somethingaboutmaps
GenAI for the Static Cartographer
It’s finally time for me to write something about generative AI. While I’ve made occasional comments...
a week ago
It’s finally time for me to write something about generative AI. While I’ve made occasional comments on social media, I haven’t spoken in any detail. I touched on some colleagues’ genAI work in a recent blog post, but my focus wasn’t really on genAI itself — it was how and where...
GeoCurrents
Average Annual Precipitation by Country Mapped
As noted in the previous GeoCurrents post on the “deserts” of Colombia, Colombia is usually...
a week ago
As noted in the previous GeoCurrents post on the “deserts” of Colombia, Colombia is usually considered to be the world’s rainiest country, receiving some 127 inches (3249 mm) of precipitation annually, averaged over the entire country. Learning this fact inspired me to make a map...
Map of the Week
Guide to Running While Female in Phoenix
Described as a “an absurd guide to the regular wish-it-wasn’t-so paranoia of running as a woman in...
2 weeks ago
Described as a “an absurd guide to the regular wish-it-wasn’t-so paranoia of running as a woman in the city“, the Guide to Running While Female in Central Phoenix shows what to look out for along running routes in central Phoenix.
This map is produced by Steady Hand Maps. Jen...
Maps Mania
The Coffee Barista's Maps
Aside from maps, I would say my next biggest obsession is coffee. For the last couple of months, my...
2 weeks ago
Aside from maps, I would say my next biggest obsession is coffee. For the last couple of months, my favourite bean, Finca La Bolsa, has been out of season and unavailable from my local roasters. I've therefore been using the opportunity to experiment with beans from different...
GeoCurrents
Does Colombia Have an Urban/Rural Electoral Divide? Despite Bogotá, Not Really
A recent GeoCurrents post suggested that the electoral geography of the United States has strikingly...
10th Aug 2026
A recent GeoCurrents post suggested that the electoral geography of the United States has strikingly deviated from that of Latin America during the 21st century. In the U.S., population density has become one of the main influences on voting patterns, with cities favoring...
Map of the Week
U.S. Map Mislabels Every African Country
At a global AIDS conference the U.S. State Department showed this map of Africa.
-map...
5th Aug 2026
At a global AIDS conference the U.S. State Department showed this map of Africa.
-map via Reuters, reformatted to better fit the page.
Every country is incorrectly located and indicated with ridiculous shapes. Nigeria, where the US has troops deployed is shown in the middle...
somethingaboutmaps
A Few Minor Niceties
I recently finished up a first draft of a piece for a client, a map that gave me a chance to try...
4th Aug 2026
I recently finished up a first draft of a piece for a client, a map that gave me a chance to try some new things and also exercise some cartographic muscles that I haven’t for a while. So, today, I wanted to just highlight a few interesting odds and ends that came up during the …...
Maps Mania
The Map of Global Friendship
1st Aug 2026
somethingaboutmaps
On Sin
To make maps, we must sin against the landscape. We distort the earth’s roundness, and we simplify...
20th Jul 2026
To make maps, we must sin against the landscape. We distort the earth’s roundness, and we simplify complex realities down to a series of colors and symbols. Ancient trees become a scattering of green pixels on a screen; a horrific battle becomes a labeled dot; and an...
Transit Maps
New Official Map: İzmir Metro, Türkiye by Evgeny Katyshev
Submitted by Evgeny, who simply says: The new map of Izmir rapid transit I designed has been adopted...
13th Jul 2026
Submitted by Evgeny, who simply says: The new map of Izmir rapid transit I designed has been adopted as official one. Transit Maps says: Congratulations on this lovely little diagram becoming “official,” Evgeny! There’s a lot to like about it, especially the intelligent use of a...
GeoCurrents
The Misleading Concept of the “Global South”
Dividing the terrestrial world into the “Global North” and the “Global South” is becoming...
4th Jul 2026
Dividing the terrestrial world into the “Global North” and the “Global South” is becoming increasingly common. Simple versions of this “two worlds” model have a relatively clean north/south division, with only Australia and New Zealand falling out of place as southern outliers of...
Map of the Week
Maps for the U.S. Semiquincentennial
Semiquincentennial is a mouthful. So much that my spell check doesn’t believe it’s a word. The...
2nd Jul 2026
Semiquincentennial is a mouthful. So much that my spell check doesn’t believe it’s a word. The Bicentennial, which I’m old enough to remember well was easier to pronounce, and celebrate. I won’t make any grand statements, instead here are some fun, interesting or alternative maps...
Maps Mania
An Eagle's Eye View of the Alps
1st Jul 2026
Adventures In...
Esri User Conference 2026
I’ll be in a mad dash at the San Diego Convention Center the week of the Esri UC. If you are...
15th Jun 2026
I’ll be in a mad dash at the San Diego Convention Center the week of the Esri UC. If you are attending, and have nothing better to do, consider catching one of these sessions I get to be a part of with some fantastic colleagues and Ken! Basemaps Are Not Just the Background...
Transit Maps
Historical Map: Interurban Railways Around Chicago, c. 1921
A lovely map of the electric interurban lines radiating out from Chicago “over hill and valley, by...
8th Jun 2026
A lovely map of the electric interurban lines radiating out from Chicago “over hill and valley, by lake and stream,” compiled by the Chicago Evening Standard newspaper. The source I obtained this map from tentatively dates it to 1921; perhaps people with more familiarity with the...
Map of the Week
Rose Hill Cemetery
Old Friend of the blog Michael Karpovage whose Pictorial Savannah map was highlighted here many...
4th Jun 2026
Old Friend of the blog Michael Karpovage whose Pictorial Savannah map was highlighted here many years back has a new map of Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia. This is “not just a cemetery map, but a passionately built tribute to the namesake and creative visionary behind the...
Maps Mania
The Geography of Country Names
1st Jun 2026
GeoCurrents
Could a Druze State Be Emerging in Southern Syria? If So, What Would It Encompass?
Since the fall of Syria’s Assad Regime in December 2024, I have been wondering what would become of...
6th May 2026
Since the fall of Syria’s Assad Regime in December 2024, I have been wondering what would become of the Druze people and the areas in which they are the majority population. Particularly important is the Jabal al-Druze, or “Mountain of the Druze,” which is clearly visible on...
Map of the Week
An Evening at The Map Center
I’ve been meaning to go to The Map Center since I met proprietor Andrew Middleton about 2 years ago...
6th May 2026
I’ve been meaning to go to The Map Center since I met proprietor Andrew Middleton about 2 years ago at an event. Middleton won a contest to take over the store from its previous owner and moved from California to Pawtucket, Rhode Island to run the place. Finally, a Geospatial...
GeoCurrents
The Changing Geography of Top Corporate Headquarters in the U.S., 1890-2025
(Note: Last December I began work on a series of posts focusing on the geography of wealth and...
3rd May 2026
(Note: Last December I began work on a series of posts focusing on the geography of wealth and corporate power. After a single post on the location of corporate headquarters, I had to suspend my work on this topic. This post includes maps that I made at that time, based on data...
Maps Mania
The Interstellar Travel Planner
1st May 2026
GeoCurrents
Are “Non-Persian” Regions of Iran Poorer than Persian Regions? The Counter-Case of Mazandaran
The previous GeoCurrents post showed that the location of oil and natural gas deposits provides a...
6th Apr 2026
The previous GeoCurrents post showed that the location of oil and natural gas deposits provides a partial explanation of the differences in the distribution of wealth and economic productivity across the country. But other factors must also be considered. Could language and...
GeoCurrents
The Economic Geography of Iran: Attempting to Map Per Capita GDP
(Note: GeoCurrents has been on an extended hiatus due to personal issues and teaching obligations. I...
1st Apr 2026
(Note: GeoCurrents has been on an extended hiatus due to personal issues and teaching obligations. I now hope to resume regular posting. My initial focus will be on Iran, for obvious reasons). Iran is usually regarded as a middle-income country. According to the International...
somethingaboutmaps
Urban Relativity
It’s been a good while since I wrote a tutorial, so let’s take a moment to learn something new!...
23rd Mar 2026
It’s been a good while since I wrote a tutorial, so let’s take a moment to learn something new! Today, I’ll show you a way to create scale rankings for cities. This is a technique I have been using for years (and occasionally mentioned), but I’ve never really written it up in...
Map of the Week
Iran's Many Ethnicities
With all that is going on in Iran, it may be useful or at least interesting to see a map of the...
4th Mar 2026
With all that is going on in Iran, it may be useful or at least interesting to see a map of the country’s ethnic diversity. As with many other countries, it is easy to think of today’s boundaries as reflecting homogeneous regions. This map shows a much more complicated...
Map of the Week
The U.S. Master Plan for Gaza.
At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, real estate developer Jared Kushner...
4th Feb 2026
At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, real estate developer Jared Kushner unveiled the administration’s plans for Gaza.
This map is from Al Jazeera though it’s unclear if they’re showing a direct copy of it. It’s a little hard to take seriously a brightly...
somethingaboutmaps
Financial Transparency: Print Sales Edition
I make most of my living doing freelance mapping and GIS (and it’s been very busy lately, hence why...
3rd Feb 2026
I make most of my living doing freelance mapping and GIS (and it’s been very busy lately, hence why I’ve not written here in months). Clients come to me and ask me to deliver specific things, and I prepare whatever they need. But I also make a lot of things that no one...
Maps Mania
Introducing GeoCards – A Wiki Labeled Map
2nd Feb 2026
James Cheshire
The cold war maps that can help us rethink today’s Arctic conflict
The late 1940s and early 1950s were a golden age for polar mapmaking in the US. Major magazines such...
2nd Feb 2026
The late 1940s and early 1950s were a golden age for polar mapmaking in the US. Major magazines such as Time, Life and Fortune commissioned a generation of famous cartographers – who had come of age in the second world war – to explain the new geopolitics to a mass audience that...
Transit Maps
Submission – Official Map: Transperth Rail Diagram, 2026
Submitted by Noah, who says: I would appreciate a review of the updated system map for Transperth....
12th Jan 2026
Submitted by Noah, who says: I would appreciate a review of the updated system map for Transperth. Transit Maps says: This dates from October 2025, when the Armadale line was extended one station to Byford. Again, this is one of those diagrams that gets the job done, but...
Adventures In...
Map Layout Review & Makeover
There are a lot of things to think about and manage and tinker with when you assemble a map into a...
9th Jan 2026
There are a lot of things to think about and manage and tinker with when you assemble a map into a layout, but here are three overarching things to consider: Here’s an example layout that has some issues. Those issues have been addressed in this update. And here it is in a...
Map of the Week
Overlooked Mapping Highlights from 2025-Part 2
Here are some more mapping highlights from the last year:
5. Silk World War II escape maps
This is...
7th Jan 2026
Here are some more mapping highlights from the last year:
5. Silk World War II escape maps
This is from an episode of a podcast called What’s Your Map featuring former cartographic researcher in the UK Ministry of Defence Barbara Bond
Top secret British intelligence agency the...
Maps Mania
The Virtual Fireworks Show
1st Jan 2026
Map of the Week
Mood of the USA Heading into 2026
Well. it’s been quite a 2025 here in the U S of A. America sure is great again. I have surveyed the...
23rd Dec 2025
Well. it’s been quite a 2025 here in the U S of A. America sure is great again. I have surveyed the mood of the country as we head into a new year and created this map. It is based on robust data sources such as:
Anecdotes
Conversations with random people
Stuff seen on the...
Transit Maps
Submission – Fantasy Map: Honolulu Skyline by Justin Kunimune
Submitted by Justin, who says: Hi, I’m a big fan of this blog! I’ve been working on a fantasy...
8th Dec 2025
Submitted by Justin, who says: Hi, I’m a big fan of this blog! I’ve been working on a fantasy diagram for the Honolulu rapid transit system, Skyline, and wanted to submit it for you to review. As of this year, the system has one line that runs from East Kapolei (Kualakaʻi...
Adventures In...
Make this spiral globe ornament please!
Ah the winter season is a time when we can slow down and appreciate the things that really matter. A...
4th Dec 2025
Ah the winter season is a time when we can slow down and appreciate the things that really matter. A chance to take stock of lasting joy. Clearly I’m talking about the opportunity to print out this paper craft ornament template, cut out the component globe gore panels, and...
GeoCurrents
Avoiding Misinformation When Teaching the Geography of Climate, Part 1
As earlier GeoCurrents posts in the current series on educational geography have noted, sun angles,...
2nd Dec 2025
As earlier GeoCurrents posts in the current series on educational geography have noted, sun angles, which are determined by latitude, play a huge role in shaping the geography of climate. Simply put, the lower the latitude of any given location, the more solar radiation it will...
Maps Mania
"I Ain’t Afraid of No Map" - Ghost Mappers
1st Dec 2025
GeoCurrents
Teaching the Cardinal Directions to Young Students
Learning the cardinal directions is an important but often neglected aspect of early geographical...
20th Nov 2025
Learning the cardinal directions is an important but often neglected aspect of early geographical education. It is my impression that the understanding of cardinal directions, like most other aspects of geography, is in sharp decline. There are several reasons for this...
Adventures In...
Browser Hack: Gigantic Screenshots
Ever feel like your beautiful web map is trapped in the confines of your monitor? Do you wish its...
4th Nov 2025
Ever feel like your beautiful web map is trapped in the confines of your monitor? Do you wish its bounty could spill out beyond the stifling domain of 1920×1080? Here’s how to trick a browser’s device emulation tools to capture enormous screenshots. Now you can export your screen...
GeoCurrents
The Geometrical Relationship Between Latitude and Sun Angles
(This post is part of a long GeoCurrents series aimed at helping parents and teachers instruct...
3rd Nov 2025
(This post is part of a long GeoCurrents series aimed at helping parents and teachers instruct students in basic geography. The material at the end of this post is most appropriate for students at the middle- and high-school levels.) Now that latitude and midday sun angles have...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Interior Alaska, Part 6 (Dalton Highway)
We made it to Coldfoot by airplane and now we started the long drive back to Fairbanks. It seemed...
2nd Nov 2025
We made it to Coldfoot by airplane and now we started the long drive back to Fairbanks. It seemed daunting. Most of it would follow the Dalton Highway starting at Mile 175 (route), with the remainder on the Elliott Highway. The James W. Dalton Highway is a rugged working road,...
Transit Maps
Submission – Official Map: Kansas City Streetcar Extension, 2025
Submitted by Jon in KC, who says: This is the new KC Streetcar pylon map, updated to reflect the...
24th Oct 2025
Submitted by Jon in KC, who says: This is the new KC Streetcar pylon map, updated to reflect the Main Street Extension that opens this Friday, October 24th. It also shows the Riverfront Extension, which will open sometime early next year. I’m curious to get your thoughts. I have...
GeoCurrents
Elementary Geography 1: Why Geographical Instruction Should Begin with a Globe
(This is the first of a series of posts aimed at helping parents home-school their children.)...
16th Oct 2025
(This is the first of a series of posts aimed at helping parents home-school their children.) Although I love maps and use them extensively when teaching geography, I firmly believe that elementary instruction should begin with a globe. Throughout the first few years of...
GeoCurrents
New GeoCurrents Series on Elementary Geography
As regular readers probably noticed, GeoCurrents abruptly ceased posting at the end of July, 2025,...
15th Oct 2025
As regular readers probably noticed, GeoCurrents abruptly ceased posting at the end of July, 2025, just after having promised a new series on the Druze. Family considerations figured prominently in this cessation. A few months earlier, my son and daughter-in-law announced that...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Interior Alaska, Part 1 (Golden Heart)
Fairbanks calls itself the Golden Heart of Alaska, a nod to its gold-rush past, its geographic...
13th Oct 2025
Fairbanks calls itself the Golden Heart of Alaska, a nod to its gold-rush past, its geographic placement deep within Interior Alaska, and presumably its demeanor. It’s the second largest metropolitan area in the state but it also feels like a small town. And that’s to be expected...
Musings on Maps
Dystopian Diptychs: Virtual and Economic Realities of the Palisades Fires
The problem of mapping fires and fires spread in Los Angeles is increasingly taxing, both as they...
12th Oct 2025
The problem of mapping fires and fires spread in Los Angeles is increasingly taxing, both as they are exacerbated by the new weather systems of climate change–high, dry winds; dried trees; low groundwater–and was we lack the urban infrascture to … Continue reading →
Maps Mania
The World is Your Canvas with PaintMyMap
1st Oct 2025
Musings on Maps
“A Mighty Redwood Has Fallen”
Malcolm Margolin was the coolest people I knew. If we can’t be hugely saddened by his passing, and...
6th Sep 2025
Malcolm Margolin was the coolest people I knew. If we can’t be hugely saddened by his passing, and the loss of his dynamic presence in the East Bay, he’ll be a model for persisting a vision quest in a dark … Continue reading →
Transit Maps
Submission – Official Map: Kaohsiung MRT Diagram, Taiwan, 2025
Submitted by Emerson, who says: This is Kaohsiung MRT’s new system map, following the Red Line...
3rd Sep 2025
Submitted by Emerson, who says: This is Kaohsiung MRT’s new system map, following the Red Line extension to Gangshan and the completion of the LRT loop. So far, Kaohsiung has not been featured on this site, so I would love to see your opinions on their map! Transit Maps says: I...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Arc of Columbus, Part 1
The summer flew by so quickly. It seems like only yesterday that I drove to Michigan to pick up the...
23rd Aug 2025
The summer flew by so quickly. It seems like only yesterday that I drove to Michigan to pick up the kid from college after the end of the spring semester. It was a great trip and I managed to collect eight previously unvisited counties in Ohio along the way. But now I was doing...
Transit Maps
Submission – Official Map: Northern Railway Map, England, 2025
Submitted by Nicholas, who says: Northern Rail’s new map is well worth a look – I find it exemplary...
18th Aug 2025
Submitted by Nicholas, who says: Northern Rail’s new map is well worth a look – I find it exemplary for making such a previously nebulous network entirely understandable. Graphics pretty well impeccable. I understand this network may not survive the transition to Great British...
Adventures In...
Time-warp walkability mapping in ArcGIS Pro
In my mental model of a walkability map it’s not enough to know how far away something is, but also...
6th Aug 2025
In my mental model of a walkability map it’s not enough to know how far away something is, but also how long it takes me to get there. My perceptions of the same distances, but with different walk times, are much different. There are realities that slow me down like...
Maps Mania
Solve the Global Treasure Hunt!
1st Aug 2025
somethingaboutmaps
A Sketch of Isle Royale
It’s been a summer full of side projects here. Which is a very good sign — I used to do many, many...
28th Jul 2025
It’s been a summer full of side projects here. Which is a very good sign — I used to do many, many side projects, but for the last couple of years, poor health has left me with reduced energy, and my output dropped off significantly. It’s nice to feel inspired again, in so many...
James Cheshire
The Library of Lost Maps
Really thrilled to announce that The Library of Lost Maps will hit bookshops this autumn! I will...
14th Jul 2025
Really thrilled to announce that The Library of Lost Maps will hit bookshops this autumn! I will share more details over the summer, but you can pre-order and subscribe for updates here: https://libraryoflostmaps.com/
GeoCurrents
Mapping the Return of Wolves in Europe
As I was preparing to resume posting on GeoCurrents after a short hiatus, I decided to examine...
13th Jul 2025
As I was preparing to resume posting on GeoCurrents after a short hiatus, I decided to examine recent posts on the fascinating but unfortunately named Reddit site called “MapPorn.” As always, I was struck by many contributions, but what really caught my eye was a five-map...
Transit Maps
Submission – Official Map: Queensland Rail Network
Submitted by Bushland Maps, who says: I have noticed that no one has submitted the Queensland Rail...
2nd Jul 2025
Submitted by Bushland Maps, who says: I have noticed that no one has submitted the Queensland Rail network map, so here it is! Sort of… I have attached the link to the web page rather than the image because the legend isn’t on the map, its actually below it on the webpage… That...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Ontario, Day 3 (Lake and Mountain)
Now it was time to get serious about seeing some local sights. We got to Ontario without any issues,...
1st Jul 2025
Now it was time to get serious about seeing some local sights. We got to Ontario without any issues, we had an entire down day, and next we needed something fun. Everyone in the family has a different version of fun but I had an idea. But before we started all that I still wanted...
Maps Mania
The Whole of Human History Mapped
1st Jul 2025
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Ontario, Day 1 (Choices)
I’ve been to Canada a few times but never for very long. One time when I was a kid, maybe ten years...
21st Jun 2025
I’ve been to Canada a few times but never for very long. One time when I was a kid, maybe ten years old, we went to Toronto for a couple of days. It was so long ago that I can’t even remember most of the details anymore. However, every trip I’ve done afterwards lasted no […]
The...
GeoCurrents
Economic Factors Behind the Alberta Secession Movement in Canada
Several recent GeoCurrents posts have emphasized similarities in the electoral geographies of the...
6th Jun 2025
Several recent GeoCurrents posts have emphasized similarities in the electoral geographies of the United States and Canada. But there are also some major differences, particularly regarding state/province voting patterns and levels of economic development. In the U.S., the...
Musings on Maps
Expansionist Energies and Political Synergies: Unpacking the Brave New World of DOGE
Donald Trump has so skillfully adopted terms and coopted concepts by slapping his name on them to...
5th Jun 2025
Donald Trump has so skillfully adopted terms and coopted concepts by slapping his name on them to rebrand them as his own, in ways we may do well to question if this is entirely impulsively done. From CPAC to the … Continue reading →
Map of the Week
Random Italy Maps
I will finish off my series of posts from my recent trip to Italy with a few random maps I saw in my...
4th Jun 2025
I will finish off my series of posts from my recent trip to Italy with a few random maps I saw in my travels. Hopefully these are interesting beyond my personal whims.
I will start with this raised relief map of the Valpolicella wine region hanging on the wall of the Tenuta Santa...
Maps Mania
The Start of Hurricane Season
2nd Jun 2025
Adventures In...
Make a cross stitch style map in ArcGIS Pro
Yes, yes, maps are spatial communication devices and we can obsess over precision and clarity. But...
27th May 2025
Yes, yes, maps are spatial communication devices and we can obsess over precision and clarity. But it all depends on your map’s purpose. Maps are also designed objects so they can carry within them the power of sentiment. Memory, joy, nostalgia. Or just plain old wonder and...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Taming the Frontier, Part 1
I didn’t have a proper vacation in awhile. Then, unexpectedly, I had abundant time on my hands. I...
26th May 2025
I didn’t have a proper vacation in awhile. Then, unexpectedly, I had abundant time on my hands. I also needed to bring a kid home from Michigan State University who just finished the first year of a graduate program. So I planned a delightfully inefficient route through rural...
GeoCurrents
Exploring the Urban/Rural Electoral Divide in Canada, and Its Exceptions
Although the Canadian electorate is more leftwing than that of the United States, the two counties...
18th May 2025
Although the Canadian electorate is more leftwing than that of the United States, the two counties have similar electoral geographies (see the previous GeoCurrents post). In both the U.S. and Canada, population density figures prominently in the political divide: the more urban...
somethingaboutmaps
Map of the Month: An Experiment
Friends, you might remember that, last year, I wrote to you about how I was finally able to see a...
13th May 2025
Friends, you might remember that, last year, I wrote to you about how I was finally able to see a dream I’d had for many years come true: bringing together a bunch of map creators onto a single website. I had hoped that this would only be the beginning of our cooperation with...
Map of the Week
Where Does Your Water Go?
I found this tool six years ago and meant to post it but forgot until now. Fortunately it still...
7th May 2025
I found this tool six years ago and meant to post it but forgot until now. Fortunately it still works and is still pretty cool. You can click anywhere in the United States and trace the path of a raindrop to the ocean. I chose a random point northwest of White River City in...
Maps Mania
Drinking & Eating in the Sun
1st May 2025
somethingaboutmaps
A Usefully Useless Projection
Friends, I’m excited to share that I have just completed a world physical map, in my new asymmetric...
10th Apr 2025
Friends, I’m excited to share that I have just completed a world physical map, in my new asymmetric monstrosity projection. It’s free to download, or if you want to buy a 30″ × 20″ print, you can also do that (and I will be pleasantly surprised). If you download it and print it...
Adventures In...
Hack some bokeh into your ArcGIS Online map
You know how you can crank up the sense of drama and studio photography professionalism by switching...
4th Apr 2025
You know how you can crank up the sense of drama and studio photography professionalism by switching over to portrait mode on your phone’s camera? It just looks…cool. The subject is in focus and the peripheral background content is blurry. It’s actually how our eyes and brains...
Map of the Week
Wall Street Before the Wall
This bird-eye diagram of lower Manhattan appeared in a Harpers Magazine article from 1908 titled...
2nd Apr 2025
This bird-eye diagram of lower Manhattan appeared in a Harpers Magazine article from 1908 titled “The Story of a Street.”
In 1844 the Dutch governor of New Amsterdam ordered the town’s citizens to construct a cattle guard at the north end of the settlement to keep the cattle...
Transit Maps
Submission – Chicago Metra Line Rebranding
Submitted by Nick, who says: Hi Cameron. I live in Chicago and our commuter rail Metra is...
11th Mar 2025
Submitted by Nick, who says: Hi Cameron. I live in Chicago and our commuter rail Metra is considering rebranding its lines and recently released two proposals. I thought you and your readers might enjoy reviewing them. The announcement, proposed designs, and link to a survey are...
Map of the Week
The Brattleboro Words Project
Last year I was in Brattleboro, Vermont and saw an interesting map on display. It is part of...
5th Mar 2025
Last year I was in Brattleboro, Vermont and saw an interesting map on display. It is part of the Brattleboro Words Project. The project “connects community members to the Brattleboro area’s unique history, the art of audio storytelling - and each other” through audio pieces, maps...
Maps Mania
What is Your Climate Vulnerability?
1st Mar 2025
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Culpeper Co., Virginia
I enjoy county counting but it becomes increasingly difficult to reach new counties as my count...
23rd Feb 2025
I enjoy county counting but it becomes increasingly difficult to reach new counties as my count increases. That’s why I began a sub-variant involving overnight counties. You see it counts “more” by my arbitrary rules if I spend an entire night there instead of simply passing...
Transit Maps
Submission – Historical Map: Suburban Tramways of Bordeaux, 1954
Submitted by Florian, who says: I submit this map because first of all, I live there and I was...
19th Feb 2025
Submitted by Florian, who says: I submit this map because first of all, I live there and I was thrilled to learn there is a blog about transit maps design. And I love old maps, which I was also thrilled to see they are welcome here. This map dates from 1954, merely 4 years before...
Map of the Week
Luko's World
Last week we lost our dog, Luko (a shortened version of an overly long-winded name he came with.)...
5th Feb 2025
Last week we lost our dog, Luko (a shortened version of an overly long-winded name he came with.) Lots of people will tell you they have the best dog but he was truly one of a kind. Completely sweet and a delight to all who have known him.
A few years ago I made a colored...
Musings on Maps
“You Know,–It’s Over”
“I am looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now,” President Trump told Jordan’s Abdullah II, “and...
4th Feb 2025
“I am looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now,” President Trump told Jordan’s Abdullah II, “and it’s a mess. It’s a real mess.” Trump seemed not to consider the scale of American arms’ involvement in its destruction, but to … Continue reading →
Adventures In...
Draw complex polygons in ArcGIS Pro, super fast
Sometimes I realize that in the amount of time I’ve spent looking for detailed data, I could have...
3rd Feb 2025
Sometimes I realize that in the amount of time I’ve spent looking for detailed data, I could have just created it. Often, water polygons at the scale you need for your mega-detailed map just aren’t available. Here’s how to draw a complex polygon in ArcGIS Pro super easily. And,...
Maps Mania
Millions Flee War, Floods, and Persecution
1st Feb 2025
somethingaboutmaps
Going Live
I know it’s short notice, but I wanted to let you all know that I’m doing a livestream tomorrow....
30th Jan 2025
I know it’s short notice, but I wanted to let you all know that I’m doing a livestream tomorrow. It’s been well over 2½ years since my last one. I’ll be covering a few monochrome maps I made for an upcoming book. Please come on by to ask questions, offer feedback, and share your...
Maps Mania
An Extremely Distorted Map of the US Election
16th Jan 2025
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...
6th Jan 2025
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
Fastest Growing and Shrinking Cities
This map shows the fastest growing and shrinking cities in the United States and Canada using 2023...
1st Jan 2025
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...
somethingaboutmaps
Journey’s End
Nearly five years ago, I completed a project that, to my mind, remains the most significant of my...
27th Dec 2024
Nearly five years ago, I completed a project that, to my mind, remains the most significant of my cartographic career: An Atlas of Great Lakes Islands, manually printed in cyanotype, with a hand-stitched binding. I wanted to share this project with all of you, but there were only...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Indiana I-69 Time Zone Crossing
If you’re driving along Indiana’s portion of Interstate 69, say from Evansville to Bloomington, you...
23rd Dec 2024
If you’re driving along Indiana’s portion of Interstate 69, say from Evansville to Bloomington, you are going to cross a Time Zone boundary. It happens between Mile Markers 37.5 and 39.0, about forty minutes north of Evansville at normal highway speeds. But please note that the...
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...
16th Dec 2024
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...
Adventures In...
Make these ornaments please
It’s that time of year when geographers the world over gather together in, let’s be honest, just...
5th Dec 2024
It’s that time of year when geographers the world over gather together in, let’s be honest, just slightly awkward office holiday parties. We dedicate 82-86% of our mental capacities to socializing with our colleagues over deserts and drinks, while the remaining 14-16% remain...
Map of the Week
30 Day Map Challenge 2024-Part 2
Here is the second half of the 30 Day Map Challenge. The one where I don’t make anything but just...
4th Dec 2024
Here is the second half of the 30 Day Map Challenge. The one where I don’t make anything but just sit back and enjoy the work of others. The first half of the month was reviewed here.
I will start on Day 23 where the prompt was memory. There were quite a few good entries for this...
Transit Maps
Submission – Historical Map: Duluth Transit Authority, 1982
Submitted by Darryl, who says: Going through old boxes in my basement, I came across this 1982 opus...
15th Nov 2024
Submitted by Darryl, who says: Going through old boxes in my basement, I came across this 1982 opus from the Duluth Transit Authority. I may be biased because it’s the first transit map I ever saw, but I think it’s amazing, capturing the way the city nestles into the topography,...
somethingaboutmaps
Kickstarter 3: The Return
For the past several years, I’ve enjoyed the process of cyanotype printing, and have released a...
14th Nov 2024
For the past several years, I’ve enjoyed the process of cyanotype printing, and have released a number of projects based on this technique (including my favorite item I’ve ever made). Now, I’ve decided to take my recent work in developing terrain sketches, and turn it into a new...
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...
7th Nov 2024
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...
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...
4th Nov 2024
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 …...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Great American Beer Festival (and More)
I hinted at ulterior motives in the last article about my long weekend in Denver. I didn’t travel...
2nd Nov 2024
I hinted at ulterior motives in the last article about my long weekend in Denver. I didn’t travel all the way out there just to casually tour around. Indeed, I had a very specific purpose in mind — checking off a bucket list item in fact — attending the Great American Beer...
Adventures In...
Dashing Maps
There are lots of reasons why cartographers use dashed lines in their maps. Sometimes there are a...
25th Oct 2024
There are lots of reasons why cartographers use dashed lines in their maps. Sometimes there are a lot of different sorts of lines going around and it’s the best way to differentiate between different categories of things. Or we can embed meaning into them, like a dashed line...
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...
8th Oct 2024
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...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Inland Northwest, Day 2 (Walla Walla to Pendleton)
We awoke in Walla Walla at the beginning of our first full day. We couldn’t check-in at our...
4th Oct 2024
We awoke in Walla Walla at the beginning of our first full day. We couldn’t check-in at our accommodations in Pendleton, Oregon until mid-afternoon and the drive would only take about an hour. So we needed to find something we could do locally and we got another chance to explore...
somethingaboutmaps
2024 Freelance Rate Survey Results
Thank you once again to everyone who participated in this year’s survey of freelance cartographer...
3rd Oct 2024
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
Fifteen Two-Hundred Pound Bombs
Dropping at least fifteen two hundred pound bombs equipped with precision guidance systems–bunker...
2nd Oct 2024
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...
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...
2nd Oct 2024
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....
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Inland Northwest, Day 1 (Staging)
Was there a name for that largely empty space beyond Washington’s Cascades Range and into the Idaho...
29th Sep 2024
Was there a name for that largely empty space beyond Washington’s Cascades Range and into the Idaho Panhandle? A little research suggested the Inland Northwest, or perhaps a now lesser-used designation, the Inland Empire (not to be confused with a similarly named area of...
Musings on Maps
“They’re Eating Dogs”
“If exotic non-human animals inhabited the edges of the inhabited world in medieval cosmologies,...
20th Sep 2024
“If exotic non-human animals inhabited the edges of the inhabited world in medieval cosmologies, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the MAGA candidate who has done much to resurrect the contours of theocratic Neo-medieval maps of the world is perpetuating stories of … Continue...
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...
4th Sep 2024
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...
Adventures In...
Detect and measure wildfires with Sentinel-1 Explorer
Our human visual systems collect light from a pretty narrow slice of the electromagnetic spectrum....
5th Aug 2024
Our human visual systems collect light from a pretty narrow slice of the electromagnetic spectrum. But there is so much more light to see. Radar systems use photons with much longer wavelengths that can break through clouds and smoke, and because the energy is sent from the...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
England, Day 9 (Atypical London)
Before we left on our trip to England I promised everyone in the family that we would visit at least...
4th Aug 2024
Before we left on our trip to England I promised everyone in the family that we would visit at least one thing they absolutely wanted to see. We completed that for the younger kid at Tankfest. Two more bucket list destinations happened during our first full day in London. We’re...
Transit Maps
Submission – Official Map: GoBus Ohio, 2024
Submitted by Leo, who says: The state-supported GoBus system in Ohio has a somewhat strange route...
2nd Aug 2024
Submitted by Leo, who says: The state-supported GoBus system in Ohio has a somewhat strange route scheme (e.g. no direct route from Columbus to Cleveland, or Columbus to Cincinnati via Dayton) but their map, despite being overall fairly poor, makes some interesting stylistic...
Adventures In...
How to make a “peeled edge” area of interest effect
Sure, everyone loves a good raised area-of-interest effect. But what about a peeled edge area of...
31st Jul 2024
Sure, everyone loves a good raised area-of-interest effect. But what about a peeled edge area of interest? It’s a snazzy trick and maybe just the sort of flair that your map needs! And it’s simpler than maybe you’d guess. To give your area of interest a peeled edge effect, you...
somethingaboutmaps
Automated Hachuring in QGIS
I seem to have accidentally come up with a method for duplicating a centuries-old terrain...
8th Jul 2024
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...
Transit Maps
What I’m Up To and the Future of the Blog
Hi, everyone – it’s been a while! Quite a few people have written in lately wondering why I haven’t...
6th Jul 2024
Hi, everyone – it’s been a while! Quite a few people have written in lately wondering why I haven’t updated the blog in a while, so I thought I should address that. Firstly, for those that were concerned something was wrong, I’d like to reassure you that I’m a-okay and everything...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
England, Day 1 (Do-Over)
This was the trip we wanted to take last summer before our plans abruptly changed. Instead we went...
5th Jul 2024
This was the trip we wanted to take last summer before our plans abruptly changed. Instead we went to Costa Rica for reasons I talked about before, and all of us had a wonderful time. Even so, I still felt bad that the younger kid lost out on the original destination. He wanted...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Cicada Chase, Day 2
The first day of cicada chasing exceeded expectations and we hoped for similar results on the...
8th Jun 2024
The first day of cicada chasing exceeded expectations and we hoped for similar results on the second. However the weather began to change overnight with downpours possible during daylight hours. Local meteorologists predicted a line of thunderstorms rolling through the Midwest,...
Adventures In...
Close Encounters of the Cartographic Kind
I was watching the Steven Spielberg 1977 classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, with the...
23rd May 2024
I was watching the Steven Spielberg 1977 classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, with the family last night and nerded out when I saw a character that claimed to be a cartographer. I always do. It was the cartographer who recognized that the signals the aliens sent were...
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...
4th May 2024
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...
somethingaboutmaps
My Decade with Blender
It occurs to me that I have been Blendering for a long time. In fact, it’s been almost exactly a...
28th Apr 2024
It occurs to me that I have been Blendering for a long time. In fact, it’s been almost exactly a decade since I gave my first public presentation on the technique of generating shaded relief using Blender. And in that time, the method has been adopted far more widely than I could...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Dayton, Ohio Part 1 (The Wright Stuff)
When people have asked, I’ve told them with a straight face that we didn’t go to Daytona for Spring...
2nd Apr 2024
When people have asked, I’ve told them with a straight face that we didn’t go to Daytona for Spring Break, no, we went to Dayton. As in Ohio. As in probably the least likely Spring Break destination in the United States. We managed to avoid warm weather, sandy beaches, and...
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...
13th Mar 2024
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...
somethingaboutmaps
Take the 2024 Freelance Mapper Survey
Friends and colleagues, it’s time once again for the survey that Aly Ollivierre and I conduct every...
11th Mar 2024
Friends and colleagues, it’s time once again for the survey that Aly Ollivierre and I conduct every two years. We ask people who do freelance mapping work about their fees and other business practices, in order to help bring more transparency to our little niche of the world, and...
Adventures In...
On-the-Fly Generalization Hack for ArcGIS Pro
Generalization is one of the most important tools in a map maker’s tool kit. Sometimes the...
6th Feb 2024
Generalization is one of the most important tools in a map maker’s tool kit. Sometimes the complexity of our geometry needs to be smoothed out to best visually represent a place or appear best at various scales. Here is a way (complete hack, but surprisingly effective) to...
Musings on Maps
Maps and Metaphors
The war around Gaza is not for territory, but rather for the destruction of the presence of a terror...
1st Feb 2024
The war around Gaza is not for territory, but rather for the destruction of the presence of a terror network that has entrenched its power base deep underground. In many case, deeper than thought. While Israel has been pretty clear about … Continue reading →
somethingaboutmaps
Another Atlas of Minor Projects
A few years ago, I compiled a PDF of various small odds-and-ends mapping projects that I’d done....
31st Jan 2024
A few years ago, I compiled a PDF of various small odds-and-ends mapping projects that I’d done. Now, I’ve done it again. Please enjoy Another Atlas of Minor Projects, which houses a few dozen cartographic items that needed a home. These are all small, mostly-quick projects that...
Adventures In...
Puget Sound 3D block diagram
Here’s a map of the Puget Sound area that I made a couple years ago for presentations to folks in...
4th Jan 2024
Here’s a map of the Puget Sound area that I made a couple years ago for presentations to folks in the US northwest. Recently I wanted to work some more at labeling in a 3D environment and found this to be a handy target. Additionally, I thought it would be fun to make more use …
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Cumberland Parkway Time Zone Crossing
Time Zone crossings in the United States generally happen at state borders which of course are...
24th Dec 2023
Time Zone crossings in the United States generally happen at state borders which of course are easily recognizable landmarks. So you simply cross the state line and you change your watch. No big deal. Unfortunately Time Zones cut right through the middle of some states, like...
Adventures In...
Make this 3D printed globe please
Ah, it’s that time of year when we geographers pour ourselves a steaming mug of hot coffee and place...
4th Dec 2023
Ah, it’s that time of year when we geographers pour ourselves a steaming mug of hot coffee and place a stroopwafel over it until the caramel is nice and gooey and take the hand of other nearby geographers and sing O Denneboom together. Say, what’s with all the Dutch references?...
James Cheshire
COVID inquiry heard Boris Johnson ‘struggled’ with graphs – if you do too, here are some tips
James Cheshire, UCL and Rob Davidson, UCL In March 2020, the UK government’s chief scientific...
30th Nov 2023
James Cheshire, UCL and Rob Davidson, UCL In March 2020, the UK government’s chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, presented to the nation a graph showing “the shape of an epidemic”. The red line depicting the number of predicted COVID cases rose to a steep peak before...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
St. Mary’s (and Calvert), Maryland
County counting becomes increasingly difficult as I continue my glacially slow progress. Now it...
18th Nov 2023
County counting becomes increasingly difficult as I continue my glacially slow progress. Now it takes more than five hours to reach the closest unvisited county from my home. Fortunately I found a workaround by shifting my focus to overnight county visits. There are plenty of...
Adventures In...
Historical Topo Map Explorer (beta)
The USGS Historical Topographic Map Explorer is getting an update, and you can try out this new beta...
13th Nov 2023
The USGS Historical Topographic Map Explorer is getting an update, and you can try out this new beta version, here: LivingAtlas.ArcGIS.com/TopoMapExplorer The United States Geological Survey has a rich history of creating exquisite topographic quadrangle maps. These topo maps are...
Musings on Maps
Gaza, Again–and Again
The Gaza Strip’s spatiality continues to puzzle and fascinate–as much as the pressing question of...
10th Nov 2023
The Gaza Strip’s spatiality continues to puzzle and fascinate–as much as the pressing question of its sovereignty. The two are of course intertwined, and the boundaries of Gaza are historically defined. The perimeter around the Gaza Strip was in a … Continue reading →
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...
27th Oct 2023
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 →
somethingaboutmaps
Challenging the Idea of a Bad Map
We’re just a couple of weeks away from the 30 Day Map Challenge, an annual celebration of...
17th Oct 2023
We’re just a couple of weeks away from the 30 Day Map Challenge, an annual celebration of cartographic creativity. I know some of you are already brainstorming about what you might do this year. Each day has a prompt, and you’re encouraged to make a map that day that is based on...
Transit Maps
Unofficial Map: High-Speed Rail of France, 2023 by Lars’ Transport Maps
Well, this is just beautiful. Having made my own diagram on the same subject matter way, way back in...
4th Oct 2023
Well, this is just beautiful. Having made my own diagram on the same subject matter way, way back in 2011, I think I’m qualified to say that this is a rousing success. The maps have some similarities – routes are colour-coded either by their Paris origin station or operator...
somethingaboutmaps
The Projection Collection Returns
About a year ago, I released The Projection Collection, a set of 77 trading cards based on map...
26th Sep 2023
About a year ago, I released The Projection Collection, a set of 77 trading cards based on map projections. Each card features a unique map produced by one of 65 different cartographers. While my colleagues and I did our best to let everyone know about these cards, some people...
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...
9th Sep 2023
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...
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...
2nd Sep 2023
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...
Musings on Maps
Sea Surface Temperatures
With global ocean surface temperatures shot way off the charts by mid-March, beyond forty years...
14th Aug 2023
With global ocean surface temperatures shot way off the charts by mid-March, beyond forty years satellites have monitored sea surface temperatures, we’ve been struggling to map the changes in sea-surface temperatures, both globally and locally, in satisfactory and meaningful...
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...
7th Aug 2023
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...
somethingaboutmaps
Getting Local: A Map Disassembly
Though it’s only been a couple of months since the last time I did a map breakdown, I feel like it’s...
3rd Aug 2023
Though it’s only been a couple of months since the last time I did a map breakdown, I feel like it’s time for another. While my own instincts are to avoid repetition, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my YouTube-watching habits, it’s that a creator can put out a regular...
somethingaboutmaps
Independent Study: A Reflection
Earlier this summer, I decided to embark on an educational experiment: I wanted to create a version...
30th Jul 2023
Earlier this summer, I decided to embark on an educational experiment: I wanted to create a version of the independent study groups that I used to co-teach when I was at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, in which students would work on a mapping project, and meet weekly for...
Transit Maps
Submission – New Official Map: “Harmonized” Montréal Metropolitan Transit Services Map, 2023
A flurry of people have submitted this brand new map out of Montréal for review, so let’s get...
11th Jul 2023
A flurry of people have submitted this brand new map out of Montréal for review, so let’s get straight to it! First of all, it’s important to note that is part of a new suite of maps and wayfinding signage that’s been in development since 2018, Using Montréal’s iconic “black...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Costa Rica, Part 1 (Intentions and Observations)
This was supposed to be the younger kid’s trip. It was his turn to select a destination — anywhere...
8th Jul 2023
This was supposed to be the younger kid’s trip. It was his turn to select a destination — anywhere in the world — as a present for his upcoming high school graduation next year. The older one chose Australia back in 2018 and we expanded it to include New Zealand too. England...
Musings on Maps
Perilous Waters
The voyage to the Titanic promoted cartographic fantasies of discovery and exploration, but only in...
4th Jul 2023
The voyage to the Titanic promoted cartographic fantasies of discovery and exploration, but only in international waters. The maps of legal oversight Stockton Rush avoided demand to be recognized as a creation of globalism, as much as a luxury diversion of the super-rich. ...
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...
30th Jun 2023
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 →
Adventures In...
Blend Mode Helper
Blend modes can be a complex thing to wrap one’s head around. Experimentation is the best teacher,...
15th Jun 2023
Blend modes can be a complex thing to wrap one’s head around. Experimentation is the best teacher, but even then there are lots of variabilities involved, depending on the layer you use to experiment. The Blend Mode Helper Map (and its constituent Blend Mode Helper layer) reduces...
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...
12th Jun 2023
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...
Musings on Maps
“He Could Easily Destroy Us”
Tucker Carlson's move to Twitter led him to celebrate it as the last preserve of free speech. But...
15th May 2023
Tucker Carlson's move to Twitter led him to celebrate it as the last preserve of free speech. But his relation to speech was long slippery, best reflected on the heuristic display of the 2016 electoral map that was the logo of the pundit's nightly show's and its guiding...
Transit Maps
Historical Map: Trams of Brisbane, Queensland, 1957
A simple but nicely drawn map of tram services in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia in 1957. The lack...
9th May 2023
A simple but nicely drawn map of tram services in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia in 1957. The lack of any sort of key for the routes means that users need to have some familiarity with the city to decipher where trams might go. The pamphlet that the map is part of includes...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Asia-Pacific, Part 3 (Japan: Tokyo Temples and Tourists)
I arrived in Japan on a Friday evening, having lost an entire day crossing the International Date...
5th May 2023
I arrived in Japan on a Friday evening, having lost an entire day crossing the International Date Line from Honolulu. But it also meant I got a free weekend in Tokyo before resuming work on Monday. It’s easier and cheaper to stay in a hotel all weekend than go half way around the...
somethingaboutmaps
An Educational Experiment
(Edit: sign-ups are now closed. I received over 150 responses for 4 available slots, which has been...
5th May 2023
(Edit: sign-ups are now closed. I received over 150 responses for 4 available slots, which has been great but overwhelming. I may offer this again in the future if it goes well, so make sure to follow me on Twitter and subscribe to the blog, to be notified of when this happens.)...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Asia-Pacific, Part 1 (Oahu: Honolulu Waterfront)
Most of my work trips are pretty mundane. The last three were rather typical — Philadelphia, Tampa...
27th Apr 2023
Most of my work trips are pretty mundane. The last three were rather typical — Philadelphia, Tampa and Atlanta — for example. Sometimes I go to more interesting places like my quick jaunt to Germany a few years ago. However, this time I hit the jackpot: Hawaii, Japan, and South...
Musings on Maps
“We Like Fighting Games”
As he waited rather glumly for “the Feds” to arrive at his home, as his stepfather predicted, Airman...
15th Apr 2023
As he waited rather glumly for “the Feds” to arrive at his home, as his stepfather predicted, Airman First Class Jack Douglas Teixiera may have pondered why he had posted classified maps of heated battle fronts in the Ukraine War … Continue reading →
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...
19th Mar 2023
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...
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...
9th Mar 2023
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...
Adventures In...
Throwing Shade In Wild Color
I once heard someone say that standard hillshade (one-direction light source) ignores half of the...
2nd Mar 2023
I once heard someone say that standard hillshade (one-direction light source) ignores half of the terrain. While this is an exaggeration, it makes a good point. Earth has an atmosphere and light diffuses, bounces, and wraps around a terrain in a manner that a single light...
Transit Maps
Submission – Unofficial Map: Metrovalencia by Tom Göpel
Submitted by Tom, who says: Hi Cameron, first I would like to mention that I greatly appreciate your...
10th Feb 2023
Submitted by Tom, who says: Hi Cameron, first I would like to mention that I greatly appreciate your work and have learned lots about transit maps from your blog alone. It was also this blog that inspired me to try to design my own maps. It’s a great joy to me now. Here, I would...
Transit Maps
New Official Map: San Francisco Muni Metro Map with Central Subway
This map has actually been out for a while, but today – celebrating the full opening of the Central...
7th Jan 2023
This map has actually been out for a while, but today – celebrating the full opening of the Central Subway – seemed like the appropriate day to post about it. Design-wise, this is very much an evolution of previous efforts (see my review of the post-COVID resumption of service...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Silver Line Extension
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority opened its eleven mile Silver Line extension on...
2nd Jan 2023
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...
somethingaboutmaps
Projection Connections: A Very Nerdy Poster
Friends, I’m excited to offer to you a new poster. Not a map this time around, but something...
19th Dec 2022
Friends, I’m excited to offer to you a new poster. Not a map this time around, but something map-related. A 16 × 24-inch tangled web showing how 100+ different map projections are all related to each other: Projections are a niche topic even among cartographers, so I don’t...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Mitten Accomplished
I got a unique opportunity to visit counties in a corner of the Midwest I hadn’t touched much when...
28th Nov 2022
I got a unique opportunity to visit counties in a corner of the Midwest I hadn’t touched much when my older kid decided to go to college in Michigan. But it didn’t offer a lot of time for my quest, just a four year window before graduation. Even so, I set what I thought was...
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,...
24th Nov 2022
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...
somethingaboutmaps
A New, Unrelated Blog
Kindly readers: I wanted to let you know that I’ve started another little publication, one which has...
1st Nov 2022
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...
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...
13th Oct 2022
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...
somethingaboutmaps
Thoughts on Practical Cartographic Education
While I have not conducted a formal survey, I think I have the right impression when I say that most...
13th Oct 2022
While I have not conducted a formal survey, I think I have the right impression when I say that most university cartography courses, at least in the United States, are taught by people whose primary job (when they are not teaching) is not the regular production of maps. These...
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...
8th Oct 2022
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...
Twelve Mile Circle –...
Mackinac’s Orbit, Part 11 (What’s Brewing?)
Twelve Mile Circle readers don’t really care about my brewery visits. I get it. You won’t offend me...
28th Aug 2022
Twelve Mile Circle readers don’t really care about my brewery visits. I get it. You won’t offend me if you skip this article or scroll through the pictures without reading anything. I really do this more for myself to create a record of my visits that extend beyond the simplicity...
James Cheshire
The Scarred Landscape of the Climate Crisis
I’ve been obsessively checking satellite imagery to witness the UK turn from green to yellow, thanks...
10th Aug 2022
I’ve been obsessively checking satellite imagery to witness the UK turn from green to yellow, thanks to the period of extreme heat and lack of rain Europe has been enduring. The parched landscape is unlike anything I’ve seen before and a cloud free day today (10th August) has...
James Cheshire
Newspapers and the 1976 Drought
With each new temperature record that tumbles the UK, climate skeptics have a standard stock phrase:...
21st Jul 2022
With each new temperature record that tumbles the UK, climate skeptics have a standard stock phrase: ‘it was this hot in 1976’. Of course it wasn’t, and crucially the planet overall was not as hot then as it is now. Parts of the UK media have had their part to play in fueling...
somethingaboutmaps
Projection Cards: Now a Reality
A couple months back, I floated an idea for making some fun trading cards based on map projections....
7th Jun 2022
A couple months back, I floated an idea for making some fun trading cards based on map projections. I’m very happy to report that several dozen of you responded and contributed designs to help make the set happen. I’ve been spending several weeks on managing everyone and working...
somethingaboutmaps
Projection Cards
I had a whimsical idea a few months ago: map projection trading cards. Something nerdy and...
8th Apr 2022
I had a whimsical idea a few months ago: map projection trading cards. Something nerdy and map-related that you could collect and exchange at conferences. I poked around at some design ideas for a while, and here’s what I’ve come up with so far. This is the front side of the...
Musings on Maps
The Dystopia of Diagolon: Irrational Cartographies of Secession
The quandary of our own abundant if not inexhaustible repertoire of mapping abilities and skills of...
31st Mar 2022
The quandary of our own abundant if not inexhaustible repertoire of mapping abilities and skills of visualization are tried by the spread of COVID-19. As dashboards, news agencies, and media offered new maps and staked new skills of mapping, maps … Continue reading →
somethingaboutmaps
Simple Oblique Views in Blender
While many people use my Blender shaded relief tutorial, and associate me with the software, I’m...
31st Mar 2022
While many people use my Blender shaded relief tutorial, and associate me with the software, I’m really not much of a 3D cartographer. I make oblique-view maps only rarely, and when I do, it’s usually in a simplified, abstract style, rather than the detailed, naturalistic...
James Cheshire
More than arrows
UPDATE: If you would like a detailed reflection on this, I have co-authored an article with Alex...
4th Mar 2022
UPDATE: If you would like a detailed reflection on this, I have co-authored an article with Alex Kent entitled Getting to the Point? Rethinking Arrows on Maps. You can read it here. This week I took to Twitter to offer a critique on way we might map (at the time of writing) the...
James Cheshire
PhD Opportunity: An Atlas of Health and Social Inequalities
Excited to announce that we have funding for a +3 studentship in the UCL Department of Geography for...
2nd Feb 2022
Excited to announce that we have funding for a +3 studentship in the UCL Department of Geography for the project “An Atlas of Health and Social Inequalities”. The research will be carried out in association with the Health Foundation and will comprise the creation of a range of...
James Cheshire
Being creative is reason enough to try different data visualization
A simple line chart might be all you need to communicate the patterns in a dataset, but it might not...
7th Jan 2022
A simple line chart might be all you need to communicate the patterns in a dataset, but it might not be given a second glance. Getting the viewer to work a little harder to interpret and think about a graphic can be a very effective way of generating engagement. This is where the...
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