New online campus map displays sustainability features

January 15, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida campus map, http://campusmap.ufl.edu, has recently added a new set of tools highlighting locations around campus that incorporate sustainable initiatives.

These new tools, which can be found under the “Map Features” dialog, offer locations and information on a number of a sustainable campus features, such as flex car parking, sustainable dining, LEED-certified buildings, urban parks and gardens, conservation areas, lakes and ponds, recycling areas and the tree walk.

The new features highlight some of the sustainable features of the campus that may not be obvious to a casual observer.

When a campus map user chooses a feature to view, the regular Google-maps based interface is overlaid with icons displaying the locations of each site which corresponds to the selected feature. For example, if the user were to choose recycling areas, the icons would show up everywhere a recycling receptacle or facility is located on campus.

LEED-certified buildings are one of the categories that can be chosen. These are buildings which have been built to meet or exceed a set of standards for sustainable construction. On the campus map, a building icon can be selected for more information.

If the user selects the tree walk, a similar overlay appears on the map, although this one features a walking path through campus as well as icons to denote each tree along the path. The walk was developed in 1989 by researchers from the School of Forest Resources and Conservation and features over 30 different species of tree along its length.

The campus map is developed and hosted by Facilities, Planning and Construction, part of the Division of Business Affairs. Aside from its sustainability features, the map has a number of other features, including bus routes, cultural areas around campus, workout facilities, and Healthy Gators walking routes.

The interactive campus map can be accessed any time at http://campusmap.ufl.edu. For more information about Healthy Gators, visit http://healthygators.hhp.ufl.edu/.