Mapping Your Area

Today, we’re going to cover the information we have on where local services are based. You might be enjoying yourself taking part in an activity like for going for a bike ride, and while you’re cycling through a neighbourhood, you might need to go to the toilet. Or you might drop into the library before you go to the park to have a read in the sun. Or you might even be at your allotment and want to see where you can put the recycling.

Plotting where services are in your area?

Here’s a visualisation above created using Geocommons of the different services in one of the local areas in the county. If you click on the image, you can activate it. If you zoom in, you can see where you are and see what services are near by, distinguished by different colours and icons.

This is an example of you can combine different datasets together rather than just visualise one on a map. It provides really good context into what’s available in your local area. Obviously, this is public services data we have and no doubt, there will be data on local activities and services that other hyperlocal & neighbourhood websites will have. How could businesses and entrepreneurs use data on public services and other voluntary or business services to create a comprehensive map of what’s available in someone’s neighbourhood?

Update: If your council has done anything creative with open data to help citizens find information that helps them stay safe and cool this summer, check this discussion out or even see what you could do with your parks, leisure centre or swimming pool data.