Mapping places and connections

Below is a summary of the main mapping projects that led to development of the Exploring EC1 initiative. Other pages cover:

• Specific mapping tools - Humap, Maphub and Google Earth

• A map to record favourite places in EC1

• Culture Mile projects

Personal collaborative projects

Since 2015 I've explored, with Drew Mackie and Barbara Brayshay, the use of geographic and network maps to help residents and others find out more about what's happening in their area, share ideas and information, and collaborate on improvements.

Overall the aim has been to experiment with different tools for gathering and displaying information about places, organisations and people. Put more grandly, it's about revealing the physical and social ecosystems of neighbourhoods. More here on that.

From 2015-2019 work was partly through the Networked City initiative, and partly through two local projects, one in Clerkenwell, and one in Thames Ward, Barking. I later developed maps in Clerkenwell, Farringdon and Smithfield. More on EC1 below.

• About Networks and social ecosystems at Networked City

• Use of Google My Maps with Thames Ward Community Project

Clerkenwell Commons

The idea of developing maps for EC1 started with some work in 2018 for the Clerkenwell Peel Institute, where Drew Mackie and I explored the use of both network and geographic maps to support what later became the Connecting Clerkenwell initiative. I also met up with Mike Franks, who I had helped, back in 1977, secure funding for a heritage trail. More here, in the EC1 Echo, together with the idea of Clerkenwell Commons.