---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 09:12:49 -0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)
From: Philip Hoehn <[log in to unmask]>
To: maps-l <[log in to unmask]>
Cc: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Green map of San Francisco
 
New environmental map of San Francisco available:
 
Project Drum.  Green City Project.
        San Francisco Green Map : A Guide to
Environmentally Responsible Living in the City by the Bay.
[1st ed.]  [San Francisco, Calif. : The Project, 1998]
Scale [ca. 1:36,000]    Free.  Send legal size SASE (32
cents for 1 copy, 55 cents for 2 copies) to Project Drum,
P.O. Box 31251, San Francisco, CA 94131
 
        As a guide this is quite useful, particularly to
the average citizen.  It includes such "green" sites as
natural areas, dog runs, best views, parks, farmers
markets, vegetarian food, protest point, science education
sites and recycling centers.  It provides addresses, phone
numbers and email addresses.  The map happily includes a
bar scale and on the whole is attractive.
 
        However, it does have some serious problems.  It is
undated -- a cartographic capital offense.  The use of
color is somewhat strange or unexplained.  Areas outside of
San Francisco (and hence devoid of "green" features) are
shown in pale yellow (Marin County) and also in the same
light brown as San Francisco itself (San Mateo County).
Hunters Point (alone) is shown in dark brown without
explanation of what (if anything) this color signifies.
The legend includes some obviously well-thought out
symbols.  On the map, however, these are reduced in size,
enclosed in an oval, and shown with reversed polarity,
making it difficult to connect them back to the legend.  A
number of places are shown in bright yellow (e.g., a part
of Lincoln Park, the Polo Field in Golden Gate Park, some
parks), while some similar features are shown in dark
green.  The differences between these differently depicted
areas ought to be explained.
 
        The location of symbols is sometimes fairly far
removed from the feature shown.  For example, the Randall
Museum (no. 720 on the map) is  shown two blocks from its
actual location.  The judicious use of small arrows could
solve this problem.
 
        The work states that, "San Francisco also has five
natural islands (Alcatraz, Angel, Yerba Buena, Red Rock and
the Farallones) and the man-made Treasure Island ..."  In
fact, Angel Island is not part of San Francisco, but is in
Marin County, and the Farallones are themselves composed of
seven islands.  Alta Plaza is named Alta Vista Park.
 
        San Francisco is loaded with "Great Views," and no
work of this size could mention all of them, yet one would
expect such spectacular ones as Grandview Park, Mt.
Davidson and Twin Peaks to be so identified.  Similarly the
map fails to identify a number of significant habitats
(areas officially designated as significant natural
resource areas), including Corona Heights and Glen Canyon
Park.
 
        One hopes that the promised future editions of this
map will address some of this first one's shortcomings.
The usefulness of the present work (particularly
considering its price) far outweighs any problems, and it
is recommended for relevant map collections.  More
information about the Green Map System can be found at
www.greenmap.com.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phil Hoehn, Map Bibliographer
Branner Earth Sciences Library
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-2210
[log in to unmask]
Phone 1.650.725.1103   FAX 1.650.725.2534