This document summarizes an open source mapping project in the occupied Palestinian territories. The project collected testimonies and mapped neighborhoods in 5 cities, documenting bombings and casualties. Field work was conducted in the West Bank, meeting with activists. The project aims to develop new modes of geographic activism and enable open data applications like tracking settlement populations and products made in settlements. It discusses alternatives like supporting binational economic development and tracking the financial impact of initiatives.

1. Open Source Mapping in
the Occupied Palestinian
Territories
Josh Levinger
Center for Future Civic Media
MIT Media Lab

5. • Collaboration with Harvard Alliance for
Justice in the Middle East
• Collected 77 testimonies from 29 authors
• Mapped 32 neighborhoods in 5 cities
• Bombing and casualty data from UN, PLO

12. Summer Field Work
• Permit to Gaza denied
• Traveled in West Bank
• Met with activists
(Israeli, Palestinian, intl)
• Developing new modes
of geographic activism

15. Free Your Maps!
{"query": "ofra", "type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [{"geometry": {"type":
"MultiPolygon", "coordinates": [[[[3925986.8983629998, 3755737.0736429999],
[3925980.1903280001, 3755680.859925], [3925972.54091, 3755645.6456920002],
[3925947.3621240002, 3755591.2768549998], [3925950.3971870001, 3755566.774764],
[3925954.9312459999, 3755508.1892240001], [3925939.669609, 3755460.712117],
[3925903.8151199999, 3755409.426031], [3925863.3948169998, 3755361.1948190001],
[3925777.4153229999, 3755335.9752529999], [3925714.9066189998,
3755323.7548389998], [3925686.7124669999, 3755326.8346600002],
[3925644.8105970002, 3755343.7039700001],[3927205.2379930001,
3757604.3792929999], [3927203.5432250001, 3757501.9618299999],
[3927188.9034770001, 3757375.653614], [3927276.1991790002, 3757286.1916220002],
[3927371.6155369999, 3757243.8617409999], [3927387.7791900001, 3757222.706975],
[3927463.69068, 3757038.9663689998], [3927468.5211760001, 3757009.7034300002],
[3927415.0313360002, 3756860.179335], [3927361.5578419999, 3756732.2844170001],
[3927384.1701290002, 3756690.0071979999], [3927424.567609, 3756623.3334070002],
[3927481.1318029999, 3756542.0132539999], [3927497.2668090002,
3756481.8643410001], [3927497.2243579999, 3756421.7154100002],
[3927540.8558100001, 3756351.78688], [3927505.214251, 3756281.9153959998],
[3927463.107078, 3756208.7953260001], [3927408.076719, 3756174.7024579998],
[3927325.577817, 3756173.1395339998], [3927247.9174119998, 3756153.684601],
[3927162.1566809998, 3756116.3585319999], [3927097.4281230001,
3756067.6365970001], [3927063.4497440001, 3756067.6596280001],
[3927058.6251750002, 3756106.6804689998], [3927052.1875849999,
3756145.6906909999], [3927024.6931329998, 3756158.7112159999], [3927011.732297,
3756126.209082], [3926978.6891510002, 3756063.1618579999], [3926943.057056,
3756001.4297890002], [3926915.5457199998, 3755970.5584430001], [3926897.777363,
3756020.9567140001], [3926865.4196080002, 3756014.4831039999], [3926828.192183,
3755978.743735], [3926803.9376750002, 3755995.01486], [3926742.4569899999,
3755977.1789489998], [3926653.4917589999, 3755969.1088140002],
[3926592.0216740002, 3755967.5155159999], [3926583.9026029999, 3755918.767031],
[3926659.8550010002, 3755811.4279729999], [3926732.5864829998,
3755713.8633059999], [3926716.3309320002, 3755590.3422849998],
[3926664.5037250002, 3755494.4805120002], [3926580.382309, 3755470.152489],
[3926421.8787059998, 3755501.1288149999], [3926318.3797309999,
3755535.3227550001], [3926176.0992419999, 3755647.571432], [3926080.700826,
3755706.1410989999], [3925986.8983629998, 3755737.0736429999]]]]}, "crs": {"type":
"name", "properties": {"name": "EPSG:900913"}}, "type": "Feature", "properties":
{"center": {"type": "Point", "coordinates": [3925855.0246799998, 3756683.381825]},
"name": "Ofra", "id": 71}}], "bounds": [3925855.011353516, 3756683.3213730277,
3925855.0297927461, 3756683.3953289515]}

16. Open Data
Enables Applications
Settlement Population
300,000
225,000
150,000
75,000
0
1967 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004
Number of Settlers (w/o East Jerusalem)
Source: PeaceNow

17. Better ‫בלוקבסטר‬
Boycott
• Targeted at products
made in the
settlements
• Expose unlabeled
place of origin
• Consumers ignorant
of their economic
support
• Global exports
Source: Coalition of Women for Peace

18. Alternatives
• Shift spending streams
• Support peaceful
binational economic
development

19. Implementation
•• User interface
GeoDjango, OpenLayers, Cartagen
Barkan Wineries
Barkan Industrial Zone,
Golan Heights (zoom in)
Produce and market wines and
• iPhone mobile site, barcode search
134 Users
liqueurs. Own vineyards in the
occupied Golan Heights. Use
•
grapes from these vineyards in
track this
Integrate with existing
their wine production. Used to
product have their main facility and
(track it) winery in the industrial zone of
platforms
the Barkan settlement in the
Where is it West Bank. As of December
sold? (map) 2007 they do not hold any
• WhoProfits, SourceMap, BILUMI, Amazon, PayPal
Contact
industrial space in the Occupied
Territories. Source: CWP
•
business Verified
Levels of data verification (email)
Business
•
owner?
Successfully Divested!
Crowd source data gathering
(claim)
(view) (edit) (ingredients)
• Track financial impact,
engage community

20. Work in Progress