The Mattapan Mapping Project

The Mattapan Mapping Project is an open-source, community-based initiative to collect and share resident stories alongside quantitative and spatial data about how Mattapan is changing development, organizing and policy.

Mattapan Mapping Project At A Glance

The Mattapan Mapping Tool, embedded within the Mattapan Mapping Project is a creative and user-friendly online mapping tool designed to track nuanced data (i.e. demographic and land use statistics, audio and video files, cognitive maps, alternative housing and land use typologies) that affirm and amplify the place-knowing and spatial claims and aspirations of community members.  By providing diverse, relevant, and coherent information on a single open-source online platform, the project seeks to empower residents to take civic action and advocate for equitable policy and urban development.

 

  • 1 Year

  • Community Engagement
    User Research
    Spatial Mapping
    Wireframing
    Prototyping
    User Testing

  • Figma
    Miro
    Adobe Suite
    GIS
    Zoom

  • The Mattapan Mapping Team
    Mattapan Neighborhood Council
    Code for Boston

Let’s get into the details

  • Understanding the issue.

    Mattapan is a majority Black neighborhood in Boston undergoing massive development. Recent influxes of new market-rate housing has placed Mattapan on the cusp of change, with the direction yet to be fully determined.

  • Defining the user.

    As a community co-design tool, this platform is designed for Longstanding Residents, Community Activists, and other core stakeholders to acquire and share knowledge about incoming developments and gentrification pressures across Mattapan.

  • Managing the project.

    My role as a project manager and design lead is to act as a liaison between our internal project team guiding the social and research components of the tool on the ground in Mattapan, and the coding team responsible for building the mechanics of the platform.

The results…

Well, we don’t have our results just yet since we’re still in the iterative, low fidelity design phase. The next few months are focused on prioritizing elements for our MVP and conducting a second round of user testing with Mattapan residents to ensure the tool aligns with community needs and visions.