GreenBristol mixes creativity with new media to produce events, performances, processes and products that engage a wide audience with local and global environmental issues. Statement of Purpose Green mapping has taken off in Bristol!
GreenBristol Ltd completed a green map of East Bristol in Autumn 2006. This printed map will be included in the Neighbourhood Solutions Welcome Pack to be delivered to 4,200 households in East Bristol. The project began in January 2003 with grant funding from Community at Heart. A number of community consultation events – including a Boat Trip and a Photo Trail – were key steps in creating the map. Bristol’s First Green Map was short-listed for The Green Awards in December 2006. It was designed by Clare Cunningham. The purpose of the map is to inform local people of options for more sustainable living. It also aims to shift perceptions: to reveal the unique wildlife next door, for example - usually forgotten. The project will be professionally evaluated against these aims once the Welcome Packs are distributed. The Pilot Project also included the creation of an online green map with a publicly accessible facility to upload content (text, image, audio, moving image). The mapping data is currently moving servers - we hope to have it fully functioning again shortly.
Bristol has a vibrant culture of green mapmaking. CSV Environment has produced a printed green map of Hartcliffe and Withywood. While Sustainable Southville completed printed and online green maps of Southville and Bedminster in April 2009.
In 2009 GreenBristol started working on the '4BsHive' - a transnational project between four river cities: Bristol (UK), Berlin (Germany), Budapest (Hungary) and Bistrita (Romania). See http://4bshive.wordpress.com The project set in motion a collaborative, green map-making process within and between these four European partners. This involved the creation of online maps in all 4 cities as well as a paper map in Budapest: http://www.kwmc.org.uk/greenmap (Bristol Knowle West Green Map), http://www.opengreenmap.org/greenmap/harta-verde-bistrita (Bistrita Green Map), http://budapest.zoldterkep.hu (Budapest Green Map), http://www.greenmap-berlin.de (Berlin Green Map).
57 Adult Learners (16 from Bristol, 16 from Budapest, 6 from Berlin and 19 from Bistrita Romania) were recruited and visited Partner cities on Study Visits (mobilities). These were partly from disadvantaged and under-represented social groups including older people, those without basic qualifications and unemployed people. In this informal adult education programme, participants had the opportunity to learn and practise Green Mapmaking using a variety of methods. These included: online geographical information system (GIS); gaining new ICT skills such as blog writing, the skillful use of everyday multimedia tools like mobile phones, the utilization of free multimedia applications on the internet; and learning more about sustainability issues and active citizenship.
The programme included one preparatory meeting, four international Study Visits hosted by each of the partners, one final evaluation meeting, and locally held workshops. The process included photography, film-making, audio recording and editing as well as storytelling, thematic city tours (on foot, biking, by bus or boat), and other cultural activities. In the Study Visits, Adult Learners were able to exchange personal experiences and learn about other European communities and what differences and similarities they have with other Europeans. Beyond the educational process, the main outcomes of the project are a blog written in a collaborative manner (see http://4bshive.wordpress.com), a film documentary on the project: (see http://4bshive.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/the-documentary-film/) as well as an electronic booklet entitled “The 4Bs’ Green Mapping Guide” (see: http://4bshive.wordpress.com/2011/07/29/the-4bs-guide-on-green-mapping).
