Online spatial applications are rapidly expanding in availability and variety. As the underlying technology develops, both developers and users alike are challanged to asses how assumptions of culture, economy, and nature are becoming codifed in the means and methods of use. GIS and other spatial technologies explicitly engage a holistic, integrated sense of natural space. Yet, this holism is radically dependent upon the scope and quality of the relationships considered.

This project attempts to illustrate how a holistic awareness of nature is and can be accounted for in online geospatial mapping tools. It assumes that current trends in urban planning, economic development, social justice, education, and the sciences will continue to embrace and re-develop online acccess to spatial data. This requires planning-related data to be accessible online and that individual citizens are allowed to manipulate it independently.

Public access to proprietary data and the establishment of best practices will be considered in examples such as the Boston Atlas or the US Geological Survey datasets. Non-profit mediators of information such as the CaseyTrees map of Washington D.C. or Providence Plan will segue into a survey of nature orientated "mashups" and open source data projects.

The project looks to be a resource for reflective use of GIS technology. Please explore the site and email me with comments and suggestions.