BigMapple places NYC public and cultural events on an interactive map that uses data from Twitter and Flickr to show users what people are doing and saying throughout NYC.

The dynamic nature of this information creates an experience that people will want to visit time and time again. Our goal is to capture the constant cultural buzz of NYC in a way that will encourage our fellow citizens to explore the city and engage in their communities.

We chose to use the Google Maps API because this is a scalable solution that, combined with our modular under-the-hood coding, will allow us to expand BigMapple in the future. It is also an interface that creates optimal usability because of its widespread use and familiarity.

By incorporating social media and featuring profiles of New Yorkers on our home page, we believe that we can foster a sense of New York City as a diverse, yet unified community. Users may submit a brief questionnaire and photograph to become a featured New Yorker on BigMapple.

Future plans for the development of BigMapple include:

• Mobile applications for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry.
• Incorporation of event calendars from cultural institutions and professional sports teams.
• Additional search mechanisms.
• An open API for use by developers.
• A hash tag feature that will allow us to give priority to uploaded photographs and tweets that directly relate to city events.