ABSTRACT
Maps are powerful tools, shaping our view of the space around us and charting new possibilities for exploration. Wendy Brawer’s Green Apple Map is a particularly compelling example of how maps can change viewpoints and spur people to action. Through a website (www.greenmap.org) and tireless networking by e-mail and conferences, Wendy has seen her idea taken up worldwide by allowing her mapping icons and design methods to be used freely by others. As the 1990s drew to a close, over 100 Green Map projects were under way in 30 countries, with maps already published for Toronto, Barcelona, Liverpool, Tororo in Uganda and 20 other cities. The New York map is now in its fourth edition and is accompanied by an interactive web-based version, and the Green Map System has received a National Design Award from the President’s Council on Sustainable Development. Evidence suggests that Green Maps, now available for more than 75 cities, towns and regions, have provided a spur to environmental school projects, raised trade for eco-businesses and increased visits to urban nature trails, community gardens and other eco-projects. In short, these maps are indeed beginning to change our experience of city life.
