Interactive maps

Maps that explain a place

Most organizations that need a map get a widget, usually an embedded frame with a scatter of markers and a search box. That works for finding a parking lot. It stops working when the map has to explain something, like how a district is changing, what can be reached from where, or why a place matters.

We design a map around what people are trying to learn, build the data layer to carry it (GeoJSON, vector tiles or live APIs), and put a content model behind it so the map keeps up with the place it describes. We start with MapLibre because it is open source and leaves every layer of the cartography in our hands.

The Culture + Entertainment District in 3D

Calgary Municipal Land Corporation's first map of the Culture + Entertainment District was a static image. We rebuilt it as a 3D map with custom building models, accessibility information and a Stories feature that walks visitors through the district. CMLC manages all of it in Sanity, so the map can change with the district, including the construction still to come. In the first month, views rose from 2,500 to 20,000.

Calgary's public art in one place

Calgary's public art was spread across several sources, with city-owned pieces, publicly funded works and community projects each listed somewhere different. For Calgary Arts Development we built the Calgary Public Art Guide, which maps the whole collection with artist profiles, media for each work and self-guided tours anyone can put together. The city's Open Data API feeds the artworks in real time, and the team manages everything else in Sanity.