A colorful abstract map of Tokyo
A colorful abstract map of Beijing
A colorful abstract map of New York
Nobody asked, but hey we just enabled HTTPS on Pretty Maps, an old project from 2010 by Stamen alum Aaron Straup Cope (@thisisaaronland.bsky.social). Amazing that it still works!
Enjoy it here: prettymaps.stamen.com
#ttmprettymaps #prettymaps #maps #cartography #design #flickr
Very nice! I had some old algorithm I tried making years ago that used point populations & a decay function to hide places that are near to a significantly bigger place (a bit like terrain "prominence" which is where I thought you were going w/ this). But this raster density approach is way cooler!
A screenshot of QGIS showing a monochrome raster, overlaid with yellow polygon outlines. The window for the zonal statistics tool can be seen.
A monochrome raster that shows very fuzzy patches of white and grey. Atop it is a red outline of the state of Michigan.
New tutorial post on the blog: "Urban Relativity," discussing my method for comparing city populations with their surroundings, which I sometimes use to help decide which cities to show on a map, and which to leave off. somethingaboutmaps.wordpress.com/2026/03/23/u...
Hey #WashingtonState & especially those in #WhatcomCounty: Call the legislative hotline today at 800-562-6000 in support of SB 6346, the Millionaires Tax. Now it needs a vote in the state House, but Rep. Alicia Rule of the 42nd LD so far is against it. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/04/h...
New video explaining #ProportionalRepresentation from @sightline.org www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PWe...
Correction: #California approved the idea of #PermanentDST in a ballot measure in 2018, but the legislature failed to pass the needed legislation.
Also, this is my new favorite Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permane...
Big news in Cascadia: British Columbia will switch to permanent #DaylightSavingTime. Clocks will change for the last time on March 8 and then will not switch back in the fall.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Very excited that there's another season coming of the excellent #podcast "The Future of Our Former Democracy". If you want to understand the social context of the electoral reforms that I keep going on about, this podcast is a great listen! #RankedChoiceVoting
play.megaphone.fm/jje8qgvlr3ih...
Immediate action needed today to help #RankedChoiceVoting in Washington State! Call the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000, and leave a message for your House Representatives that you strongly support bringing HB 2210 (the VOICES Act) bill to the floor before Tuesday's 5 PM cutoff!
Done!
🏁 The race is on! Can we count on each of you to ask 3 friends to sign in PRO for the Millionaires Tax? Let's show lawmakers that we're ready to balance our tax code and fund the necessities!
Send your friends this link ➡️ https://investwanow.org/sign-pro-millionaires-tax
Another action to help #RankedChoiceVoting in Washington State:
If you're a Washington voter, sign in "pro" for SHB 2210 before its hearing at the House Appropriations Committee tomorrow (Thu Feb 5) at 10:30am
app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Testifie...
A grid of twelve minimalist maps of Bellingham, Washington, created from OpenStreetMap data and suitable for printing as posters
My friend Nathan Carnes generated a full set of #BellinghamWA maps using #OpenStreetMap data and the #MapToPoster script by Ankur Gupta. View and download them here:
bellingham-maps.nathancarnes.com
Make your own here: github.com/originalanku...
"You’re seeing a new kind of map. Our Constellation Map reimagines how Indigenous nations can be shown by highlighting relationships, connections, and presence rather than strict borders. This map displays nations as glowing points linked together in a constellation-like network, with only faint hints of territorial shapes in the background. It’s a way of inviting users to explore Indigenous land, waters, and people through a more interconnected lens."
Loving the new "Constellation Map" view on Native Land Digital:
native-land.ca/maps/constel...
#NativeLand #IndigenousMapping #NativeLandDigital
Good news for #ProportionalRepresentation:
"48% of adults say they would support a system where states are required to assign seats in the U.S. House in proportion to the number of votes won statewide, while 19% are opposed. 32% of respondents said 'don’t know'"
open.substack.com/pub/gelliott...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/03/s...
Gerrymandering researcher Moon Duchin: "I think taking a hard look at the design of electoral systems could get us out of this nuclear moment. One system I’m studying is proportional ranked choice voting, also known as the single transferable vote method."
A screenshot of a black and white map with encroaching shadows around the margins. Overlaid on the map is the text "Dark greetings! (bat emoji) We took our iconic Toner map style..."
Another screenshot of a dark map, with the image of two vampires from the TV show "What We Do In The Shadows". Text overlaid on the image says "...into the darkness with two new variations"
Screenshot of a dark map with the text "Read more about Toner Dark..."
Screenshot of a dark map with the text "... and Toner Blacklite on the Stamen blog"
What do we map in the shadows?
Our iconic Toner map style, now in dark mode! Read about how we developed "Toner Dark" and "Toner Blacklite" on the blog now: stamen.com/what-we-map-....
Both styles are available from our friends at @stadiamaps@en.osm.town here: stadiamaps.com/explore-the-....
Our pretty new train is on its way to the east coast for more tests. In 2026, Amtrak Cascades will operate 8 new trains. The trains feature a Pacific Northwest-inspired design, comfy seats, big windows, and regional food and beverages.
Beautiful map of precipitation and tree canopy height around the #SalishSea, by Dave Taylor of Pathfinder Geospatial:
www.maps.com/the-soaked-c...
Hello friends!
No, Maptime HQ is not "back", we are still on indefinite hiatus.
But! There are still many decentralized #maptime chapters that are active around the world, so we wanted to create a centralized MaptimeHQ account to *occasionally* repost that mappy goodness.
We miss you all! ❤️🌈
There's also a Slack group, where I can invite you. Some people will still see messages there, but mostly it's quiet.
@mapcenter.com yup I use either "maptime" or "Maptime" without capitalizing the T.
And yes, I think we can still accept PRs on the Maptime github, and will happily add you as a contributor to the github org.
Our politics is as dysfunctional as ever. Voters want change, but our elections leave tens of millions w/out real choices on their ballot or a voice in our democracy.
A new report from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences shows how #ProportionalRepresentation can change that.
Full report below🧵
Important alert for people who like working while a light white noise is playing in the background, there is a family of whales singing next to the Moss Landing Marine Lab hydrophone right now and you should listen! radio.garden/visit/moss-l...
It was so much fun working on these fascinating brain maps for UCSF neuroscientists! Check it out:
This looks awesome:
"Join us for the first ever Bellingham Subdued Saunter! A self-paced nearly 20 mile walk exploring Bellingham." givebutter.com/subduedsaunter
#BellinghamWA
I just added one of these to #OpenStreetMap. Need to get these local tree experts involved in mapping! #BellinghamWA
Commentary from 25 county auditors in #WashingtonState: "Vote-at-home is the law in Washington — and it works"
washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/09/16/v...
#Elections #VoteByMail #uspol #USPolitics
Happy National Voter Registration Day to those who celebrate
gerrymandering in pre-warp cultures