The Centre for Community Mapping (COMAP – comap.ca), a not-for-profit corporation devoted to research and development, creates and deploys strategies for socio-economic, cultural and environmental innovation based on modern information and communications technology. COMAP’s web-based applications use collaborative geomatics, social media and customized applications to support partnerships among members of geographic and virtual communities of practice whose common goal is strengthening civil society within a sustainable economy. COMAP provides a web presentation of the rural and urban landscape of Ontario where our communities can collaboratively reveal and adapt their practices of caring for our natural, cultural and social fabric.

COMAP proposes a community enterprise called newsatlas^TM that deploys a shared layered geomatics platform. Each layer will be managed by a geographic community of practice (social services, arts and culture, history and heritage, natural heritage and environment, local chambers of commerce and more). To sustain newsatlas^TM  and support  civil society, newsatlas^TM ad revenue from 'mapups’ (see below) will be shared 50/50  with community non-profits that contribute to newsatlas^TM layer content. In 2010 COMAP is building newsatlas^TM services in Toronto in partnership with Family Service Toronto and in Muskoka and Parry Sound Districts in partnership with Muskoka Community Network. COMAP believes that a community enterprise that serves local community needs provides a competitive edge for local advertising sales.

Explore mapups^TM (modular map-linked pop-ups) that can be created by registered users in a demonstration map prepared for the development of a Muskoka and Parry Sound newsatlas^TM service in 2010 below. Just zoom in and click on a dot:

To view a recent article about Don Cowan in the Waterloo region Exchange Magazine (click here)

COMAP thanks the Ontario Trillium Foundation for its generous project support