Geography Awareness Week, November 15th-21st 2015, features activities and events all over the world related to geography and mapping. Geography Awareness Week was originally established by National Geographic to promote to Geography in American education and to excite people about geography as both a discipline and a part of everyday life.
In Philadelphia, alone, there are numerous events relating to Geography, urbanism and mapping during this special week. Below is a round up!
Monday, November 16th
Open Streets Film Screening and Panel Discussion
Celebrate the potential of open streets with this film screening and panel discussion. Since the Pope visit in Philadelphia which inadvertently created a haven for pedestrians and cyclists, Open Streets Philly is building the public and political support for future open streets events. Beer provided. $5 registration.
Tuesday, November 17th
City of Philadelphia presents: Map, Measure, Manage 2015
Join us for a showcase of place-based apps used by Philadelphia City government for data-driven decision making. Learn how your city government uses geodata to analyze and address problems like vacant buildings. Drop-in for Q&A with city staff from Office of Innovation, Streets, L+I, Philadelphia Water, etc. See demos of geo-tools used to improve city operations and services
Wednesday, November 18th
Penn GIS Day: The Intersection of Geography, Real Estate, and Civil Rights
Penn GIS Day, held in conjunction with the National GIS Day celebration, focuses on real-world applications and innovations stemming from uses of Geographic Information Systems. The forum examines the use of GIS both at Penn and more broadly, offering an opportunity for professional and academic interaction. This year, speakers will discuss how the role of spatial analytics is advancing in the fields of real estate and housing. Also consider registering for the Technical Workshop from 2:00-4:00 pm.
Temple GIS Day: Making a difference in communities with GIS and spatial analysis.
Temple University is pleased to announce that we will once again be hosting geographic information systems (GIS) Day for 2015. GIS Day provides an international forum for users of geographic information systems (GIS) technology to demonstrate real-world applications that are making a difference in our society.
This FREE EVENT will include lightning talks by many groups at Temple University and around Philadelphia on how GIS is used to make a difference, an employment workshop featuring Temple alumni working in the GIS field, and a keynote presentation by John Duchneskie (Assistant Managing Editor/ Design and Graphics, The Philadelphia Inquirer).
Drexel University is holding a GIS Day Event this year with the sponsorship of the Drexel University GIS Users Group, School of Public Health, and University Libraries. The day’s events will include a morning of 15 minute presentations on GIS use in a variety of disciplines ranging from public health, ecology, computing and informatics, and environmental science. The presentations are geared toward a public audience and meant to inform the campus community of the potential uses of desktop and web GIS applications. The event is scheduled for 10 am – noon, Wednesday, November 18 in Nesbitt Hall.
Philadelphia Map Society Explores the Maps of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation
Philadelphia Map Society appreciates the opportunity to explore maps in the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Archive at 1515 Arch St, 10th Floor to be selected by Rob Armstrong, Preservation and Capital Projects Manager, and Alina Josan, Archives Specialist. A stunning 12 foot map completed in 1909 with the express purpose of placing Pennypack Park on the City Plan will be laid out for intense scrutiny. 5:30-7:00pm.
Thursday, November 19th
Cap off Geography Week with a beer and a pretzel at this months Urban Geek Drinks at Frankford Hall. Urban Geek Drinks is a monthly happy hour for a diverse group of civic do-gooders in Philadelphia. It’s an opportunity for you to connect with other people who care deeply about Philadelphia and are working incredibly hard to make this city really great.
Can’t make it to any events this week? Consider joining GeoPhilly, a meetup for map enthusiasts, the Philadelphia Map Society or MaptimePHL, a meetup for folks that want to build their mapping skills in a collaborative, supportive environment.