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Alan McConchie

@mappingmashups.net
569 followers 483 following 83 posts

Was @mappingmashups on Twitter. Now I’m all-in on Mastodon, so go follow me there: subdued.social/@alan Just here to run the socials for @stamen.com and to nag you all to join Mastodon. Advocate of the #BellinghamWA hashtag

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Reposted by Alan McConchie
Stamen Design @stamen.com · 24/09/2026
New post: our basemaps got some refreshed water details thanks to our partners at @stadiamaps.com! Check it out on the blog: stamen.com/refreshing-n...
A map of Iceland with the text overlaid: "Updated coastlines on Stamen Terrain"A screenshot of improved map coastlinesA screenshot of improved map coastlinesA screenshot of improved map coastlines
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Reposted by Alan McConchie
OpenStreetMap US @osmus.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Learn about the OSM cartography landscape in this presentation at #SOTMUS2026: youtu.be/gIMXE9hHagg?... 🦩 🦩 🦩 #basemap #cartography #OpenStreetMap #OSM #StateoftheMapUS
youtu.be
State of the OSM cartography landscape ~ Kelsey Taylor & Alan McConchie
Creating a basemap using OSM data is easier than ever, but to design one from scratch, or to make substantial modifications to an existing basemap, requires a hodgepodge of different tools to get the…
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 04/09/2026
I wrote a recap of the SOTMUS2026 conference for the @stamen.com blog:
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 24/07/2026
I love this idea of natural comparisons between #ProportionalRepresentation and non-PR countries around the world, noting that it's almost like having a scientific control group: * Ireland (PR) vs UK * Germany (PR) vs France * New Zealand (PR) vs Australia www.fairvote.ca/23/07/2026/h...
fairvote.ca
Harmeet Nanner: Justin Trudeau feared proportional representation, but the countries using his preferred electoral systems are where fears have become reality
Justin Trudeau feared proportional representation, but the countries using his preferred electoral systems are where fears have become reality.
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Andrew Engelson @andyengelson.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
How can #Cascadia increase its fiscal autonomy? Creating state public banks in Oregon and Washington. North Dakota, a deeply red state, has the only public bank in the US and it pumps billions of dollars back into the local economy: www.cascadia-journal.com/cascadia-sho...
cascadia-journal.com
Cascadia should follow North Dakota's lead and create public state banks
After a talk last night in Seattle by Bank of North Dakota CEO Don Morgan, I came away even more convinced that Oregon and Washington should make creating public state banks a high legislative priorit...
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Daniel Huffman @pinakographos.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
New on the blog: "On Sin," in which I meditate on cartographic ethics, and invite discussion on a thorny problem: how we might decide if or when the inaccuracies embedded in a #map cause it to become unethical.
Screenshot of the blog post, with a tilt-shift effect applied, along with a vignette and some rotation.
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Invest In Washington Now @investwanow.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
"... between 1989 and 2025, the top 0.1% increased its share of household wealth from 8.6% to 14.5%, while the top 1% as a whole climbed from 22.8% to 31.9%." Source: www.visualcapitalist.com/americas-w…
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Stamen Design @stamen.com · 22/05/2026
New work! "Mapping Boston’s Curbs: Designing a Public Interface for the City’s New Curb Lab" stamen.com/mapping-bost... #Boston #SmartCities #OpenSource #OpenData #Urbanism
stamen.com
Mapping Boston's Curbs: Designing a Public Interface for the City's New Curb Lab | Stamen
Recently, we worked with the City of Boston’s Office of Emerging Technology to design a prototype curb regulation map, making it easier for Boston residents and visitors to find parking and understand...
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 08/05/2026
Hey cartographers and map-adjacent people, take our quick survey! We'll be sharing our results at the upcoming @osmus.bsky.social "State of the Map US" conference next month. #cartography
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Reposted by Alan McConchie
Robert Simmon @rsimmon.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
These diagramatic maps of the “decade volcanoes“ are glorious. All by Catalina Plé: www.catalinaple.com/home/decadev... 🌋
Diagram showing 17 of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes, showing last eruption date and nearby population.Map and profile of Mount Rainier. Map and profile of Mount TeideMap and cross-sections showing the type of magma bodies underneath Rainier, Teide, Galeras, and Ulawun.
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 21/04/2026
In case anyone missed it, at @stamen.com we're conducting our first-ever "Cartographic Design and Development Workflow Census". If you are someone who works with maps or geospatial data this short survey might be for you! Bookshelf pic "for the algorithm" :) stamen.com/2026-carto-c...
stamen.com
Map makers! Fill out the 2026 Cartographic Design and Development Workflow Census | Stamen
Stamen is working on a research project about the existing map design and development tooling landscape in advance of a talk we’re planning for the State of the Map US conference in Madison, WI. We’re...
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Reposted by Alan McConchie
Stamen Design @stamen.com · 16/04/2026
Stamen is working on a research project about the existing map design & development tooling landscape: what tools people use, where there are gaps, and how workflows could be improved in the future. If you have 10 minutes, please consider filling out our census here! forms.gle/ZWt2m2Yq3o5C...
forms.gle
Cartographic Design + Development Workflow Census
Stamen is working on a small research project about the existing map design and development tooling landscape in advance of a talk we’re planning for State of the Map US in Madison, WI. We're interest...
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Stamen Design @stamen.com · 23/03/2026
Nobody asked, but hey we just enabled HTTPS on Pretty Maps, an old project from 2010 by Stamen alum Aaron Straup Cope (@thisisaaronland.bsky.social). Amazing that it still works! Enjoy it here: prettymaps.stamen.com #ttmprettymaps #prettymaps #maps #cartography #design #flickr
A colorful abstract map of TokyoA colorful abstract map of BeijingA colorful abstract map of New York
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Reposted by Alan McConchie
Daniel Huffman @pinakographos.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
New tutorial post on the blog: "Urban Relativity," discussing my method for comparing city populations with their surroundings, which I sometimes use to help decide which cities to show on a map, and which to leave off. somethingaboutmaps.wordpress.com/2026/03/23/u...
A screenshot of QGIS showing a monochrome raster, overlaid with yellow polygon outlines. The window for the zonal statistics tool can be seen.A monochrome raster that shows very fuzzy patches of white and grey. Atop it is a red outline of the state of Michigan.
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 05/03/2026
Hey #WashingtonState & especially those in #WhatcomCounty: Call the legislative hotline today at 800-562-6000 in support of SB 6346, the Millionaires Tax. Now it needs a vote in the state House, but Rep. Alicia Rule of the 42nd LD so far is against it. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/04/h...
washingtonstatestandard.com
Holdout Democrats leave WA House support for income tax in doubt • Washington State Standard
The votes weren’t there yet late Wednesday for Democrats’ income tax bill in the Washington state House. Democratic members are withholding support for the proposed income tax on millionaires, saying ...
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 05/03/2026
New video explaining #ProportionalRepresentation from @sightline.org www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PWe...
youtube.com
Proportional Representation, Explained
YouTube video by Sightline Institute
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 02/03/2026
Big news in Cascadia: British Columbia will switch to permanent #DaylightSavingTime. Clocks will change for the last time on March 8 and then will not switch back in the fall. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
B.C. to end time changes, adopt year-round daylight time | CBC News
March 8 will be the last time most British Columbians have to change their clocks, B.C. Premier David Eby announced Monday.
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 19/02/2026
Very excited that there's another season coming of the excellent #podcast "The Future of Our Former Democracy". If you want to understand the social context of the electoral reforms that I keep going on about, this podcast is a great listen! #RankedChoiceVoting play.megaphone.fm/jje8qgvlr3ih...
play.megaphone.fm
Season 2 Trailer: The Federal Republic of Germany
After the end of World War II, Germany adopted a new electoral system designed to prevent a faction like the Nazis from taking over government ever again. In our new season, we compare how far-right m...
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 17/02/2026
Immediate action needed today to help #RankedChoiceVoting in Washington State! Call the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000, and leave a message for your House Representatives that you strongly support bringing HB 2210 (the VOICES Act) bill to the floor before Tuesday's 5 PM cutoff!
fairvotewa.org
Legislation | FairVote Washington
Learn about ranked-choice voting for presidential primaries and the local options bill
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Reposted by Alan McConchie
Invest In Washington Now @investwanow.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
🏁 The race is on! Can we count on each of you to ask 3 friends to sign in PRO for the Millionaires Tax? Let's show lawmakers that we're ready to balance our tax code and fund the necessities! Send your friends this link ➡️ investwanow.org/sign-pro-millionair…
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 04/02/2026
Another action to help #RankedChoiceVoting in Washington State: If you're a Washington voter, sign in "pro" for SHB 2210 before its hearing at the House Appropriations Committee tomorrow (Thu Feb 5) at 10:30am app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Testifie...
app.leg.wa.gov
CSI
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 28/01/2026
My friend Nathan Carnes generated a full set of #BellinghamWA maps using #OpenStreetMap data and the #MapToPoster script by Ankur Gupta. View and download them here: bellingham-maps.nathancarnes.com Make your own here: github.com/originalanku...
A grid of twelve minimalist maps of Bellingham, Washington, created from OpenStreetMap data and suitable for printing as posters
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 15/12/2025
Loving the new "Constellation Map" view on Native Land Digital: native-land.ca/maps/constel... #NativeLand #IndigenousMapping #NativeLandDigital
"You’re seeing a new kind of map.

Our Constellation Map reimagines how Indigenous nations can be shown by highlighting relationships, connections, and presence rather than strict borders.

This map displays nations as glowing points linked together in a constellation-like network, with only faint hints of territorial shapes in the background. It’s a way of inviting users to explore Indigenous land, waters, and people through a more interconnected lens."
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 07/11/2025
Good news for #ProportionalRepresentation: "48% of adults say they would support a system where states are required to assign seats in the U.S. House in proportion to the number of votes won statewide, while 19% are opposed. 32% of respondents said 'don’t know'" open.substack.com/pub/gelliott...
open.substack.com
New poll: Voters want Democrats to win in NJ, VA and in 2026, as they push back on Trump
Plus: Voters trust Democrats more than Republicans to handle the economy; a majority of voters say Trump is acting above the law; and 62% say the country is off on the wrong track
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 03/11/2025
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/03/s... Gerrymandering researcher Moon Duchin: "I think taking a hard look at the design of electoral systems could get us out of this nuclear moment. One system I’m studying is proportional ranked choice voting, also known as the single transferable vote method."
nytimes.com
Moon Duchin on the ‘Mathematical Quagmire’ of Gerrymandering
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Reposted by Alan McConchie
Stamen Design @stamen.com · 31/10/2025
What do we map in the shadows? Our iconic Toner map style, now in dark mode! Read about how we developed "Toner Dark" and "Toner Blacklite" on the blog now: stamen.com/what-we-map-.... Both styles are available from our friends at @stadiamaps@en.osm.town here: stadiamaps.com/explore-the-....
A screenshot of a black and white map with encroaching shadows around the margins. Overlaid on the map is the text "Dark greetings! (bat emoji) We took our iconic Toner map style..."Another screenshot of a dark map, with the image of two vampires from the TV show "What We Do In The Shadows". Text overlaid on the image says "...into the darkness with two new variations"Screenshot of a dark map with the text "Read more about Toner Dark..."Screenshot of a dark map with the text "... and Toner Blacklite on the Stamen blog"
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Reposted by Alan McConchie
Amtrak Cascades @amtrakcascades.wsdot.wa.gov · 22/10/2025
Our pretty new train is on its way to the east coast for more tests. In 2026, Amtrak Cascades will operate 8 new trains. The trains feature a Pacific Northwest-inspired design, comfy seats, big windows, and regional food and beverages.
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 22/10/2025
Beautiful map of precipitation and tree canopy height around the #SalishSea, by Dave Taylor of Pathfinder Geospatial: www.maps.com/the-soaked-c...
maps.com
The Soaked Canopies Near the Salish Sea
The Pacific Northwest is known for its cool, wet climate. But this is no drab and dreary landscape.
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Maptime HQ @maptime.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Hello friends! No, Maptime HQ is not "back", we are still on indefinite hiatus. But! There are still many decentralized #maptime chapters that are active around the world, so we wanted to create a centralized MaptimeHQ account to *occasionally* repost that mappy goodness. We miss you all! ❤️🌈
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FairVote @fairvote.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Our politics is as dysfunctional as ever. Voters want change, but our elections leave tens of millions w/out real choices on their ballot or a voice in our democracy. A new report from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences shows how #ProportionalRepresentation can change that. Full report below🧵
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The Map Center @mapcenter.com · 09/10/2025
Important alert for people who like working while a light white noise is playing in the background, there is a family of whales singing next to the Moss Landing Marine Lab hydrophone right now and you should listen! radio.garden/visit/moss-l...
radio.garden
Listen to live Moss Landing CA radio on Radio Garden
Listen to live Moss Landing CA radio on Radio Garden
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 07/10/2025
It was so much fun working on these fascinating brain maps for UCSF neuroscientists! Check it out:
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 23/09/2025
This looks awesome: "Join us for the first ever Bellingham Subdued Saunter! A self-paced nearly 20 mile walk exploring Bellingham." givebutter.com/subduedsaunter #BellinghamWA
givebutter.com
Subdued Saunter 2025
Bellingham's premier long-distance trekking event
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 23/09/2025
I just added one of these to #OpenStreetMap. Need to get these local tree experts involved in mapping! #BellinghamWA
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 17/09/2025
Commentary from 25 county auditors in #WashingtonState: "Vote-at-home is the law in Washington — and it works" washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/09/16/v... #Elections #VoteByMail #uspol #USPolitics
washingtonstatestandard.com
Vote-at-home is the law in Washington — and it works • Washington State Standard
COMMENTARY | The U.S. Constitution grants states the authority to conduct federal elections, and Congress sets certain minimum standards. Here in Washington, our Legislature has determined that vote-a...
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 16/09/2025
Happy National Voter Registration Day to those who celebrate
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Riker Googling @rikergoogling.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
gerrymandering in pre-warp cultures
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The Pop vs Soda Page @popvssoda.com · 11/09/2025
#KPopDemonHunters #PopVsSoda
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 11/09/2025
This is a big deal! #RankedChoiceVoting & #ProportionalRepresentation are in the top 5 issues that local voters care about. Voters are fed up with dysfunctional government, and they know electoral reform can fix our democracy. Now will our local elected officials pay attention to what voters want?
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The Map Center @mapcenter.com · 25/08/2025
One of my customers had so much fun visiting the Map Center that he came back a few days later with a camera. He made this magnificent short documentary about my store, about me, and why I bother to do any of it at all. It's really lovely and I hope you watch it! youtu.be/Dj9uKpk3Idk?...
youtu.be
The Map Center
YouTube video by You Are Here
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 28/08/2025
We managed to go 7 years since the last proposal to partition #California. I just updated #Wikipedia with a map of the latest Republican plan to split off inland California from the coastal counties. (And no, it's never going to happen). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partiti...
A screenshot of the Wikipedia page for "Partition and secession in California" showing seven maps of various proposals to split up California into multiple states. The most recent one is Republican state assembly member James Gallagher's proposal to split the inland counties of California off into a new state.
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 21/08/2025
Map projections in the news! And we cartographers are all relieved that it's not the Gall-Peters Projection again. Via Reuters: "African Union urges adoption of world map showing continent's true size" www.reuters.com/world/africa... #CorrectTheMap
reuters.com
African Union urges adoption of world map showing continent's true size
The African Union has backed a campaign to end the use by governments and international organisations of the 16th-century Mercator map of the world in favour of one that more accurately displays Africa's size.
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 18/08/2025
Hey #WhatcomCounty: fill out the poll for Cascadia Daily's "Citizens Agenda" and shape the questions they will ask of local candidates. In particular, I encourage you to pick #15 about Ranked Choice Voting and #36 about Gerrymandering, but there are a lot of other good topics too. #BellinghamWA
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 06/08/2025
We finally wrote part 3 of Stamen's history of #OpenStreetMap (only four years after we wrote parts 1 and 2, lol). Enjoy a long read including many Stamen maps from over the past two decades, created by the amazing team of coworkers & alums I've had the pleasure of working with over the years.
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Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net · 30/07/2025
Very much enjoying the #BlenderMaps in this scrollytelling piece from Reuters about the potential sale of public lands: www.reuters.com/graphics/USA... #cartography #maps #dataviz
reuters.com
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Markus Johnson @markusja.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
Professional project work making it's debut!! You can now check out an interactive *generalized* zoning & land use map for almost all of Washington State. It has data up to the end of 2024. So recent municipal middle housing code updates are not captured. Still, a strong tool to check out!
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FairVote @fairvote.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
Both parties are threatening to gerrymander their way to an advantage in Congress. The Fair Representation Act would end gerrymandering wars with: 🔢 #RankedChoiceVoting 👫 Multi-member districts ✍️ New redistricting rules Learn about the #FairRepAct ⬇️ fairvote.org/press/fair-r...
fairvote.org
How to end the gerrymandering wars: FairVote celebrates reintroduction of the Fair Representation Act - FairVote
The Fair Representation Act would stop gerrymandering with ranked choice voting and multi-member districts, & make Congress work better.
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FairVote @fairvote.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Shoutout to @beyer.house.gov and @raskin.house.gov for reintroducing this important bill! Learn more about #RankedChoiceVoting, and ask Congress to support the #FairRepAct ⬇️ fairvoteaction.quorum.us/campaign/Fai...
fairvoteaction.quorum.us
Take Action: Ask Congress to Support the Fair Representation Act!
Stop gerrymandering, give voters more choice, and make Congress work for us
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FairVote @fairvote.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Our pick-one elections are the root of the problem: ➡️Voters feel forced to pick the “lesser of two evils” ➡️Politicians gerrymander district lines ➡️Tens of millions get no real representation ➡️Elected officials can’t work together That’s where the #FairRepAct comes in.
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FairVote @fairvote.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
A new bill in Congress would stop gerrymandering, and give voters more choice & more voice with #RankedChoiceVoting in US House & Senate elections. Ask your members of Congress to support the Fair Representation Act at the link below, and read on to learn more. #FairRepAct 🧵
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