somethingaboutmaps
A New, Unrelated Blog
Kindly readers: I wanted to let you know that I’ve started another little publication, one which has...
over a year ago
Kindly readers: I wanted to let you know that I’ve started another little publication, one which has nothing to do with maps, but I figure is worth telling you about anyway: I climb trees recreationally, and I’ve decided to start writing about my thoughts and experiences. Perhaps...
Adventures In...
How to make tapered rivers in ArcGIS Pro
Cartographers will often exaggerate the natural scale of a mapped feature to help it communicate...
a year ago
Cartographers will often exaggerate the natural scale of a mapped feature to help it communicate something of its nature. Some examples are vertical exaggeration of terrain or the very existence of point symbols (cities aren’t actually that big). We embellish for effect. Making a...
Maps Mania
Battles of World War II & American Wars
6 months ago
Maps Mania
Which Airports are also Filetypes?
2 months ago
Transit Maps
Submission – Fantasy Map: New York Regional Rail Concept by James G
Submitted by James, who says: I created this map based on various concepts (mainly the work of Alon...
5 months ago
Submitted by James, who says: I created this map based on various concepts (mainly the work of Alon Levy) for through-running regional rail in the New York region. This network would integrate all of the current commuter rail networks, increasing frequencies to metro-like levels,...
Maps Mania
The World Air Quality Report 2023
9 months ago
Map of the Week
Guided Across Switzerland by Hand Drawn Maps
The New York Times has a piece where the author ditched his phone and walked across Switzerland...
5 months ago
The New York Times has a piece where the author ditched his phone and walked across Switzerland guided only by hand drawn maps from the people he met along the way. I love a nice hand drawn map and this article provides lots of good examples.
These maps illustrate the things...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Inland Northwest, Day 5 (University Loop)
This was another early morning start although not as early as some of the others. We wouldn’t need...
3 months ago
This was another early morning start although not as early as some of the others. We wouldn’t need to drive very far anymore now that we’d settled into our temporary home in Lewiston, Idaho for four nights in a row. The Washington Race Sunrise came quickly and we soon found...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
From Skyline to Valley
A family friend had a big round-number birthday recently and we drove down to Central Virginia for...
over a year ago
A family friend had a big round-number birthday recently and we drove down to Central Virginia for the celebration. Meanwhile, I’m always on the lookout for opportunities to add to my various travel lists so I wondered how might I combine the two. I thought about county counting...
Transit Maps
Submission – Official Map: Long Island Rail Road Screen Maps at Grand Central Madison
Submitted by Griffin, who says: I work upstairs in the old Grand Central and was every excited to...
a year ago
Submitted by Griffin, who says: I work upstairs in the old Grand Central and was every excited to check out the new station this morning. Spotted this new map on the wall down there, thought you might find it interesting. Transit Maps says: Oh, I do like this. Graphically strong...
Maps Mania
Who are Your Neighbors Donating to?
2 months ago
Map of the Week
The Real World Costs of Bitcoin
This is from April but at last week’s NACIS conference I saw Zach Levitt speak about making these...
a year ago
This is from April but at last week’s NACIS conference I saw Zach Levitt speak about making these graphics for the New York Times. The story details how in the midst of a winter storm that left tens or thousands without power, bitcoin mines in the state kept running, until the...
Map of the Week
Maps of Julian Hoffman Anton
I'm always excited to find new cartographic artists. Here are some maps from Julian Hoffman Anton....
a year ago
I'm always excited to find new cartographic artists. Here are some maps from Julian Hoffman Anton. The first one is his Tokyo Eat Map. I've cropped the map a bit to fit the format of this page. To see it all click here.
This is really a heat map showing restaurant density. Egg...
Adventures In...
Add Multiple Maps to One Layout
Of course Alaska and Hawaii are glorious places, beloved by all for their lovely inhabitants and...
4 months ago
Of course Alaska and Hawaii are glorious places, beloved by all for their lovely inhabitants and majestic natural environs. It would be an error of omission should they not appear in a map of the United States, but it would also be a shame to shoe-horn them in looking sad with an...
Maps Mania
The 2nd 1 Hour AI Map Challenge
11 months ago
Map of the Week
A Few Nice Eclipse Maps-Part 1
In a month a total eclipse will make its way across North America. On April 8th the path will travel...
10 months ago
In a month a total eclipse will make its way across North America. On April 8th the path will travel quickly, (under two hours) from Mazatlán on Mexico's Pacific coast to Newfoundland, Canada and then into the Atlantic Ocean. There are some really nice visualizations of the...
Adventures In...
John Snow’s Cholera Map Reimagined
John Snow’s map of the 1854 London cholera outbreak was revolutionary in that it clearly drew a...
a year ago
John Snow’s map of the 1854 London cholera outbreak was revolutionary in that it clearly drew a visual connection between deaths and the locations of well pumps. It helped contribute to the idea that cholera was a water-borne disease and effectively marks the creation of the...
Maps Mania
Virtual Indian Independence Day
5 months ago
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Graduated
It seemed like just yesterday that Twelve Mile Circle chronicled the kid who designed an imaginary...
8 months ago
It seemed like just yesterday that Twelve Mile Circle chronicled the kid who designed an imaginary town and counted various forms of transportation. Now my elementary aged student is all grown up, a newly-minted university graduate. Those interceding years passed much more...
Maps Mania
The Scariest Place Names in the World
2 months ago
Maps Mania
1000+ Streets Called Washington
6 months ago
Transit Maps
Book Review: “Iconic Transit Maps” by Mark Ovenden, 2024
After 2003’s Metro Maps of the World and 2015’s Transit Maps of the World (our review here), this is...
a month ago
After 2003’s Metro Maps of the World and 2015’s Transit Maps of the World (our review here), this is Mark Ovenden’s third offering on the subject of global transit maps and diagrams. The question to be asked, then, is simply – is a new book on the same subject worth it? In a...
Maps Mania
Travel Times in the Roman & British Empires
a month ago
Map of the Week
Mapping Etymology
Mapologies is a website that shows many interesting etymology maps such as this one showing the word...
8 months ago
Mapologies is a website that shows many interesting etymology maps such as this one showing the word for Earth throughout Europe-from their planets page.
The countries are color coded by the language family origins of the words. Here are peaches from the fruits page.
I like...
Maps Mania
135,000 Years of Changing Sea Levels
a year ago
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Dayton, Ohio Part 7 (Hodgepodge)
The Dayton trip came to an end but I still had a bunch of stuff to talk about that didn’t fit into...
8 months ago
The Dayton trip came to an end but I still had a bunch of stuff to talk about that didn’t fit into any of the earlier articles. Naturally I’ve collected them all together within this final compilation to serve as a wrap-up. Then we can call this one done and move onto the next...
Maps Mania
The EJAtlas: A Map for Environmental Justice
4 months ago
Musings on Maps
Security Walls: “This is Just the Beginning”
Attending New Year’s service in an Oxford Orthodox synagogue, I paused when the ritual prayer book I...
a year ago
Attending New Year’s service in an Oxford Orthodox synagogue, I paused when the ritual prayer book I held–a Machzor-moved smoothly from prayers to George VI (it was an old one) to prayers for the Israel Defense Forces. The rabbi, who … Continue reading →
Map of the Week
Turkey and Syria Earthquake Response
Parts of Turkey and Syria have been devastated by the strongest, most destructive earthquake in the...
a year ago
Parts of Turkey and Syria have been devastated by the strongest, most destructive earthquake in the recorded history of those countries. The earthquake has been followed by over a hundred powerful aftershocks, including one almost as powerful as the original magnitude 7.8...
Maps Mania
The most mis-mapped US states
10 months ago
Map of the Week
America's Garden Capital
I have more way more items to post for Philadelphia month than there are weeks left so in the next...
a year ago
I have more way more items to post for Philadelphia month than there are weeks left so in the next few weeks I will be doing some extra postings, and a few minor notes thrown in like this one.
Did you know that Philadelphia is America’s Garden Capital? A bit of local boosterism...
Maps Mania
Using AI to Detect Oil Spills
11 months ago
Adventures In...
Vignettes for the Win!
A vignette is a darkening (or lightening) of the edges of a composition, to subtly frame it and draw...
2 months ago
A vignette is a darkening (or lightening) of the edges of a composition, to subtly frame it and draw the eye in to the middle. It’s an old photographer’s darkroom trick. Lucky for us, I’ve spent many hours in the darkroom and have grown to appreciate the charm and effectiveness...
Maps Mania
Mapping Moving Borders in Real-Time
4 months ago
Map of the Week
Summer of Extremes
It's been a summer of extremes around the world. Here is the United States we have dangerous...
a year ago
It's been a summer of extremes around the world. Here is the United States we have dangerous heat,
via Washington Post
droughts and floods, existing in close proximity in places,
US Drought Monitor
and wildfire smoke covering much of the country.
via...
Adventures In...
Find and download vintage USGS topo maps
The new Historical Topo Map Explorer is out of beta and ready for you to dive into a collection of...
7 months ago
The new Historical Topo Map Explorer is out of beta and ready for you to dive into a collection of over 180,000 beautiful vintage USGS topo maps! Use this updated Living Atlas app to geographically browse, download, export, and even animate, these cartographic objects of joy....
Adventures In...
How to make this drought map in ArcGIS Online
Here’s how to make the drought map used in the Drought Aware app. This video covers creating a...
a month ago
Here’s how to make the drought map used in the Drought Aware app. This video covers creating a custom imagery basemap, modified to best support thematic data, and a styling method for the overlain drought polygons so they tint the imagery a color based on severity and have a...
Map of the Week
Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
In response to last week's Black Atlantic post, a reader directed me to the Atlas of the...
11 months ago
In response to last week's Black Atlantic post, a reader directed me to the Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The Atlas has a companion site, Echoes: the SlaveVoyages Blog where you can browse through an impressive array of maps produced for the Atlas. Here are the major...
Transit Maps
Submission – Fantasy Map: Tram Network for Bristol, England by Elliott Sargent
Submitted by Elliott, who says: I’ve been a fan of your work for a while now, and thought I’d submit...
a year ago
Submitted by Elliott, who says: I’ve been a fan of your work for a while now, and thought I’d submit my own work for judgement. I’ve had a crack at designing a map for an as-yet non-existent tram and bus network for Bristol, UK, a city in dire need of reliable, integrated public...
Adventures In...
Thoughts on the Cartographer’s Role in an AI Future
A few moments ago I was asked by a student about the “development of cartography over the next 10...
10 months ago
A few moments ago I was asked by a student about the “development of cartography over the next 10 years.” Here’s my somewhat off-the-cuff response, though my thoughts have been steeping in this for the past year or so. In the next 10 years artificial intelligence, and probably...
Maps Mania
These are the Safest Cities in the World
7 months ago
Maps Mania
Mapping the Route of the Adriana Disaster
a year ago
Musings on Maps
Fifteen Two-Hundred Pound Bombs
Dropping at least fifteen two hundred pound bombs equipped with precision guidance systems–bunker...
3 months ago
Dropping at least fifteen two hundred pound bombs equipped with precision guidance systems–bunker busters that could penetrate deep underground and flatten built structures–that killed Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and much of his high command follows a terrifying explosion of...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Inland Northwest, Day 6 (County-Centric)
We were now between race days again, with two races down and one more to go. So we could do pretty...
3 months ago
We were now between race days again, with two races down and one more to go. So we could do pretty much whatever we wanted now and I decided to focus on some county counting. It was all virgin territory to me and I intended to cover as much of it as I could during […]
The post...
Map of the Week
Algal Blooming Across the World
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center produced a video showing the increase in harmful algal blooms...
5 months ago
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center produced a video showing the increase in harmful algal blooms over the last 50 years.
If the above video does not load try clicking here. This version ends by opening the globe into a world map to show everywhere at once. There is another...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Costa Rica, Part 7 (On To Monteverde)
Next we began our trek to Monteverde, into Costa Rica’s famed Cloud Forest. This is one of the...
a year ago
Next we began our trek to Monteverde, into Costa Rica’s famed Cloud Forest. This is one of the nation’s smallest microclimates and one of its most intriguing. High in the mountains, a thick blanket of fog frequently envelopes the landscape and creates a gentile moisture. A steady...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
England, Day 6 (Bournemouth)
We didn’t go far but it seemed like a world apart, traveling from an isolated corner of Dorset into...
5 months ago
We didn’t go far but it seemed like a world apart, traveling from an isolated corner of Dorset into its most populous area. That led us to Bournemouth (map), a coastal town along the English Channel. There are so many ancient places in the United Kingdom but this is not one of...
Maps Mania
Climate Change by Electoral District
6 months ago
Maps Mania
The Manhole Card Collectors Map
5 months ago
Maps Mania
Your Hour-By-Hour Guide to Election Night
2 months ago
Maps Mania
Mapping Mythical Islands & Imaginary Lands
a month ago
Map of the Week
Mid 1900's Urban Planning in Philadelphia
Here are a few urban planning items to close out Philadelphia month. Hope you have enjoyed the...
a year ago
Here are a few urban planning items to close out Philadelphia month. Hope you have enjoyed the journey.
Cathedral Road:
There are many discontinued highways and roads to nowhere throughout the United States, including Woodhaven Road, a dead end expressway in Northeast...
Maps Mania
America's Disappearing Birds
11 months ago
Maps Mania
Mapping Every US Election Since 1840
3 months ago
Map of the Week
Innovation in Segregation
Before the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) redlining maps encouraged segregation (documented...
a year ago
Before the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) redlining maps encouraged segregation (documented extensively including on this blog), there was this 1934 map by property analyst J. M. Brewer. It showed real estate conditions in Philadelphia with a wary eye towards immigrants,...
somethingaboutmaps
Automated Hachuring in QGIS
I seem to have accidentally come up with a method for duplicating a centuries-old terrain...
6 months ago
I seem to have accidentally come up with a method for duplicating a centuries-old terrain representation technique. If you’ve looked at old maps, you’ve probably seen hachures: lines that run up and down along the slope of terrain features. There were a wide variety of approaches...
Maps Mania
An Extremely Distorted Map of the US Election
3 days ago
somethingaboutmaps
Conventional Cartographic Wisdom that I have Failed to Grasp
When I teach cartography, I am deliberate about not presenting my students with any rules. I do not...
a year ago
When I teach cartography, I am deliberate about not presenting my students with any rules. I do not want obedience to memorized maxims — instead, I simply tell them about practices that I think are good ideas, and then I offer an explanation of my reasoning. The students can...
Map of the Week
Buffalo in 50 Maps
New from Belt Publishing - the third book of their "50 Maps" series, Buffalo in 50 Maps is now out....
a year ago
New from Belt Publishing - the third book of their "50 Maps" series, Buffalo in 50 Maps is now out. Previous books on Cleveland and Detroit have been briefly covered on previous blog posts. The author, cartographer Victoria Johnson-Dahl was kind enough to send me an advance copy...
Map of the Week
The Liverpool Overhead Railway
I found this cool strip map of the Liverpool Overhead Railway, the first elevated electric railway...
a year ago
I found this cool strip map of the Liverpool Overhead Railway, the first elevated electric railway in the world. It opened in 1893 and was dismantled in 1957 because the company could not afford to make the necessary repairs. This map is dated "c1938".
via Flickr
According...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Dayton, Ohio Part 4 (Venturing North)
The ultimate destination was Dayton, Ohio and it took about seven and a half hours to get there....
9 months ago
The ultimate destination was Dayton, Ohio and it took about seven and a half hours to get there. However we didn’t just sit in Dayton for an entire week. If I had to drive all that way you better believe I would do some County Counting along the way too. At this point I’ve...
Map of the Week
The Southern Underground Railroad
This map, via Smithsonian, shows the main passageways that the enslaved took southwards to...
a year ago
This map, via Smithsonian, shows the main passageways that the enslaved took southwards to freedom.
The southern Underground Railroad was less traveled and much less well documented, but Mexico after gaining independence passed strong anti-slavery laws. Even before that the...
Map of the Week
Maps and Views at the British Library
The British Library contains over 4.5 million maps, atlases, globes, and digital models dating back...
6 months ago
The British Library contains over 4.5 million maps, atlases, globes, and digital models dating back to medieval times. A small sample of these are displayed on the walls in a section called "Maps & Views". Here are some mediocre pictures I took with links (where I can find them)...
Map of the Week
Stolen Native American Remains
In 1990 the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act was passed by the U.S. Congress...
a year ago
In 1990 the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act was passed by the U.S. Congress to gave indigenous peoples a way to reclaim their dead. 33 years later about half of the remains have yet to be returned. Pro Publica produced a piece with excellent interactive...
Maps Mania
Four Free Alternatives to GeoGuessr
9 months ago
Map of the Week
Pictorial Bird's Eye Map of Banff
Here is a really nice pictorial map of Banff, showing the mountains, rivers, railroads and...
a year ago
Here is a really nice pictorial map of Banff, showing the mountains, rivers, railroads and hotels.
Mountains are listed with their elevations.
A quiet corner at the end of Lake Minnewanka,
and some sky above the ice field.
Browse the whole map here.
Twelve Mile Circle –...
England, Day 7 (Tankfest)
Finally the single event that justified our entire trip to England arrived, the renowned Tankfest....
5 months ago
Finally the single event that justified our entire trip to England arrived, the renowned Tankfest. It’s everything the name implies, a festival of military tanks, and it happens only once a year on the grounds of the Tank Museum in Bovington (map). This is what the younger kid...
Map of the Week
30 Day Map Challenge-Admiring the Work of Others
For the past several years November for me has meant working on the 30 Day Map Challenge. This year...
a month ago
For the past several years November for me has meant working on the 30 Day Map Challenge. This year I’ve been too busy to participate - also I really needed a break from it. Not participating means I’ve been able to admire the work of other cartographers. Here are some highlights...
Maps Mania
The Best Price Comparison Maps
11 months ago
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Asia-Pacific, Part 4 (Japan: Exploring Tokyo)
Sure, the tourists sites were great, but Twelve Mile Circle readers know I like to follow tangents...
a year ago
Sure, the tourists sites were great, but Twelve Mile Circle readers know I like to follow tangents even when I do that. I’m always on the hunt for the unusual, or at least the unusual to me. I’m sure everything seemed perfectly normal to anyone from Japan. So I made sure I...
Musings on Maps
The Office of the Geographer and Art of the Deal
There is plenty of blame going round this election cycle on the Democratic Party for having given...
2 months ago
There is plenty of blame going round this election cycle on the Democratic Party for having given material assistance–if not tacitly supported–the bombing Palestinian inhabitants and settlements in Gaza by Israeli Defense Forces. The drumbeat of disquiet about the Democratic …...
Transit Maps
Historical Maps: Private Railways and Extra-urban Tramways of Italy, 1936
I stumbled across this atlas of maps the other day and had to share. A few sample pages are below –...
a year ago
I stumbled across this atlas of maps the other day and had to share. A few sample pages are below – head to the originating website to view all 20 of them. Enjoy! Source: Stagniweb.it
Maps Mania
The Bellingcat Open Source Challenge
a month ago
Maps Mania
The Unknown Pleasures of Population Density
a year ago
Adventures In...
Tolkien Style Maps in a GIS: part 4, Assembly
“There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.” In this 4-part series...
11 months ago
“There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.” In this 4-part series we’ll walk through the reckoning of a Lord of the Rings style fantasy map, right in ArcGIS Pro. We map-makers get to breathe honest to goodness geographic life into the seminal...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Southern Heat, Part 2 (Atlanta Revisited)
I ventured into familiar territory as we started the trip, back to the same eastside of Atlanta that...
a year ago
I ventured into familiar territory as we started the trip, back to the same eastside of Atlanta that I’d explored just four months prior. That wasn’t a coincidence. I enjoyed the area so much that I wanted the whole family to experience it too. So it made perfect sense to fly...
Map of the Week
Everglades Restoration
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has invested over a billion dollars to restore Florida's Everglades...
4 months ago
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has invested over a billion dollars to restore Florida's Everglades as part of the Infrastructure Bill of 2021. The goal is to restore the natural flow that has been cut off by agriculture and urban development.
The original flow was from the...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Osage Orange
It seemed strange to fixate on a single tree for more than a decade but that’s exactly what...
a month ago
It seemed strange to fixate on a single tree for more than a decade but that’s exactly what happened. I notice it a few weeks every autumn and then quickly forget about it for another year. That all started sometime around 2013 when I began to ride a stretch of the Capital...
somethingaboutmaps
2024 Freelance Rate Survey Results
Thank you once again to everyone who participated in this year’s survey of freelance cartographer...
3 months ago
Thank you once again to everyone who participated in this year’s survey of freelance cartographer rates and business practices! Our apologies for the delay in posting the results; life has been busy for both Aly and myself. Before we get to the survey results, here are some handy...
Musings on Maps
A Global Landscape of Growing Glacial Loss
With frozen glaciers disappearing into the oceans at an unprecedented rate, the rise of an...
a year ago
With frozen glaciers disappearing into the oceans at an unprecedented rate, the rise of an ecotourism of glacier viewing is hardly unexpected. But the rise of new heights of glacial melt that are feared for much of the arctic this … Continue reading →
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Southern Heat, Part 6 (Houston)
The heat really cranked up as we entered Texas, never dropping below a daily high of 100° Fahrenheit...
a year ago
The heat really cranked up as we entered Texas, never dropping below a daily high of 100° Fahrenheit (38° Celsius). Here my hybrid working vacation transitioned completely to pure work for a day. That’s where I needed to attend meetings at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston...
Map of the Week
The Auschwitz Exhibition
This past weekend I saw a traveling exhibition in Boston about the Auschwitz concentration camp. It...
4 months ago
This past weekend I saw a traveling exhibition in Boston about the Auschwitz concentration camp. It contains over 700 objects from shoes to gas masks to implements of torture and experimentation. The exhibit was co-produced by the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and has been in...
Map of the Week
New Orleans Slave Revolt
Despite what some officials in Florida want to teach, not all enslaved people appreciated the job...
11 months ago
Despite what some officials in Florida want to teach, not all enslaved people appreciated the job training they were getting from their benevolent overseers. In fact there were numerous rebellions. The largest one was in 1811 outside of New Orleans.
The map above is from a...
Adventures In...
Boost the Human Footprint in Imagery
The World Imagery Basemap is a lovely resource spanning the Earth in all directions at all scales....
4 months ago
The World Imagery Basemap is a lovely resource spanning the Earth in all directions at all scales. If you want to add a level of context you can always add a reference overlay. But what about baking a reference overlay into the imagery in a way that makes it look, like, sort of...
Adventures In...
How to Make a Hexagonal Cartogram in ArcGIS Pro
Of course maps are just the most fascinating and information dense graphical information products...
10 months ago
Of course maps are just the most fascinating and information dense graphical information products around…in my unbiased opinion. I can, and do, go on and on about the deep and pervasive benefits of spatial representations. But…well…sometimes a map, strictly speaking, can have...
Adventures In...
The Geoholics Podcast
I got to join The Geoholics podcast this week and had a fun conversation with Kent Groh, Ryan Kelly,...
over a year ago
I got to join The Geoholics podcast this week and had a fun conversation with Kent Groh, Ryan Kelly, and Nik Smilovsky Here is a link to the episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0sHBwsGyfAoZE3ra5RaeVB?si=f1f3bdf9ab3b4695 Here’s the episode’s description: Raised by two...
Map of the Week
Nice Eclipse Maps - Part 2
As promised from last week's post here are a couple additional sites that nicely visualize the path...
10 months ago
As promised from last week's post here are a couple additional sites that nicely visualize the path of next month's eclipse. The first one is from Bloomberg, How to Find the Best Cities to Watch the Eclipse. One of the best things about this page is that it starts with an...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Southern Heat, Part 4 (Bug Loop)
Sure, the southern United States has more than its fair share of pesky bugs that most people...
a year ago
Sure, the southern United States has more than its fair share of pesky bugs that most people actively avoid. Mosquitos, horseflies, and palmetto bugs probably top that list. So it probably sounds strange that we devoted an entire day to insects, particularly to the appreciation...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
England, Day 2 (Jurassic Coast)
We were firmly based in Swanage after the long day of travel and ready to explore our new...
6 months ago
We were firmly based in Swanage after the long day of travel and ready to explore our new surroundings. However, we were still pretty tired so we stuck close to home and made it an easy day. Swanage sits near the eastern end of the 96 mile (154 km) Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World...
Maps Mania
Which Country Most Resembles Your Country?
a year ago
Maps Mania
Divorced, Befriended, Married or Died
a year ago
Maps Mania
Tracking American Spies in Germany
5 months ago
Maps Mania
The 46 States of America & Each State Flower
7 months ago
Transit Maps
Submission – Unofficial Map: Arendal Region Transit Map, Norway by Hazael
Hi! I made this transit diagram myself. I saw there was no “real” map with all the stations for the...
4 months ago
Hi! I made this transit diagram myself. I saw there was no “real” map with all the stations for the region of Arendal in Norway, so I decided to do this project. I would love to read your comments and criticisms! Transit Maps says: There’s a lot to like about this diagram – a...
Maps Mania
The 2024 World Press Freedom Rankings
8 months ago
Map of the Week
The Whataburger Power Outage Map
When Hurricane Beryl struck Texas last week it left nearly 2 million Houston area residents and...
6 months ago
When Hurricane Beryl struck Texas last week it left nearly 2 million Houston area residents and businesses without power. Local power company Center Point Energy's online power outage map has been unavailable since May. Social media user BBQBryan noted that Texas based...
Maps Mania
Memorial Day Weekend Helicopter Flights
5 months ago
Map of the Week
Philadelphia Bookstore Map
Note: As September comes to a close so does Philadelphia month. There will be a couple more posts...
a year ago
Note: As September comes to a close so does Philadelphia month. There will be a couple more posts today and tomorrow before I return to my normal weekly schedule.
This one is personal. Several years ago I was working with a Philly-based computer programmer and an artist to create...
James Cheshire
Anxiety and Mapping the Climate Crisis
Many of the maps I have created in recent years address the climate crisis and I’ve been asked a...
over a year ago
Many of the maps I have created in recent years address the climate crisis and I’ve been asked a number of times about if I feel powerless in the face of the data I’m showing. I reflect on this here with Kit Rackley. Our chat also in part inspired this article in The...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Costa Rica, Part 8 (Completing the Circuit)
Too soon the Costa Rica adventure approached its end and it was time to wrap things up with a final...
a year ago
Too soon the Costa Rica adventure approached its end and it was time to wrap things up with a final few activities. The route involved the usual complexities, driving down the mountain from Monteverde and heading towards the airport outside of San José. We also took a little...
Maps Mania
The Newest Maps of Mars - in 3D
7 months ago
Transit Maps
New Official Map: Los Angeles Metro with Regional Connector, 2023
Just dropped on the LA Metro Twitter account, here’s a first look at their new system map once the...
a year ago
Just dropped on the LA Metro Twitter account, here’s a first look at their new system map once the Regional Connector opens at noon, this Friday June 16. First off, one prediction I made in my previous review [October 2022] has been proven true: this map marks the end of the old...
Adventures In...
How to make this map of a melting glacier
I’ve been to Columbia Glacier, just west of Valdez, Alaska, three times. The first was as a...
a year ago
I’ve been to Columbia Glacier, just west of Valdez, Alaska, three times. The first was as a youngster in 1984, the second in 1987, and the final time in 2000. Each time, the ride by boat to the terminal edge of the ice where it calves into Prince William Sound, took a bit longer....
James Cheshire
The long history of using maps to hold water companies to account
James Cheshire, UCL Southern Water was handed a record fine of £90 million in July 2021 after...
over a year ago
James Cheshire, UCL Southern Water was handed a record fine of £90 million in July 2021 after pleading guilty to illegally discharging sewage along the rivers and coastline of Kent, Hampshire and Sussex. More than a year later, the headlines have not improved for Britain’s...
Transit Maps
Submission – Official Map: Tram and Busways of Casablanca, Morocco, 2024
Submitted by Leo, who says: On September 24, the Casablanca tramway network nearly doubled in length...
3 months ago
Submitted by Leo, who says: On September 24, the Casablanca tramway network nearly doubled in length with the opening of T3 and T4. The Casatramway network, operated by RATP, is depicted in the new map alongside the Casabusway BRT lines currently under construction. The map...
Maps Mania
Today's Global Heating Forecast
7 months ago
somethingaboutmaps
A New Take on an Old Style
Gentle readers, I have some exciting things to share with you. After several months of tinkering and...
2 months ago
Gentle readers, I have some exciting things to share with you. After several months of tinkering and toolmaking, I have created a series of posters of iconic peaks (and other terrain), illustrated in a sketch style inspired by old hachure drawings. There are 37 designs to choose...
Map of the Week
The Lost Subways of North America
A new book by Jake Berman, The Lost Subways of North America explores the history of unbuilt and...
a year ago
A new book by Jake Berman, The Lost Subways of North America explores the history of unbuilt and discontinued transit in 23 cities in the United States and Canada. Mexico is not included because "Mexico's urban history is so unlike that of the United States and Canada."
Cities...
Map of the Week
America's First Subway Map
The first subway in the United States was built in Boston. The tunnel ran along Tremont Street, a...
a year ago
The first subway in the United States was built in Boston. The tunnel ran along Tremont Street, a chaotic mess of streetcars, horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians. The tunnel was built to route the streetcars underground to ease congestion. Here is a plan of the original subway...
Map of the Week
The Hidden Logic of Cities
The Beautiful Hidden Logic of Cities by Erin Davis shows the streets of various cities in the United...
a year ago
The Beautiful Hidden Logic of Cities by Erin Davis shows the streets of various cities in the United States color coded by suffix - (street, road, avenue, etc).
From where I've lived there seemed to be a clear logic to streets, avenues, boulevards and others. In my mind...
Maps Mania
Every Basketball Court on Google Maps
4 months ago
Map of the Week
Los Angeles Wildfire Extent
The extent of the forest fires in and around Los Angeles is horrific and may become even worse in...
4 days ago
The extent of the forest fires in and around Los Angeles is horrific and may become even worse in the next few days. The New York Times has some very detailed maps showing the extent of destruction. Here is a close up of Altadena from the Hurst Fire.
via New York Times -...
Map of the Week
The New Acadian Heritage Room
On my recent trip to Nova Scotia, I stumbled upon the grand opening of the New Acadian Heritage Room...
a year ago
On my recent trip to Nova Scotia, I stumbled upon the grand opening of the New Acadian Heritage Room at the O’Dell House Museum in Annapolis Royal. I had not known anything about it, but was in the right place on the right day. The room is primarily a collection of maps from the...
somethingaboutmaps
2022 Freelancer Survey Results
Thank you once again to everyone who participated in this year’s survey of freelance cartographer...
over a year ago
Thank you once again to everyone who participated in this year’s survey of freelance cartographer rates and business practices! Herein, you will find the results of the survey, sliced into a few different charts and visuals, all crafted by my survey partner Aly Ollivierre. For...
Map of the Week
Maps GPT
I've been seeing a few interesting uses for ChatGPT-type artificial intelligence lately. Of course...
a year ago
I've been seeing a few interesting uses for ChatGPT-type artificial intelligence lately. Of course there has to be a map generator. MapsGPT is powered by Proxi, an alternative to Google's MyMaps. I started out looking at their map suggestions, such as worst places to take a nap...
Map of the Week
A Blue Map of China
This past weekend I finally got to the Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library to see...
4 months ago
This past weekend I finally got to the Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library to see their exhibit, Heaven and Earth: The Blue Maps of China on one of its final days. Yes, I should have visited months ago when I could have encouraged readers to see it but though they...
Transit Maps
Submission – Official Map: Madrid Cercanías Rail Network, December 2024
Submitted by Juan, who says: I send the new version of the Renfe-Madrid Cercanías network. It seems...
a week ago
Submitted by Juan, who says: I send the new version of the Renfe-Madrid Cercanías network. It seems to me that it has improved quite a lot the previous version. This previous version had crossroads, angles, etc. I would like to know your opinion about this new map. Transit Maps...
Map of the Week
Headwaters
When I see a river, I often think about where it comes from and where it goes. I started a mapping...
a year ago
When I see a river, I often think about where it comes from and where it goes. I started a mapping project showing this for the Northeastern United States. For the level of detail needed it was necessary to choose a manageable area so I chose where I've lived almost all of my...
Maps Mania
OpenStreetMap Edits in Real Time
11 months ago
Maps Mania
Visit a Virtual Medieval Farm
10 months ago
Map of the Week
US Oil and Gas Pipelines
Felt is a nice web mapping app that anyone can use to get a map and add your own data, mark it up...
a year ago
Felt is a nice web mapping app that anyone can use to get a map and add your own data, mark it up and share with others. One of their most interesting example maps is this map of oil and gas pipelines.
Oil pipelines are in blue and natural gas is orange. I would have reversed...
Adventures In...
Vintage Retro Old-School 1890s Basemap for ArcGIS Pro
Here’s how to stack up some tile layers and blend them up to concoct a basemap that wouldn’t look...
5 months ago
Here’s how to stack up some tile layers and blend them up to concoct a basemap that wouldn’t look out of place in 1890. Except that you wouldn’t have anywhere to plug in your monitor so it would be hard to show it to people back then. Ok bring a small generator. Wait, all these …
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Atlanta BeltLine – Eastside Trail
I arrived in Atlanta, Georgia for business. On the final day I wrapped-up and had a little time to...
a year ago
I arrived in Atlanta, Georgia for business. On the final day I wrapped-up and had a little time to visit a family member who lives in the city. That became a good excuse to head over to the Grant Park neighborhood on Atlanta’s eastside. We spent most of our late afternoon walking...
Map of the Week
Make Your Own Ferraris Map
While researching the Ferraris Atlas of Belgium from my last post, I came across a Github page that...
3 months ago
While researching the Ferraris Atlas of Belgium from my last post, I came across a Github page that lets you create your own Ferraris style map using QGIS. The author, Manuel Claeys Bouuaert did an excellent job creating a hand drawn looking style using modern technology....
Adventures In...
Tolkien Style Maps in a GIS: part 2, Mountains
“I want to see mountains again, Gandalf, mountains. And then find somewhere where I can rest.” In...
11 months ago
“I want to see mountains again, Gandalf, mountains. And then find somewhere where I can rest.” In this 4-part series we’ll walk through the reckoning of a Lord of the Rings style fantasy map, right in ArcGIS Pro. We map-makers get to breathe honest to goodness geographic life...
James Cheshire
The era of the megalopolis: how the world’s cities are merging
James Cheshire, UCL and Michael Batty, UCL On November 15 2022, a baby girl named Vinice Mabansag,...
over a year ago
James Cheshire, UCL and Michael Batty, UCL On November 15 2022, a baby girl named Vinice Mabansag, born at Dr Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila, Philippines, became – symbolically – the eight billionth person in the world. Of those 8 billion people, 60% live in a town or...
Map of the Week
Harry Beck's Famous Subway Map Goes Airborne
This map was published a month ago in the Londonist. Just about every other map blog has already...
a year ago
This map was published a month ago in the Londonist. Just about every other map blog has already picked up on it and I am late to the game. However, I've spent so much time looking at it that I think it's worth a visit even if you've already seen it. It was drawn by Harry Beck,...
Maps Mania
Florida's Waffle House Index Score
3 months ago
Transit Maps
Submission – New Official Map: UTA Rail and BRT Map, 2023
Submitted by Browne, who says: UTA, the primary transit provider for northern Utah, has officially...
a year ago
Submitted by Browne, who says: UTA, the primary transit provider for northern Utah, has officially launched its newest BRT service, and with it, a new transit map. The OGX is a new BRT route from Ogden Central Station, downtown, Weber State University, and down to McKay-Dee...
Map of the Week
If Mars Were on Earth
This image of the surface of Mars was released last Spring as part of the Atlas of Mars. Images were...
9 months ago
This image of the surface of Mars was released last Spring as part of the Atlas of Mars. Images were compiled from the Emirates Mars Mission "Hope", an approximately two year mission in that began orbiting the planet in 2021.
via New York Times
Some remarkably detailed...
Maps Mania
How Well Do You Know New York's Subway?
a year ago
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Southern Heat, Part 3 (Apalachicola)
Next we began the actual “road” portion of the road trip as Atlanta receded into the distance behind...
a year ago
Next we began the actual “road” portion of the road trip as Atlanta receded into the distance behind us. We spaced our drives into four segments of 5-6 hours each to make them manageable. I figured that would cover a decent distance without consuming the entire day. The first leg...
Maps Mania
Global Sentiment Towards Israel & Palestine
a year ago
Adventures In...
Stories
Here are some StoryMap stories that I’ve written over the years… Piracy & Time Travel How Deep is...
a year ago
Here are some StoryMap stories that I’ve written over the years… Piracy & Time Travel How Deep is Challenger Deep? Julie’s Improbable Flight How to Write a Story, starring sharks and hurricanes Gap, Pass, Notch, & Saddle College Football Air Mile Index Rivers of Plastic Smoking,...
Maps Mania
The Best Graphics Team in the World
5 months ago
Maps Mania
Roads, Railways, Runways & Rivers
2 days ago
Map of the Week
This One
This one map (via New York Times) tells you quite a bit about what happened in the U.S. Election on...
2 months ago
This one map (via New York Times) tells you quite a bit about what happened in the U.S. Election on Tuesday.
Aside from a few strange outliers (western Oklahoma, suburban Atlanta, northwest Michigan) The "red shift" happened across all regions and demographics. Hard to look at...
Maps Mania
How Big is Your Country's CO2 Footprint?
2 months ago
Map of the Week
An Appreciation of Ordnance Survey Maps
I spent some time in May at the British Library randomly looking at atlases and maps, some of which...
6 months ago
I spent some time in May at the British Library randomly looking at atlases and maps, some of which will be featured here in upcoming weeks. They have a huge collection of Ordnance Survey atlas books of 1:1056 scale (1 inch = 88 feet) map sheets. While these maps are primarily...
Map of the Week
Fastest Growing and Shrinking Cities
This map shows the fastest growing and shrinking cities in the United States and Canada using 2023...
2 weeks ago
This map shows the fastest growing and shrinking cities in the United States and Canada using 2023 data.
The map appears on Visual Capitalist and the data is only for the city populations, it does not reflect the overall metropolitan areas. The top seven population gainers are...
Maps Mania
The Supply Chain of Deforestation
10 months ago
Maps Mania
China vs America - World Influence Map
4 months ago
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Inland Northwest, Day 3 (Let the Races Begin)
The main reason we went to the Inland Northwest was to run some races. It also became an excuse to...
3 months ago
The main reason we went to the Inland Northwest was to run some races. It also became an excuse to experience a part of the country I hadn’t explored much. Either way, the first of the races was finally about to begin. The Oregon Race We walked through the dark to a park along...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Silver Line Extension
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority opened its eleven mile Silver Line extension on...
over a year ago
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority opened its eleven mile Silver Line extension on November 15, 2022. I couldn’t be there on opening day but I still wanted to check out the new stations while they were relatively “new.” So I checked in with my frequent travel...
Maps Mania
Exploring London Through the Artist's Eye
5 months ago
Adventures In...
Layout sandwich
Here’s how to make an ArcGIS Pro layout where certain elements of the map step over the neatline and...
a year ago
Here’s how to make an ArcGIS Pro layout where certain elements of the map step over the neatline and the graticule is relegated only to the oceans. Because that looks cool! Mapping has a long and handsome history of neatlines that are interrupted by bits of land spilling over it,...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Southern Heat, Part 7 (Hill Country)
The extended road trip finally arrived at its western terminus in the Texas Hill Country. This also...
a year ago
The extended road trip finally arrived at its western terminus in the Texas Hill Country. This also marked my first visit to Burnet County, a rural locale situated northwest of Austin. Locals pronounce it something like BURN-it, and that’s how it felt as the mercury hit 103°...
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