Minnemapped

Minnemapped is a collaborative mapping project focused on the U.S. state of Minnesota. It aims to document geographic, cultural, and historical information through an interactive map that combines public datasets with user-contributed content. The goal is to provide a flexible resource for residents, educators, researchers, and planners to explore Minnesota’s places and stories.

Data and contributors: Data are drawn from government open data portals, academic and nonprofit sources, and volunteer submissions. Submissions are reviewed for basic quality and cited when possible. The project emphasizes documenting underrepresented places such as local trails, historic sites, and community resources.

Technology and features: The platform provides multiple map layers, search and filtering, annotations, and data export options. It supports API access for developers and strives to be openly licensed to encourage reuse while requiring attribution to data providers and contributors.

Governance and ethics: Minnemapped operates as a community-driven initiative with guidelines on data accuracy, privacy, and attribution. Decisions about data inclusion are guided by community review, with special care given to sensitive sites and Indigenous data stewardship.

Impact and reception: The project is used by schools, libraries, nonprofits, and local governments to document Minnesota’s places and changes over time. Limitations include uneven data coverage, reliance on volunteer participation, and ongoing debates about data provenance and representation.

See also: geographic information systems, open data, community mapping, Minnesota.