Ecoplan Google Maps mashup

Ecoplan.be offers you a handy way to find vegetarian restaurants, biohairdressers, ecological toys or ecomarkets. It guides you the way to shops specialized in recycled goods, bike shops or even second hand pet stores. You can add your own ecoshop, or share comments and tips via Twitter or Facebook.

This website won a bronze award on the election of the the INCA (Innovative and Creative Application) Award. The INCA Award is an open competition for developers, encouraging them to build both “cool and useful” Web 2.0 applications.

Objectives

• Design and develop a web mash up application with Google Maps that is useful and cool.
• Think of an application that contributes to solve collective and social problems, in a wide and non-restrictive sense.
• Integrate social aspects and feedback mechanisms to stimulate user generated content.

Results

• The Google Maps features are integrated seamlessy in the website's interface and can be used as main navigation.
• A rating mechanism was added and Facebook Connect was used to allow users to leave comments without much hassle.
• A bike route planner (RouteYou) helps you to pick out the best eco route while enjoying a bicycle trip.