Web-based mapping is fun, interactive and informative. Toronto has a great share of web 2.0 maps to enjoy.
Graphic representation of data is one of the best ways the internet has changed the way we access information. Geographic information specialists, like the amazing and proliferative Patrick Cain, are now welcoming non-experts into the fold (with Google maps and open source programs), and a wonderful range of maps about our city has emerged. Most are point-level data, the locations of places. Some are more complex. A few are quite strange.
But they’re worth a wander – feel free to share ones you’ve found!
Alcohol (retailers), Beerhunter
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, AA Toronto
Animal rescues (domestic & wild), Toronto Star
Artists, Neighbourhood Arts Network, Toronto Arts Foundation
Baby Names, OpenFile
Backyard sharing, Growing for Green
Bed bugs, Bed Bug Registry (self-reports)
Bed Bug reports, Patrick Cain, Toronto Star
Bike routes & accident rates, Toronto Open File
Capital construction (planned), City of Toronto
Car ownership, Patrick Cain, Toronto Star
Catholic schools, Toronto Catholic District School Board
Census 2011: Population, Pop. growth, Density, CBC (select Toronto)
Census 2011: Demographics, Global News (drop-down list, opens to Mother Tongue)
City Wards, City of Toronto
Child Care locator, City of Toronto
Commercial Kitchens (versus Community Kitchens), Food Forward & Housing Services Corporation
Community gardens, Toronto Community Garden Network
Community legal clinics, Settlement.org
Convictions for sale of tobacco to minors,Toronto Public Health
Crime, per capita, by neighbourhood & type, CBC
Criminal Charges, 2010 Toronto Star
Culture (okay, this one is Mississauga)
Demographics (This is a cheat – it’s the City’s Wellbeing site)
Dog breeds, Global Toronto
Doorings, Doored.ca (map at bottom of page)
Donation boxes (charities)
“Eater Heat” (popular restaurants)
Farmers’ Markets, Toronto Farmers’ Market Network
Free Meals programs, Toronto Meals Programs
Food Premises Inspections, City of Toronto
Grow-ops, Global
Gun ownership, Toronto Star
Health, Toronto Community Health Profiles (another cheat – static, but comprehensive)
Heat vulnerability, Toronto Public Health
High Rise Construction, The Grid, 2011
Historical businesses and institutions, 2014
Historical photos, Blog TO, 2011
Home price increases, Macleans, 2014
Homicides: 2012, 2011, Victims since 1990, Toronto Star
Hot Dog/Street Vendors, Canada.com
Housing Assistance, Settlement.org
Immigration history, Toronto Star
Little Free Libraries, Little Free Library.org
Military recruiting, Toronto Star
Neighbourhoods (administrative), City of Toronto
Neighbourhoods, Tourism Toronto
Neighbourhoods (self-organized), Toronto Star
Neighbourly-minded neighbours, 5 Blocks Out
Non-Profits, by Ontario riding boundaries, Ontario Non-Profit Network
Ontario wines at local farmers’ markets, Ontario.ca
Open Plaques, “Museum of the Streets”
Parking (Green P), City
Parking ticket hotspots, Global
Problems with municipal services, The Fixer, The Toronto Star
Public schools, TDSB
Residents’ Associations & Neighbourhood groups, Dave Topping
Rental housing (Craigslist & Kijiji)
School Suspensions & Expulsions for Drugs and/or Violence (TDSB data: CTV News)
Service Ontario Kiosk or Centre, Government of Ontario
Settlement Services, Settlement.org
Smoking, Toronto Star
Smoking Violations/Sales to Minors, City of Toronto
Spice City reviews of “ethnic” restaurants
Street Map (Open Street Map wiki)
Subway playlist (The Stationary Grove), MAP Communications Consulting
Sweets & treats, Yummy Baguette
Tech Start-ups, #madeinYYZ
Towing (where your car gets taken)
Trees, Matthew Brown
United Way Toronto member agencies
Walking intersections (highest volume), Openfile
Walkscore (including Bikescore)
Watertesting, lead (Toronto Star)
Wellbeing, City of Toronto
Working Poor, Globe & Mail, Metcalf Foundation report, 2012
Zoning, City of Toronto
Belonging Community 