CONFERENCE: 9th Dec, 2019. Programme & presentation links here

POSTER COMPETITION – Winner and finalists here!

As an ancient and intricate city, London is awash in maps: useful, intriguing, beautiful – even profitable for those in the know. But as tools to understand and shape cities, even digital maps are still frustrating in their overlaps, gaps and attempts to stay up to date.

#MapLondon helps connect the dots: Through a half-day conference, online connection and ‘next steps’ projects, Coherent Cities and partners are bringing together the people who create and use digital maps to interpret the many factors influencing cities.

Of London’s 33 local authorities, 26 have digital maps, which vary in detail, graphics and interface, and don’t connect across boundaries. Boroughs must soon submit digital planning applications to the GLA’s London Infrastructure Map, designed to help planners, developers and designers be strategic in delivering successful and sustainable homes, amenities and infrastructure. Other organisations are using open source data and public input, e.g. inviting residents to identify local needs or visualising commuter movements to highlight investment opportunities. But we still don’t have a coherent city-wide picture.

#MapLondon explores how practitioners can better use digital mapping tools to track change, forecast development scenarios, maximise resource efficiency and deliver inclusive growth.

London can and should lead – globally – on using mapping and open data to understand and improve cities. #MapLondon moves us in that direction.

Watch this space and the 2019 conference page for resources & project links, or get in touch to find out more, share content or partner!

The maps above, with links to more info, from left:

  • The “Abercrombie Map” or County of London Plan 1943 – interesting Municipal Dreams post
  • The beta version of UCL CASA’s Colouring London open source map (complete layers haven’t reached Isle of Dogs yet, sorry). One to watch!
  • TfL’s WebCAT interactive map for estimating travel time based on PTAL (good lay explanation with link to the TfL map at CityMetric)
  • One of Eric Fischer’s brilliant social media maps, available on MappingLondon, one of our favourite sites (and owner of the @MapLondon Twitter handle)