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GCN Home > 04/16/07 issue

Citizen-mapped agency data

A quick guide to citizen-mapped agency data sites

By Joab Jackson, GCN Staff

The Web is awash in citizen-run sites that map government-generated data. These sites use free services such as Google Maps and Microsoft Virtual Earth and public records from agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Geological Survey. With these sites, Web surfers can enter their addresses and see government data in their area, or to browse a certain region to find items of interest.

Here are a few examples of your hard work reused on the Web: BART Station Maps (San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit): http://bart.barelyconnected.net

CityRanks US Populations (Census): http://www.kenfehling.com/cityranks

Congressional Travel Maps (Congressional junkets; Congress record offices): http://www.opensecrets.org/travel

Earthquakes in the last week (U.S. Geological Survey): http://earthquakes.tafoni.net

EPA Superfund Site Locator (Environmental Protection Agency): http://www.terraims.com/webservices/superfund.php

U.S. Mining Database (Bureau of Land Management): http://www.ewg.org/sites/mining_google/US

Hurricane Storm Reports (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration): http://hurricane.stormreportmap.com

Libraries411 (local government data): http://www.libraries411.com /

Seattle911 (Seattle Fire Department): http://www.seattle911.com /

WeatherMole (NOAA): http://weathermole.com / WeatherMole/index.html

Zip Code Boundaries (Postal Service): http://zip-code-boundaries.com/index.html

Zoomatron Nautical Maps (NOAA): http://www.zoomatron.com/Default.aspx

Source: John Musser’s Programmable Web (http://www.programmableweb.com )

More news on related topics: Communications / Networks, Software Applications, Web Strategies



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