cyberRiver: an interactive mapping of the Hudson River
Hudson River data collected by the Riverkeeper Boat has been visualized on Googlemaps to express the multiplicity of uses that fragment the waters' edge. When a marker is clicked, a tabbed info window displays information on the type of site, location, the source of the information, descriptive text, images and video. The map loads with overlays of the watershed extent, New York State county borders, and satellite data of the Hudson River depths. Use the buttons at the bottom of the map to toggle these layers on and off.
Visitors can add their own points to the map by clicking on the map and filling in the popup form. Choose the type of site from the categories shown at right. Riverkeeper staff reviews each point before it is added to the map, so be patient once you have submitted a point - it will not instantly show up. The idea is to tap into the "networked public" to multiply Riverkeepers' watchful eyes on pollution and development and, more broadly, to build an engaged constituency for the Hudson watershed. Further visualizing the political landscape by town, city, municipality or county will show the gaps in waterfront regulations that allow short-sighted uses to prevail. These efforts will support the case for development guidelines that addresses the watershed as a whole.
Special thanks to the following people: Robert Goldstein (Riverkeeper: Hudson River Program Director), John Lipscomb (Riverkeeper: Boat Captain), Ziyu Zhuang (MSAUD, GSAPP: photography), Sarah Williams (Spatial Information Design Lab), Jeremiah Trinidad (Electronic Data Service, Columbia University), Patrick Barry (Code Ninja), Sean White (Department of Computer Science, Columbia University) and the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (Columbia University)
by: Elizabeth Barry and Erick Gregory
