Building the New Play Map Version 3.0

The next iteration of the New Play Map is on the way! We have completed the first of four “sprints” with our web developers, Quilted. We want to keep you informed of our progress as it happens, so keep an eye out for regular posts. The first update comes courtesy of developer extraordinaire Chacha Sikes:

What was accomplished during the first sprint?
First, we built a new version of the map that uses a lot of the mapping technologies that have developed in the last year. We created a better looking and faster map that will load more information so we can see and understand what’s going on more clearly. We also changed all the data from loading up through an mySQL database to instead output in GeoJSON.

We created a better looking and faster map that will load more information so we can see and understand what’s going on more clearly.

What are the new technologies being used?
We are using Wax and MapBox which help us load the mapping tiles faster. We’re also using Modest Maps, a variant of Polymaps which is produced by Stamen, a great mapping company based out of San Francisco.

Why was it important to translate the data to output in GeoJSON?
When we started building the map there were mapping systems in development, but in the last year we have seen an increase in available technologies. Now GeoJSON is the more standard way of storing geographical data. JavaScript can read GeoJSON super quickly so that what would have taken maybe ten seconds to load in the old language now loads immediately.

To follow our progress and see our development queue on Pivotal Tracker, click here. If you find any bugs on the current Map or if you have requests and ideas for a better experience, please report them here. We'll be sure to follow up with you. Co-develop this with us!