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#4 — Maps and Apps
Various tools and materials exist that allow individuals with the right technology to locate certain assets or to
understand why they are valuable to them. Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and the City of Minneapolis have
launched an audio MPR Sound Point tour of Minneapolis Public Art. The Sound Point technology allows the
public to access a series of stories, in the words of the artists, about new works of public art in Minneapolis, and
gives audiences the opportunity to leave their own thoughts about the work. Viewers can listen to these stories
when they are near the asset by dialing or texting a phone number or scanning a QR code (a supermarket-style
barcode) with their smartphone. If they have a smartphone, they can also see where many other public art works
are around the city. 28
Figure 2.21: Smartphone “app” that gives an audio tour of Minneapolis public art
Listen to local artist Seitu Jones outline his work and the background to it.
(source: Minnesota Public Radio and City of Minneapolis Art in Public Places)
Another interesting example comes from a small non-profit called Baltimore GreenMap (BGM), which produces
civic and community-scale maps using the global Google-powered Green Map® System site, which uses a set of
common signs, a sort of “asset vocabulary.” The most comprehensive Baltimore map, the Regional Green Map,
features over 330 asset signs thus far.
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You can access the stories by visiting http://listenhere.wirenode.mobi on your smart-phone or tablet.
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