Supplement Your Asset Mapping with Google Technology

Posted by: DVULI | July 21, 2023

Michael Mata using Google Maps for DVULI urban youth leader training, navigating resources for underserved communities.

Do you really know your community?

DVULI facilitator Michael Mata and staff member Carlo Daniels propose an innovative way to exegete your community using Google’s 360 imagery technology in this resource.

Although you can’t experience the different smells and sounds or engage with people in the community virtually, Google Maps Street View offers some benefits that are impossible on a live walk.

For example, Google Maps stitches together billions of panoramic images to provide a virtual representation of your surroundings that spans several years—some dating back to 2007. This remarkable technology allows you to explore your community’s past and note how it has changed over time.

Benefits of a Virtual Asset Mapping:

  • Helps to preview and preplan your physical walk
  • Entices you to live walk a new area
  • Shows things you may have missed during a live walk
  • Identifies potential ministry assets marked by Google icons pointing to businesses, schools, or churches
  • Avoids bad weather limitations
  • Research new areas and/or potential ministry partners with ease
  • Saves time
  • Provides a safe alternative if you are uncomfortable walking in an area of town
  • Shows how community has changed over the years

Learn more from exegeting expert Michael Mata in this virtual walk-through:

 

When was the last time you ventured out to live walk your neighborhood?

Communities can change quickly. So, whether you are considering partnerships with local organizations, looking for community assets, or nurturing your youth’s involvement in the community, keeping your finger on the pulse of your locale is key to navigating your ministry direction.

Need a resource?

Click here for asset mapping pointers from your Local Workshop 2: Community Youth Development article.