TECH-240: Using Google Maps to Create Mashups for Planning

This one-hour hands-on webinar will demonstrate how planners can use Google Maps to publish basic geographical information on a custom map, and guide you through the process of creating custom maps using Google Maps. Topics will include adding place markers, lines and shapes to maps, placing photos and videos, importing a data set of map points, and using a map to collaborate with others.

A "mashup" is a web application that combines data from different sources into a single integrated online tool. By combining map data from Google Maps with additional information -- be it zoning areas or real estate information -- we can create a useful web service that provides information that was not previously available online.

Providing information about places with easy-to-use maps has never been more important for planners. Fortunately, with just a web browser and some free web applications, creating informative, useful maps has never been easier. Join the Planetizen webinar and learn how to use Google Maps to quickly create custom maps that anyone with a web browser can use.

Throughout this webinar, you will be able to work concurrently with Google Maps. The instructor will demonstrate each step twice – once while you watch the webinar, and a second time while you optionally perform the task yourself.

• Webinar Outline
• About the Instructor
• Student Testimonials
• Prerequisites
• Additional Notes
• Video Recording
• AICP Certification Maintenance
• Purchasing Information

Webinar Outline

1. Introduction to Google Maps
2. Example planning applications
3. Creating your first map
4. Adding place markers
5. Adding lines and shapes (areas)
6. Including photos and videos on your map
7. Creating custom icons
8. Importing a data set
9. Embedding your map on a web page
10. Printing your map
11. Collaborating with others on a map
12. Using other tools

• The webinar will be conducted using GoToWebinar.
• You will need Internet access, a web browser, and access to a telephone to call into the audio portion of the webinar.
• The registration details will be emailed to you 48 hour prior to the webinar start date and time.
• Please login to the webinar 10 minutes prior to the planned start time to ensure that you are able to access GoToMeeting and download the required plugins. (You can attend GoToWebinar webinars using both MacOS and Windows.)

About the Instructor

Christian Madera has eight years of experience with technology and planning issues. Christian was most recently the managing editor of Planetizen, where he oversaw the editorial and technical operations of this popular urban planning related website.

Before joining Planetizen in 2006, Christian spent almost two years living and working in Asia as a program manager for the China Planning and Development Institute. He has also worked as a policy analyst for Livable Places, a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization that worked to promote sustainable development. Christian was a web developer at Urban Insight, the internet consulting firm that supports Planetizen, and contributed significantly to the development of Planetizen as an associate editor from 2000-2003. He formerly served as a board member and webmaster of the Los Angeles Section of the American Planning Association, and as an elected member of the Central Hollywood Neighborhood Council.

Christian graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in urban planning and development. He is currently a graduate student at the Woodrow Wilson School of International and Public Affairs at Princeton University.

Student Testimonials

"This was my first webinar and overall I was very pleased with the content. It gave me a taste of the planning potential for mashups."
--Dan Coleman, Director of Development Services

"The one hour session was perfect for maintaining attention and interest. The teacher's pace was just right for actually digesting his presentation."
--SW Livingston, HOA Architectural Review Chair

Prerequisites

• Ensure that the computer you are using to participate in the webinar has Internet access, and a current web browser.
• Ensure you have a Google Account to enable access to Google Maps and other web services. If you do not have an existing account, you can create one at http://www.google.com/accounts. Creating an account is free of charge.

Additional Notes

• This course assumes that you are comfortable using a computer and web browser. If you don’t feel confident using a computer, this course is not for you.
• The course will be conducted in a hands-on format where you will first watch the instructor perform a task in the webinar, then use your own web browser to perform the same task. If you have difficulty performing a task on your own, the instructor will be unable to assist you personally. Instead, simply watch the instructor perform the task a second time.
• We try to accommodate different learning styles. Toward this end, we will provide a detailed, step-by-step script of the hands-on exercises 48 hours prior to the webinar start time.
• Cancellations must be made three days prior to the webinar. Cancellations made within 72 hours of the webinar start time will forfeit the course registration fee.
• If you require a certificate of completion, we will (a) evaluate performance based on your participation in the full webinar (as audited by GoToWebinar); and, (b) your satisfactory completion of the course activities. Please request your certificate of completion following the webinar by sending an email to editor@planetizen.com. Include the telephone number from which you accessed the course along with the link to your completed map.

Video Notes

A video recording of this live webinar is also available. This video is a screen and audio recording of a live webinar, covering all the topics mentioned above. This video can be viewed at any time, irrespective of the next scheduled webinar.

Registration for this video course is $34.95.

AICP Certification Maintenance

This webinar has been approved to provide 1 credit for the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Certification Maintenance program.

To claim your CM credits, review the Guide to Claiming AICP CM Credits for Planetizen Courses.

Purchasing Information

To purchase this course, please add it to your shopping cart. Please note that you must be a registered Planetizen user to purchase this course. If you are not a registered user, please take a few seconds and register for free.