UW-Madison Students Publish Local Foods Map

A group of 4 geography students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have produced an interactive 100 Mile Diet map for the Madison area. Inspried by the 100 Mile Diet idea popularised by Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon in Vancouver, Canada, the students have produced the map as part of their Geographic Information Systems (GIS) certificate program at UW-Madison.

Professor Mark Harrower’s class encourages students to think creatively about map-making:

Harrower, a cartographer, challenges his students to design Web-based maps that address real-world problems. “Who needs this map, and who’s going to use it? What community would benefit?” he asks. “We don’t just make stuff for the heck of it; we make it because there’s an obvious need.” (UW-Madison News)

Click on the image below to explore the Madison 100 Mile Diet interactive map.