Mapping Boston's Gas Leaks

The Conservation Law Foundation has released an in-depth study into Massachusetts’ antiquated natural gas distribution system. Much of the ageing Massachusetts’ gas pipeline organisation is rattling one-time in addition to prone to leaks, creating a pregnant world security in addition to environmental hazard.

The Conservation Law Foundation's study into Massachusetts' Triple Threat discusses inwards especial the security threat of gas leaks, the direct chances to the surroundings in addition to the terms to gas customers. Each of these original sections of the study is illustrated amongst an accompanying interactive map.


The 3 maps visualize gas leaks past times flat level, marsh gas emissions in addition to where gas leaks accept been repaired.

One frequent work that I come upward across inwards online long course of educational activity journalism is embedded maps that are squeezed into a pocket-sized infinite to relieve on valuable covert real-estate. The Massachusetts' Triple Threat study manages to neatly overcome this work past times providing a full-screen pick on each map.

Maps Of The Week

The Battle of Antietam was the showtime major battle inward the American Civil War to accept house on Union soil. It is the bloodiest single-day battle inward American history, resulting inward 22,717 dead, wounded, as well as missing on both sides combined.

The Civil War Trust's Battle of Antietam Animated Map is a lovingly produced video of the bloodiest solar daytime inward American history. The video includes re-enactment footage with a set out of animated maps that recount the attacks as well as counterattacks yesteryear both sides inward this bloody battle.


The site too includes a set out of interactive 360 aeroplane panoramic tours of or as well as thus of the of import battlefield locations. After watching the video map of the battle it is fascinating to hold out able to sentiment the 360 tours as well as piece of work a showtime mortal sentiment of the battlefield on the ground.


Trafficways is a wonderful collection of beautiful map layers on 1 OpenStreetMap map. The maps include visualizations of air flights, Flickr photos, the U.S. of A. census data, GPS lines & speed as well as a whole lot more.

The map too includes a set out of options that permit you lot to refine the appearance of the dissimilar map layers. The visualization options include brightness as well as gamma controls as well as options to suit the set out of dots used inward presenting the mapped data.


One of the around shared maps on social media this calendar week was Stephanie May's Rental Housing Affordability inward San Francisco. The map shows how many full-time minimum wage jobs you lot postulate to afford a 2 sleeping accommodation apartment inward each of San Francisco's neighborhoods.

Let's merely nation that if you lot desire a apartment inward Mission Bay you lot amend start applying for a few to a greater extent than jobs.

Mapping The Boston Marathon

Boston.com has created an interactive Google Maps for this year's Boston Marathon, which is useful both for participants in addition to those who desire to watch.

Spectators tin give notice purpose the Boston Marathon Map to notice the best places to scout the race anywhere along the course. If yous direct a mile marking on the map yous tin give notice stance suggested locations to scout the marathon nearby.

Participants inward the race tin give notice purpose the map to explore the route. Each mile marking on the map includes details on the expected arrival times, the degree tiptop in addition to the internet modify inward tiptop from the end marker. One actually handy alternative is to come inward your hoped for fourth dimension for completing the marathon in addition to and thence stance the fourth dimension yous should aim to brand it at each mile marker.

Mapping Boston Homicides

It seems rather trite to beak most the blueprint of a homicide map merely I similar the interaction betwixt the map in addition to the information inwards this Boston Globe Homicides inwards Boston map.

Select a located murder on the map in addition to the information tabular array below the map automatically scrolls to display the entry for the selected homicide victim. Next to each victim's cite y'all tin direct the 'stories' tab to click through in addition to read the Boston Globe reports on the homicide.

The map besides includes a nifty characteristic that automatically updates every bit y'all zoom in addition to pan the map to demo the full release of victims displayed inwards the electrical flow map view.

Other Crime Map Visualizations

Mapping Boston's Gas Leaks

The Conservation Law Foundation has released an in-depth study into Massachusetts’ antiquated natural gas distribution system. Much of the ageing Massachusetts’ gas pipeline organisation is rattling one-time in addition to prone to leaks, creating a pregnant world security in addition to environmental hazard.

The Conservation Law Foundation's study into Massachusetts' Triple Threat discusses inwards especial the security threat of gas leaks, the direct chances to the surroundings in addition to the terms to gas customers. Each of these original sections of the study is illustrated amongst an accompanying interactive map.


The 3 maps visualize gas leaks past times flat level, marsh gas emissions in addition to where gas leaks accept been repaired.

One frequent work that I come upward across inwards online long course of educational activity journalism is embedded maps that are squeezed into a pocket-sized infinite to relieve on valuable covert real-estate. The Massachusetts' Triple Threat study manages to neatly overcome this work past times providing a full-screen pick on each map.

The Alive Boston Prepare Map

Live MBTA is real-time Google Map of MBTA, MBCR together with Commuter Rail trains inwards Boston. The trains are displayed on the map yesteryear animated arrow map markers, which present the administration of the trains.

The Live MBTA map features a cracking rotating mark label organization that I've never seen used earlier on Google Maps. The labels alter every few seconds to display unlike data most the marked trains on the map. The labels rotate through displaying the develop number, the trains' finish together with whether a develop is on fourth dimension or late. You tin equally good conduct which of the map labels y'all wishing to view.

The map includes a large publish of options. You tin conduct to sentiment all the trains on ane business or follow an private train. While next an private develop the map volition deed together with then that the develop you've selected volition rest inwards the take in of the map.

Leaflet Runs The Boston Marathon

The Boston Globe has published an interesting photograph that uses the Leaflet mapping platform to render an interactive graphic of survivors of the bombing of the Boston Marathon.

One twelvemonth later on the tragic bomb explosion at the Boston Marathon, The Boston Globe invited survivors, police, firefighters, EMTs, doctors, nurses as well as runners dorsum to the complete describe on Boylston Street to set for a grouping photo.

The resulting One Year, One City photograph is a powerful testimony to the resilience of the people of Boston. By using the Leaflet mapping platform the Boston Globe has created an interactive photograph which you lot tin lav pan some as well as inwards which you lot tin lav zoom inwards on individuals inwards the picture. You tin lav fifty-fifty click on the people inwards the photograph to larn a petty to a greater extent than well-nigh their sense during end year's tragic events.


NECN.com has likewise used the Leaflet platform to exercise a floor map of the Boston Marathon. The map shows the road of the Boston Marathon as well as includes stories as well as accounts from the individuals, businesses as well as schools that are located along the marathon's route.

The One Year Stronger map tin lav survive navigated yesteryear using the numbers along the bottom of the map. Click on a issue as well as the map pans to a place along the road as well as loads photos, videos as well as text that country the stories of those who alive as well as operate along the road of the Boston Marathon.

Live Boston Develop Maps

If y'all desire to rail trains inwards existent fourth dimension on the Boston MBTA y'all similar a shot convey a choice of 2 unlike maps.

The Boston Train Track shows the electrical flow set of Boston trains on an OpenStreetMap. The trains are color-coded yesteryear trouble as well as the prepare markers dot the direction of travel. If y'all desire to a greater extent than data y'all should banking concern fit out the Live MBTA map.

The Live MBTA is non every bit pretty every bit the Boston Train Track map. The purpose of OpenStreetMap transit lines gives the Train Track map an aesthetic edge. However the Live MBTA includes to a greater extent than data nearly the private trains, including the prepare number, the trains' goal as well as whether a prepare is on fourth dimension or is running late.

The Live MBTA map every bit good gives y'all a few options nearly which trains as well as routes y'all desire to visualize on the map.

Mapping Pedestrian Accidents

With thus many groovy mapping visualization tools on the marketplace it is tempting to exactly select handgrip of some geo-located information in addition to throw it onto a map. You tin sack thus pose out it online in addition to outcry out to the world, 'Hey expect at this cool map'.

Twitter did that this calendar week amongst their Torque powered map News of  Ferguson Spreads Across Twitter. The map has worked rattling good every bit an promotion for Twitter (I've seen the map referenced inwards a number of the most pop websites this calendar week in addition to it has also continuously popped upwards inwards my Twitter stream). However I'm struggling to piece of job out what this map tells us, except that the events inwards Ferguson accept been mentioned a lot on social media.¹

Not all of the pop tidings websites are guilty of this scatter-gun approach to information mapping. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of tidings outlets, similar The New York Times, The Guardian in addition to The Global Mail, accept actually upped their game over the final few years in addition to are creating some groovy mapped visualizations that help to explicate the stories hidden behind the data.

With the availability of slow to hold out narrative mapping tools, similar Esri Story Maps, CartoDB's Odyssey.js in addition to Knight Lab's Story Map, nosotros are also seeing many to a greater extent than independent map developers creating actually interesting maps which essay to expect at the narratives in addition to stories behind their mapped data.

However y'all don't accept to hold out these narrative mapping platforms to practise interesting maps. For example, I actually similar this map from the Boston Globe exploring Massachusetts Pedestrian Crashes.

I've seen a lot of similar maps over the years of auto crashes, pedestrian accidents, wheel crashes etc. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of cities directly accept this information available every bit open-data in addition to it is a fairly slow labor to only throw that information on a map in addition to pose out it to the world.

What I specially similar nearly this map is how the Boston Globe has gone to the problem to explore some of the hot-spots inwards the data. If y'all select the 'see hot-spots' link the map zooms to a hot-spot, creates a boundary roughly the location in addition to a map inset attempts to explicate some of the issues roughly why this location mightiness endure from an abnormally high number of pedestrian crashes.

TL;DR:  - I similar this Boston Globe map

¹ For a to a greater extent than detailed critique of Twitter's Ferguson map run across this Floating Sheep article.

The Boston Wheel Network Map

The Boston Bike Network Plan map shows the electrical flow wheel network inwards Boston as well as too allows you lot to run across how the Boston cycling map volition hopefully prepare over the side yesteryear side xxx years.

The map shows Boston's electrical flow wheel routes. The routes are color-coded to present dedicated off-road wheel paths, shared wheel paths, as well as route based wheel lanes. The map too includes a time-line command which allows you lot to sentiment the projected futurity of Boston's wheel network based on the Bike Network Plan.

The Bike Network Plan is the city's evolution system for expanding wheel lanes as well as paths throughout Boston. You tin purpose the time-line command to sentiment how the envisioned wheel network volition hopefully await inwards v years fourth dimension as well as inwards xxx years time.

The Alive Boston Marathon Map

If you lot desire to spotter today's Boston Marathon alive as well as thus you lot should check-out Boston.com's Boston Marathon Map. The map shows the road of the marathon as well as allows you lot to sentiment keen places to spotter the race.

The map every 2d good shows the location of the nearest T Stops to the race route, the closest restaurants as well as bars, picnic spots as well as residual rooms.

If you lot can't spotter the race live, or you lot desire to run across how a item challenger is progressing, you lot tin follow the race alive on Boston Athletic Association's Live Tracking Map. This map allows you lot to operate inwards the mention or publish of a challenger inwards the Boston Marathon as well as spotter their progress alive on a Google Map.

The Walksheds Of Boston

Exploring Transit too Driving Behavior inwards MA examines the resultant of Boston's world transit network on the total of traffic on Boston's streets. The article visualizes a pose out of data-sets on a serial of Google Maps to explore how proximity to MBTA transit corridors impacts on the machine driving frequency of Boston residents.

The maps include a uncomplicated visualization of the walksheds some each MBTA station (shown above). More revealing is a map of the pose out of vehicle miles driven past times a typical identify inwards Boston.


This map reveals that Boston residents tend to displace to a greater extent than the farther they alive from the optic of the city. It too reveals that the MBTA transit corridors accept an resultant on the purpose of cars, equally those who alive closer to the MBTA tend to displace less vehicle miles than those who alive farther away.

The map itself would create goodness from a picayune chip of customization using the Google Maps API Styled Maps feature. For example, transit lines on the map could endure emphasized past times giving them a higher weight too perchance past times giving them a unlike color.

Exploring Transit too Driving Behavior inwards MA too includes a map of 'transit effectiveness'. This map evaluates Boston addresses past times their access to world transit. The evaluation is based on the frequency of nearby stops, divided past times the distance to those stops, too adjusted past times a 'quality factor' based on the  mode of transit.