ii. Green Icon
    • iii. Latitude and longitude (set by clicking on a map)
    • iv. Photo (optional)
    • v. Description
    • vi. Other optional details
      • 1. Street address
      • 2. Opening hours
      • 3. Link to a website
      • 4. Anything else?

When people look at the online Green Map they can:

• 1) Switch on and off certain groups of icons or types of icons
• 2) Zoom in and out
• 3) Comment on sites
• 4) Suggest new sites
• 5) Add photos to sites?
• 6) Email sites to a friend

There are lots of other things that I would like to have as well:

• · Allow Mapmakers to add bike paths and walking routes
• · Allow areas to be outlined on the map (for paths, polluted areas, deforestation, etc)
• · Allow maps to be easily exported to Google Earth
• · Allow maps to be based on something other than Google Maps
  • Seb has suggested making it possible to use drawings or aerial photos as a basemap, though right now I’m not sure how I could do this.
  • There’s some info on how to use custom images instead of Google Maps at http://mapki.com/wiki/Automatic_Tile_Cutter
• · Allow the maps to be plugged in to other websites, blogs, etc.

I would also like to develop an overview website, which would be a world map showing every single Green site that’s been added to all of the online Green Maps. Clicking on a site would bring up information about the site, and a link to the local Mapmaker.

So – what do you think?! Any suggestions?

• 1) Do you think this is a worthwhile project?
• 2) Have you made an online map already?
• 3) If you have made an online map, how did you do it?
• 4) If you have not made an online map, have you used one that you like? Please give some examples & links.
• 5) Would you want to let the public comment on or rate sites on your map?
• 6) Would you want to let the public add photos to sites on your map?
• 7) Would you want to let the public suggest new sites?
• 8) Would you want to include lines (for bike paths, walking paths, etc.) and areas (for parks, deforestation, erosion, pollution, etc) as well as points (for sites)?
• 9) How important do you think it is to include your own custom local icons?
• 10) How good is Google Maps coverage of your area? Is there a better alternative?