Google Earth 1K Global Footprint Project

Here is a summary of a project I have been recently developing.

What is the 1K Global Footprint Project?

Interactive data is shared about people, culture, land and their contributions to the world community in one square kilometer sites on Google Earth.

A Collage of Shared Footprints.

Framed within a square kilometer image of earth’s surface, stories are revealed about the land, people and cultures.  By revealing the unique story of these micro global sites – history, culture, environment, successes, and failures create a “human footprint”, shared for all to gain knowledge of.  Thousands of identically sized 1K global sites and stories contained within them offer Google Earth users the interactive opportunity to: 1) Learn about human influences on the land and global culture, 2) Compare identical 1K land areas with each other to understand the important balance between the natural and manmade world, and 3) Communicate directly with the people living within each 1K global site.  The accessible format of Google Earth allows individuals within each 1K global site to share their story with a worldwide audience by revealing their achievements, challenges and desires in an interactive and information sharing format.  There are many variations of human footprints.  Momentary Footprints are shifting sands, melting snowcaps, volcanoes or floods.  Urban Footprints include street grids and urban growth patterns.  Organic Footprints reveal the dominance of topography and landform over human development.  Concealed footprints visually appear one way but conceal an entirely different message, a site loaded with historic, social, political, or environmental significance.  For example, a satellite view of a beautiful tree covered Pennsylvania field reveals no trace of the 30,000 soldiers who perished within one square kilometer at the Battle of Gettysburg.  Or, the geometric patterns of the Carerra marble quarries provide no evidence of the marvelous Italian sculptures and carvings created from that single location.  The Google Earth 1K Global Footprint Project will identify thousands of global sites representing great triumphs in human achievement and likewise dark secrets of human history for all to share.

A Stage for All to be Seen, Heard and Appreciated.

The global community has direct access using a menu of interactive options to identify metrics, history, visual imagery, writings, research, politics, sport, and live images - tools to fully understand each other and participate in a global conversation.  The 1K Project engages Google Earth users directly with 1K Sites and those individuals and issues within the site boundaries.  For example, a satellite image reveals the dramatic replacement of historic Chinese neighborhoods with new high rise towers.  Google Earth 1K interactive tools will provide those Shanghai residents a voice and live images – raising a real time global awareness of their urban renewal crisis.  Creative artists will find a new source of delivering their work to a global audience with music, performance and visual creativity.  The Google Earth 1K Global Footprint Project provides a stage, a “soap box” for all to be seen, heard and appreciated.

Who Benefits from the 1K Project?

The 1K Project benefits 1) Google Earth users of all ages who interact with 1K Sites and 2) people directly associated with 1K Sites.  An interactive menu of information about each site is available to examine and links connect directly to other similar 1K sites.  Information is created specifically for each site and includes layers of data covering subjects such as; history, art, literature, politics, design, environment, sustainability, sports, live images, entertainment, triumphs and tragedies – collectively offering a body of knowledge that illustrate the unique qualities of the place.  For the 1K site residents, this worldwide platform provides a spotlight to make their voices heard and their stories shared with the global community.  They present their individual accomplishments and concerns for the general knowledge base, highlighting facts they believe can influence others and reinforce the global dialogue we are all part of.

How Do We Get Started?

Upon acceptance of the concept, a team of project “imagineers” develops the idea, soliciting feedback from international reviewers.  The team includes educators, technical engineers, historians, designers, environmentalists, urban planners, artists, scientists, school children, business owners, politicians and a cross section of international participants who represent Google Earth users and 1K Site residents.  The next step involves a process of project beta testing, fine tuning and evaluation.  Once each 1K Site has been identified and approved, a process of information gathering is implemented.  The method of data sharing is created to easily understand and navigate so that individuals anywhere on earth can effortlessly interact with the program structure.  The Google Earth 1K Global Footprint Project is created in a universally accessible format and with common goals and objectives that will benefit all people, regardless of their nationality, political or social status.

Building Meaningful Relationships.

The 1K Footprint Project enables people throughout the world to embrace a platform for communicating with each other.  Communities in remote corners of earth are given equal representation to declare their value to the world and gain knowledge from direct association with other 1K sites.  They connect with other communities of similar densities, development patterns, and infrastructure challenges and begin sharing knowledge and solutions to major issues they face.  People can share their creativity with a global audience and strengthen cultural identities and pride in who they are and what they are capable of achieving.  Metrics established early on are continually monitored allowing analysis of progress or in some instances failure.  While Google Earth is the medium in which people find each other, the 1K Google Footprint Project provides tools in which they interact, communicate, learn and ultimately build meaningful relationships with each other.