Coming soon? Google bike mapping in Amsterdam

Over a year ago, Google announced a bike path layer and biking routes in the U.S. It seems this is easier said than done in Europe. But they must be close! Playing with Google api V3 we discovered the Bicyclinglayer, and discovered it exists here too! Here is my sample map (8/1/2019 – doesn’t work any more). The bike layer can be turned on or of, but attempt to route for Biking and it does not work. (It would work in the US, except that I have switched to “walking” for this demo.)

There is already the international open cycle map layer… so can’t they get together on this? Open cycle map is one of the backgrounds on the excellent free website, Bikemap.net. However this is a point and click route planner, and does not use the underlying bike map layer for routing.

Another approach, specially designed for use in Amsterdam is Routecraft Routeplanner, was developed by DAVdigital which also makes customized maps, interactive and static, for organizations in and around Amsterdam. This one really works (within greater Amsterdam), so it wins the prize for up-and-running.

Wow! A fascinating look below the surface

Heard about this at last fall’s ESRI Nederland conference, and finally found it on the web. A link on the Geology of the Netherlands website (mentioned in last post) goes to this sweet Google Maps interface, “Dwarsdoorsneden“. Put two points on the map of the Netherlands and click below to draw a cross section of the geological layers, the strata, formed over millions of years.  (This no longer works.)
The giant Dutch research organization, TNO, and the National Museum of Natural History (Naturalis) collaborated on this application. The website also provides detailed information about all those ancient periods, including the creatures who roamed the Dutch landscape. I’ll never work again. Too much fun.
Update 3/9/2018:  What a pity that the “dwarsdoorsneden” map no longer works!  The rest of the website is still fascinating

Center of the World

The Dutch website “Geologie van Nederland” offers many wonderful resources, including a great animation (the Netherlands on the Globe) of the shifting continents in which the little Dutch flag remains front and center. In case you didn’t know it, you can use Google Translate to read pretty-good translations of website… like this one for the website Geology of the Netherlands

Oil spill maps

Three ways to view the spill’s progress:   1)  Google Crisis center, with map data from NOAA  and PBS live news feed showing the gushing oil, and 2) Paul Rademakers Google Earth representation of the (no longer works), showing how it compares in size to Manhattan, London, Paris, etc, 3) New York Times”Tracking the Oil Spill in the Gulf“,map updated daily.

Update 3/9/2018: The Times site is still available. Wikipedia’s report is a good way to look back at the crisis and aftermath.

Geocoded Art

At this beautiful new site, Geocoded Art, landscape paintings are geocoded and can be searched with a map interface.  Or you can look up a favorite work by artist or title, and find out where in the world it was painted.  All works are in the public domain.  This is already a rich database which hopefully will continue to grow.  This will surely be a favorite for art-history courses, giving context to paintings.  However the stated goal is also “to use fine art to illuminate geography”.  Found this via Google Maps Mania.

Update 6/7/2018: Geocoded Art seems a bit neglected, but works.  Google Maps Mania still going strong!  Amazing mashups, so many to investigate.  Wandered over to David Rumsey collection site.  Must return soon.  

Amsterdam op z’n kop

Amsterdam standing on its head?  New features for Google Maps (click on a little green vial in top right corner), provide some interesting options, including a rotate button so we can view of the world as the Aussie’s see it.  Zoomed in locally, Amsterdam looks more like the city depicted by 16th century cartographers starting with Cornelis Anthonisz.

The new features also include a handy zoom box tool (draw a box around your destination),  and a tool tip for plotting the latitude and longitude.   Google announced last Friday that Google Maps will be getting more new gadgets, with its own “Maps Lab.”

Update 6/7/2018:  Nowadays (Graduating from the Lab), Google Maps in satellite view, CTRL+ mouse drag for full 360 views.   

Route You and Me

Just found this fantastic route-planning website for bikers and hikers.  I found a nice map of Maastricht which will give me some ammunition for touring around with visiting friends.   Judging by the content, it has been around for a while (since 2005) but appears to be gaining momentum. It seems like a very nice interface, and the company also re-sells the web-components so people can customize routing on their own websites. They also do hard-core GIS processing, creating route-networks for GPS systems. RouteYou is a Belgian company, and they seem to be just expanding into global markets. So far they show over 80,000 public routes in Europe, but only a few hundred in the States, and a handful in Australia. This business may be fun to watch.

Update 6/7/2018:  TouteYou still going strong… try walking maps of Venice, for example

Sailing Up

The Henry Hudson 400 website has a dazzling new map mash-up.  Using a “layering system” thirty-two historical maps and Henry’s four routes can be displayed on top of Google Maps, with variable transparency.  Places and events related to this year’s celebration can be “turned in” revealing a wealth of historical information.  There is even an opportunity for the public to add information to the map.  The clever and rich map application was created by Cartosoft , a Portland-based neo-geo company with some great applications for new age mapmakers.   The Hudson 400-year celebration is picking up steam (has wind in its sails).  In September a fleet of traditional Dutch flat bottom boats (botters) will sail up the Hudson from New York to Albany.  I’m going to try to hitch a ride.

Update 5/7/2018: Such a a pity.  None of the original links work properly any more.  Henry Hudson 400 site is there, but the map no longer functions, and Cartosoft has disappeared.  It was fun while it lasted.

Trike Spotting

When will it appear in Amsterdam?  The Google Street View Trike was revealed in late May, and after a test-run in Rome (pictured), the trike will be put to use in the UK.  Google-UK asked googleites for suggestions on where to ride the trike first, places such as monuments and castles.  The final vote takes place on this web page. (July 2018: Can’t find link.)  In the States,  U Penn  seems to be the first campus to snag the trike.

Update 4/7/2018:  Streetview locations today – “Where we’ve been and where we’re headed

Here’s where we’re headed

…to Zappo’s to buy shoes!  Twittervision (see last post) looks like the first in what will probably be a mesmerizing flock of new real-time map mashups.  In this Zap-map (No longer available) application, if you tire of the shoe-parade, click on a shoe and you get the details and an order form.  The map is actually not very useful, except for the compelling representation of a retail businesses volume and customer base.  Can’t help wondering if the speed will noticeably change as the economy recovers.  As a sales gimmick, this worked on me.  I hadn’t heard of Zappos before (not buying shoes online, obviously), and I just ordered my first pair (just to see if the map would fly to Amsterdam.)

Update 30/6/2018: Zappos bought by Amazon in July 2009, and this sweet app quickly disappeared.