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.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
New York Passes Housing Package Focused on New Development and Adaptive Reuse
The FY 2025 budget includes a new tax incentive, funding for affordable housing on state land, and support for adaptive reuse and ADUs.
LA Metro Board Approves New 710 Freeway Plan
The newest plan for the 710 corridor claims it will not displace any residents.
Austin’s Proposed EV Charging Rules Regulate Station Locations, Size
City planners say the new rules would ensure an efficient distribution of charging infrastructure across the city and prevent an overconcentration in residential areas.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
