The battle over who can present the most compelling infographical maps is apparently escalating. The good news, no matter the result, we all win. While these 80 maps may not explain everything, they sure do say a lot.
A few months ago, BuzzFeed put together a collection of 38 fascinating "maps you never knew you needed." Earlier this month, Bored Panda assembled its own list (some overlapping with Buzzfeed), of "40 maps they didn’t teach you in school."
Not to be outdone, The Washington Post's WorldViews blog took up the challenge. "Maps can be a remarkably powerful tool for understanding the world and how it works, but they show only what you ask them to," writes The Post's Max Fisher. "So when we saw a post sweeping the Web titled '40 maps they didn’t teach you in school,' one of which happens to be a WorldViews original, I thought we might be able to contribute our own collection. Some of these are pretty nerdy, but I think they’re no less fascinating and easily understandable."
Enjoy exploring such treasures as the "red hair map of Europe", "the world according to Americans", and "the best and worst places to be born".
FULL STORY: 40 Maps They Didn’t Teach You In School
Mapping the Land Uses of the United States
The McHarg Center's "The 2100 Project: An Atlas for the Green New Deal" provides a series of maps an infographics to illustrate the way the United States uses land.
Pop Quiz: Can You Identify Cities By Density Alone?
A Planetizen editor failed this quiz.
Mapping the LGBTQ-Friendliness of the World's Cities
A colorful data visualization tool maps information about which cities have the most protections for LGBTQ people in place. The tool is intended as a resource for LGBTQ travelers.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Has President Trump Met His Match?
Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.
California Bill Aims to Boost TOD
A bill proposed by Sen. Scott Wiener would exempt transit agencies from zoning rules near ‘high-quality’ transit stops and allow denser transit-oriented development.
Report: One-Fifth of Seattle Households Are Car-Free
According to one local writer, the city’s low rate of car ownership should encourage officials to support public transit and reduce parking minimums.
California Lawmakers Move to Protect Waterways
Anticipating that the Trump EPA will reinstate a 2017 policy that excluded seasonal wetlands and waterways from environmental protections.
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