Mapping for Urban Development
October
Mapping plays a crucial role in urban development by providing essential data for planning and decision-making. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) enable city planners to visualize spatial relationships, analyze demographics, assess land use, and identify infrastructure needs. Through detailed maps, stakeholders can evaluate environmental impacts, track urban growth, and engage communities in the planning process. This comprehensive approach ensures that development projects are sustainable, efficient, and aligned with the needs of residents, ultimately shaping more livable urban environments.
Introduction to October's Theme
Are you ready to learn what we'll be mapping for this month? Check out the slides below to learn more about how you can map for rural development! Make sure to submit a blog this month using one or several of the prompts below.
Blog Prompts
1. What do you think are unique challenges faced by urban areas? How can mapping help urban communities?
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2. How do you think urban issues are enhanced in developing countries of the Global South?
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3. What did you learn today about Cameroon? How do you think booming population growth and ongoing rural-to-urban migration in sub-Saharan Africa are affecting urban development?
Train Your Mappers
Overview of the Process
1. Create an OSM Account & Complete the iD Editor Walkthrough
2. Learn to Navigate the Tasking Managers & Find a Project
3. Selecting a Mapping Square
4. Tips to be a Good Mapper
5. Saving Your Edits & Submitting your Square
Mapping Project
TeachOSM: Mapping Urban Development in Yaoundé, Cameroon
Mapping Workflow
1. Go to https://tasks.teachosm.org/projects/1631
2. Sign in with your OSM Credentials
3. Read the instructions
4. Click 'Contribute'
5. Select an available mapping square
6. Start mapping! For this project, we are only mapping buildings.
7. Make sure to save every 10 edits using your chapter hashtag (#TeenMaptivists, #TM_SchoolInitials, #maptivists24)
8. When you are done mapping, indicate that the square is not completely mapped (while we are only mapping buildings, the project requests roads, so we will not mark the cell as completely mapped) and click 'Submit'
Goal: 20-30 Edits!
Announcements
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Happy Fall, TeenMaptivists! Student Officers should encourage all participants to turn in blogs using the prompts above.
Planning a Local Map-a-Thon
In the above document, you will a brief overview of the purpose and objectives of the Local Map-a-Thon. We have also formulated some examples of activities your chapter may choose to do as well as some helpful tips and tricks.
After each Local Map-a-Thon, please submit a brief recap of what activity your chapter chose to do, using the above form. The form includes a section where you can upload some pictures for us to share with the broader network!