This map of Maryland’s food system just got a whole lot better

A map that shows everything from where to find a farmer’s market to water quality data just got a big upgrade.
The Maryland Food System Map launched a new version earlier this month. It’s the first big overhaul since the app launched in 2012. The map is a product of the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. Mapping firm Blue Raster was behind the redesign.

New map app, developed by @BlueRaster, is fast, sharable & combines food systems #data with #GIS technology. https://t.co/fNUTiBGFUH #ArcGIS pic.twitter.com/GSDqnEdPIt

— MD Food System Map (@MDfoodmap) April 20, 2017

According to GovTech, the new version is faster, mobile-friendly and more responsive. It also added lots more data, with 175 indicators now available for your perusal. Users can also build their own maps, with shareable URLs. The search functions were also upgraded, and it connects to CLF’s open data platform.
The idea behind the map is that bringing together disparate data points about the food system like agricultural production, food retail locations and food pantries can show connections between health, access to food and equity. CLF has sought to highlight key points around access and inequity, including the stat that 25 percent of Baltimore residents live in a food desert.
CLF wants the map to be used to “create policies and programs grounded in data,” Program Officer Caitlin Fisher told GovTech. Here’s to that.