The New Google Maps

Recently, Google released its new version of Maps. Naturally, when I heard that you could sign up for a preview trial, I had to try it. This morning, I opened my email to find a link to the new site and began exploring. The new Maps is fully interactive, integrating streetview, Google Earth as well …

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Giving An Old Map New Life: NJ Transit’s Sandy Mistakes and the Political Implications

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In this recent article, NJ Transit gets ripped a new one for its policies during Superstorm Sandy. The article goes along with this FOIL request for the NJ Transit Hurricane Plan. Put the two pieces together and a compelling story of poor planning, mismanagement, disaster and ignorance emerges. While the article details the variety of …

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Why everyone copies the London Tube map

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Everyone loves the London Tube Map, the iconic  jumping off point for so many of today’s transportation maps. How did did Harry Beck get it right and what makes them so effective? Let’s look at it from a technical perspective: 45 and 90 degree angles, thin lines, circular transfers, and no reference to geography other …

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What Would Jane Jacobs Do: Inequality and New York’s Subway

Brooklynites know what JJ would do. 

Photo Credit: http://douglashaddow.tumblr.com/post/464272281

Brooklynites know what JJ would do! Save Coney of course. Photo Credit: http://douglashaddow.tumblr.com/post/464272281 Welcome to what hopes to be the first of many WWJJDs – “What Would Jane Jacobs Do?” While a cursory google search will show that I am not the originator of this phrase, this series hopes to pose legitimate, modern planning/cartography questions …

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