An open call for awesome maps of Brooklyn neighborhoods

Maps have been a huge addition to the social dialogue perhaps because they can show rather than tell. We’ve found in our own reporting that maps attract readers’ attention and engagement. Now one Brooklyn neighborhood association is asking readers to send in the best maps they’ve come across that speak to community issues.
So this is a call to action: Send your favorite maps to Neighbors Allied for Good Growth at nag.bklyn@gmail.com.
NAG is the organization behind the ToxiCity Map. It’s an interactive map the group released last year on which you can select different pollutants and factors to see what your nabe looks like.
It’s only for Greenpoint/Williamsburg/Bushwick, but NAG hopes to expand the scope of their efforts this spring.

“Although NAG is a northern Brooklyn community organization, we are looking to connect the dots between housing, homelessness, health, gentrification, environment, transportation, from throughout the city,” NAG organizer Allison Currier said in an email.
One of the great things maps offer is publicly available data with which neighbors can make specific requests or arguments to their elected representatives. See a lot of litter on the street? Curb Your Litter Greenpoint created a map where you could drag and drop trash cans to where you think they should be. They’re going to aggregate the data they get from neighbors and take that to officials. The thinking is, neighbors know best what their neighborhood needs. NAG works with Curb Your Litter, and wants more maps like that.
“Our approach to these issues is guided by the principle that our entire community is entitled to participate in decision-making and negotiation processes affecting our neighborhood, leadership of local mobilization efforts, and the design of a future vision for our community,” Currier wrote.
If you’ve got the mapping bug, also check out our post on the best maps of 2015.