Maps to Serve the Near Eastside, Ohio State Geography 580S

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This site contains maps designed by Ohio State University students in an undergraduate course, Geography 580S: Serving the Community with Cartography, Winter 2009 & Spring 2010. In the class, students learn the basics of map design with the assistance of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The quarter-long class allow students the opportunity to gain an introduction to cartography and map design while also working toward a tangible deliverable to the community.

Students usually work in groups of 2-3 in consultation with a community partnering organization on a map of general interest to residents in the Near Eastside of Columbus, Ohio. Our major community partner has been the Afr i can American and African Studies Community Extension Center (AAASCEC) and their partnering organizations: Columbus Public Health, the Nei ghborhood House, the Central Community House, the Columbus Urban League, and the Mt. Vernon Avenue District Improvement Association.

In addition to this site where maps can be downloaded for free, the student maps are also available in print to residents in the neighborhood through our partnering organizations.

Financial support has been provided by a course development grant through the OSU Service Learning Initiative and the OSU Center for Urban and Regional Analysis (through contributions to map printing costs).

The class was taught in 2009 by Tim Hawthorne; the teaching assistant for the course was Michael Niedzielski (both PhD candidates in Geography), and in 2010 by Ola Ahlqvist, Assistant Professor, and Jonathan Rush (PhD candidate in Geography)

Community Presentations at the AAASCEC:

Each year the new maps are been presented to community members by our students in an open meeting at the AAASCEC.

Students have also been invited to present their work to the Columbus City Council and the Near Eastside Health Advisory Board led by Columbus Public Health. Also, student work has been featured in a variety of publications. These publications are available on the project stories page of our site.