University of California, Davis
IN-4: Innovation 4

Online, Interactive Campus Sustainability Map

Going beyond the usual online map, the comprehensive, interactive UC Davis Campus Sustainability Map links the campus visitor map to campus sustainability. From helping people find out where to pump up a flat tire to forming the basis for two self-guided sustainability tours, a walking tour and a bicycling tour, the map visually demonstrates the span of sustainability efforts at UC Davis.

The following is taken from a blog post that introduced the campus map, and provides a helpful, yet brief, description of the project:

The interactive campus sustainability map can be used to find places or things on campus that express or demonstrate ways that UC Davis and the campus community are taking action towards creating a more sustainable future.

Users can start with the map introduction and points page and explore by clicking whole categories of points open (such as green buildings or recycling), or start with the sustainability map and by clicking the ”Sustainability Information” link for each point, jump to the map introduction and points page for more information.

The map is not exhaustive and is a living document. The mapmakers hope that members of campus will suggest points and additional information through either emailing sustainability@ucdavis.edu, or submitting comments on this blog post about the map.

The sustainability map project has been in the making for a while and has included students from an Education for Sustainable Living Program Action Research Team led by the campus sustainability planner, Camille Kirk, who initially conceived of the project after being involved with making a green map. Campus mapmaker and GIS specialist, Chris DiDio, has been a key partner in making this map, which is a companion map to the campus map.

DiDio has searched for other campus “green” and sustainability maps and has not found another online map as extensive as the UC Davis sustainability map, saying: “I believe this is a unique map at this time for its depth and breadth.”
The campus sustainability map was launched Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at the annual California Student Sustainability Coalition Sustainability Summit.

UC Davis feels that this map is an example of an innovative best practice because it has taken the campus sustainability map to new level. It is interactive, quite comprehensive, and because it is online, it can be readily accessed at any time. It uses a free (Google) platform with some additional and reasonable programming to support the pop-up boxes and customized icons. The sustainability map is a companion to the online campus map (http://campusmap.ucdavis.edu). It is a strong tool for visually portraying sustainability efforts on a campus, creating sustainability tours, and spatially documenting aspects of campuses that further goals towards more sustainable colleges and universities. Finally, it is a great way to engage students in learning more about their campus, and because it is online, it can be amended and added to easily, which encourages the campus community to contribute new points and help with keeping the map up-to-date by sending news of changes "in the field" to points. We have received just that sort of feedback since launching the map.

The map is online at http://campusmap.ucdavis.edu/sustainability/ and has a companion page at http://sustainability.ucdavis.edu/map/index.html.