41 replies to this topic

[kevinpaulscarrott]

Hi everybody and good to be back after a year on the road,

For those of you still interested in what's-happening-in Stavanger, Norway, I’ve just launched a new outdoor compilation of maps for the city centre, around 10 strategic site placements.

The idea behind the project is to encourage local citizens and incoming travellers to utilise the maps and information as a gateway for various regional activities and for onward travel. The Cruise ship travellers seem to appreciate the map of the Norwegian coastline, enabling them not only to see where they are heading for, but also where they’ve come from! (it’s one of the oldest travel conundrums: “I’ve been there, but I don’t know where it is!”)

I’m sure the photographs will explain in an artistic way, more than I could ever hope to do with mere words…

CartoTalk gets a beneficial plug through the “Stavanger Palette” link.

Check-this-out when you have some time and let me know if you have any thoughts on the idea.

Just to end on an optimistic note; it’s a breath of fresh air when the local politicians and ‘People in Power’ in a Municipality, become attentive and support the wonderful visual power of cartography. Getting them to open the ‘coffers’ is never an easy task, one can talk to them until one is blue–in-the-face, better to hang-a-map in front of them and let them ponder at the multitude.

Keep up the good work wherever you are on the planet!

Best wishes to all at CartoTalk,
Kevin-Paul Scarrott
Stavanger Guide Maps Norway
www.stavanger-guide.no

…want a closer look at the artwork? PDF version available: here (latest update 8th July 2012)

...want to see the location? Google Street View: here

...Stavanger palette available: here



…daytime light view:



…nice backlight silhouette of a late night viewer:



…angle view:



…the protagonist:

[Ted Florence]

Great stuff.
Why not make these maps available for use on iPhones and iPads via the Avenza PDF Maps app and store?
You can give them away if you want or charge a buck or two or a few.
Are you familiar with the Avenza PDF Maps app and concept?
Ted

Hi everybody and good to be back after a year on the road,

For those of you still interested in what's-happening-in Stavanger, Norway, I’ve just launched a new outdoor compilation of maps for the city centre, around 10 strategic site placements.

The idea behind the project is to encourage local citizens and incoming travellers to utilise the maps and information as a gateway for various regional activities and for onward travel. The Cruise ship travellers seem to appreciate the map of the Norwegian coastline, enabling them not only to see where there heading for, but also where they’ve come from! (it’s one of the oldest travel conundrums: “I’ve been there, but I don’t know where it is!”)

I’m sure the photographs will explain in an artistic way, more than I could ever hope to do with mere words…

CartoTalk gets a beneficial plug through the “Stavanger Palette” link.

Check this-out when you have some time and let me know if you have any thoughts on the idea.

Just to end on an optimistic note; it’s a breath of fresh air when the local politicians and ‘People in Power’ in a Municipality, become attentive and support the wonderful visual power of cartography. Getting them to open the ‘coffers’ is never an easy task, one can talk to them until one is blue–in-the-face, better to hang-a-map in front of them and let them ponder at the multitude.

Keep up the good work wherever you are on the planet!

Best wishes to all at CartoTalk,
Kevin-Paul Scarrott
Stavanger Guide Maps Norway
www.stavanger-guide.no

…want a closer look at the artwork? PDF version available: here

...Stavanger palette available: here



…daytime light view:



…nice backlight silhouette of a late night viewer:



…angle view:



…the protagonist:

[kevinpaulscarrott]

Hello Ted and thank you for your positive feedback,

Please contact me at kevin@stavanger-guide.no when you have some free time and we'll get the ball rolling!

Best wishes from Norway,
Kevin-Paul

[Ted Florence]

Doing that now, Kevin-Paul.
Look for my email shortly.
Regards
Ted

Hello Ted and thank you for your positive feedback,

Please contact me at kevin@stavanger-guide.no when you have some free time and we'll get the ball rolling!

Best wishes from Norway,
Kevin-Paul

[ELeFevre]

Those displays are awesome. As always, great maps! Thanks for sharing!

[kevinpaulscarrott]

Thanks for your feedback Boulder, Colorado, it’s always a pleasure to hear from you.
Encouragement is handy in this lone-wolf enterprise…

I was trying in vain a couple-of-days-ago to enlighten a civil servant;
”if you haven’t got the vision don’t attempt the mission” …don’t think it went down to well!

…have a great week,

Kevin-Paul

[Ted Florence]

Thanks for signing up for the map store, Kevin.
Folks can look forward to seeing your Stavanger map live and available in the map store in the next few days.
Ted

[kevinpaulscarrott]

...just want to say a quick official thank you to Ted at Avenza for his input, interest and launch of the Avenza Stavanger City PDF Map on the App Store

…it’s always a pleasure linking-up with dedicated professionals in CartoTalk.

Kevin-Paul

[kevinpaulscarrott]

...just a quick warm official thank you to Gretchen Peterson for her blog about the launch of the new Stavanger map compilation.

…had masses of positive feedback from many and makes all the hard work so much worthwhile.

Gretchen mentioned the word ‘inspiration’…and if all at CartoTalk really knew how much inspiration I’ve gained from being an active member here…then you’d all be out with a big flag singing Freddie Mercury’s “We are the Champions”

...here is some of the unremitting help received from cartotalk. At the same time a hefty personal thank you to Hans van der Maarel for his wit, integrity and dedication over many years at CartoTalk:

An instantaneous response to Language (…long before the full launch of Google Translate)

It’s a small world of cartographers and getting smaller, so protect, wrestle and make a stand…as the late great Bob Marley always said many many times;

“Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!”

…just to end on a ‘down to earth’ note..back again after popular demand is our old friend…

…our Galaxy

Happy Easter wherever you are on this wonderful planet,
Kevin-Paul

[kevinpaulscarrott]

...anybody have any experience working in co-operation with JCDecaux on mapping projects around the world?

It would be good to have some feedback. Maybe there are opportunities for other cartographers based in the countries where JCDecaux operate.

Would certainly appreciate any feedback, as this particular Stavanger project may lead to other future opportunities.

All the best, as always,
Kevin-Paul

[Hans van der Maarel]

I have done some work for an organisation here that exploits similar map/information signs at major roads leading into cities. It's got some good sides (they pretty much let me do the map as I like) and bad sides (sometimes the city government, who authorizes the placement of the billboards, can't be bothered to check the map for errors or omissions)

[kevinpaulscarrott]

Hello Hans and thanks for your feedback,

…confirms my suspicions that many Municipalities love the revenue generated by these wonderful Blade Runner style billboards, but have little or no interest regarding mapping updates and content.

We’re all basically exploiting one another on this planet so that’s not the topic under discussion.

Just another quick question to air while there are chances of some handy feedback from the CartoTalk community…has anybody run up against the ‘cut & paste’ society…people in local government who seem to think that everything including cartography is simply a case of cut & paste?
…I’ve run into several here in Norway and refrained from mentioning anything at all about the process. I just say “Yes” I’ll get it to you as soon as I can!

Another good example (not regarding cartography) of this was a few years back when Roman Polanski walked out from a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival…he stood up and said “You’re all cut & paste banal information journalist,…not writing with any originality…just copying from each other”.

All comments made very welcome…especially those that will help sharpen our wits.

All the best, as always,
Kevin-Paul

[DaveB]

I think "cut & paste" may be being a bit generous in too many cases!
How about "screenshot"?

[Hans van der Maarel]

…confirms my suspicions that many Municipalities love the revenue generated by these wonderful Blade Runner style billboards, but have little or no interest regarding mapping updates and content.

Or rather, they see the map as a means to get the user to look at the ads around it.

[kevinpaulscarrott]

...I’d appreciate anybody who has a few minutes to spare, to test.

Do you have an Apple iOS device?
Please scan the QR code for me. Maybe even check the freebie Avenza PDF Maps app.
The Stavanger City Map Guide is also a freebie.

Always a pleasure to hear from anybody at CartoTalk.

Also; this all went-off quickly and painlessly...
...started with CartoTalk a few days ago and ended with Avenza on the official Stavanger Municipality map
…no ifs, buts, whys-and-when’s…just got it done-and-dusted!

Best wishes,
Kevin-Paul