To GIS folks, the 30 day map challenge is what Tetris is to a 90’s kid. Since I’m new to this, I was keen to understand what led to the development of the 30 day map challenge, how it led to a gradual community building & its contribution to the evolution in maps itself.
Our team at OLA Campus Pune have been regularly posting different maps for the 30 days map challenge. To learn more about the same, I reached out to Chinmay and Devdatta, who have been participating in & advocating the 30 days map challenge.
Both explained that the significance of the challenge was not about making maps but about creating an impact with the maps. As new to the mapping community, I explored the challenge further and became familiar with it. Topi founded it in 2019 over a tweet, Many folks in the GIS community later picked this up, and 2022 was the fourth year of this amazing challenge where thousands of maps were created.
Topi Tjukanov@tjukanov
Announcing #30DayMapChallenge in November 2019! Create a map each day of the month with the following themes 🌍🌎🌏
No restriction on tools. All maps should be created by you. Doing less than 30 maps is fine.
#gischat #geography #cartography #dataviz12:53 PM - 25 Oct 2019
I explored the internet further and found out The thirty days map challenge is a celebration of all the cartographers, where everyone is invited to create a map each day with the tools of their choice centered around that day's theme. There was no bar with the experience you have. For beginners, it was about getting started with maps, while for seasoned cartographers, it was about getting out of the box and learning something new. I liked the inclusiveness of the community
Chinmay further explained that each day has a different theme; there were many distinct themes this year;
Each theme had a significance, starting with the basics of maps, i.e. Points, Lines and Polygons. We had other exciting themes like Ukraine and Space. While with the changing dynamics of Ukraine due to the ongoing tensions between the neighboring countries. This challenge was not only to help users learn how to create a map but also to accommodate the need for continuously updated maps following the changing dynamics of the world, like the situation in Ukraine, Afghanistan or Israel & Palestine.
All community members shared their creative maps on Twitter with #30DayMapChallenge, similar to our team members, Chinmay & Devdatta.
Starting with a fascinating map made by Chinmay, the theme of the day was to make something in space, the word Space itself can have multiple meanings or interpretations, while someone can map the great void or someone can map a planet’s surface like Chinmay.
Chinmay Shaligram@kutazamaDay 9: Space
A composite DTM and Ortho of a crater in Utopia Planitia, a plain in Utopia - the largest impact basin on Mars.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Data: uahirise.org
#30daymapchallenge09:05 AM - 09 Nov 2022
He decided to think something different and map Utopia - the most significant impact basin on Mars.
Similarly, Devdatta has a good brainer of using the theme NULL of day 22 to map all unnamed roads in Bangalore, which is not only an exciting point of view but also vital topic to discuss
Devdatta Tengshe@devten85While being a proponent of #OpenStreetMap, I realise that a lot is yet to be done. These are the Roads in Bangalore, which do not have a Name.
Hence a great submission for Day 22, #NULL for the #30DayMapChallenge14:41 PM - 22 Nov 2022
Some of my favorite themes were:
- Out of my comfort zone - Living in the corporate world, we often restrict ourselves to a certain boundary. It happens to everyone, even digital cartographers. These themes motivate them to try something new, maybe a tool or a method which they have not explored yet.
Here a tweet where the user tried out different tools to make a map
Sam Keast@southcrossmapsDay 28 and 29 of the #30DayMapChallenge: 3D and "Out of my comfort zone"
I've seen a couple of cartographers using Aerialod to create some stunning 3D pieces of art over the last month, so I gave it a go!
It's not as glamorous or polished, but I'm happy with it04:41 AM - 29 Nov 2022
- Ukraine : As said in the introduction, this is another central theme that would create a dynamic impact following the country's changing dynamics.
Mayur Bargal@xxmayurxx#30DaysMapChallenge
Day 5 Theme - Ukraine
Source - Ukraine is among the world's top agricultural producers and exporters and is often described as the "breadbasket of Europe".
#india #software #esri #arcgispro #ukraine #wheat #production #fao #agriculture #europe #economy10:10 AM - 05 Nov 2022
- A Map without a computer : This is one of the most exciting themes encouraging everyone to take a break from computers and the internet. With the world so busy, it was essential to take a break.
laura@laurasmithcarto14:08 PM - 15 Nov 2021
Here is an example, where the user made the globe using cotton and some household items.
There might be many questions still. Feel free to reach out to us. We at Ola Campus Pune love initiatives like #30DayMapChallenge. Although the 30 days map challenge has ended for this year, the industry and the idea behind it are not. The program aimed to let folks start with maps and understand the importance of learning new things and breaking your comfort zone barrier.
You are someone new or a seasoned cartographer who learned about this challenge. Even though the challenge has ended, we recommend you explore the topics and start building and enchanting your cartographic skills.
Kudos to the founder of #30DayMapChallenge for starting an initiative that brings all the mapping communities together. However, I did not participate this year, but I have learnt a lot. I will surely try to join in 2023.
Cheers,
Khalid
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