Frustrated by media coverage of protests, the author has created an interactive map, backed by a dedicated team, to effectively illustrate the growth and political diversity of a broad, mostly peaceful movement while inviting feedback and showcasing the technical tools used in its development.
Svelte, SvelteKit, Vite, SQL.js, Nominatim, RTree, GitHub Actions, Google Sheets, SQLite
2025-06-15
- website
Highlight 1
The interactive map is a user-friendly and visually intuitive tool that effectively tracks protest locations across the country, providing valuable insights into the geographic and political spread of protests.
Highlight 2
The app leverages a robust and automated backend system with GitHub Actions, ensuring that the map is regularly updated with fresh data, making it reliable for users who want to stay informed on protest events in real-time.
Highlight 3
The design and stack choices (SvelteKit, SQLite in the browser, etc.) ensure fast performance and minimal loading times, even with large datasets, making the user experience smooth and responsive.
Improvement 1
The lack of crowd count data limits the depth of insight into the scale of each protest. Integrating crowd estimates or visualizing protest size could enhance the app's informational value.
Improvement 2
The map’s performance can become sluggish on days with a higher volume of protests. Optimizing the marker clustering and data rendering could improve the map's speed and responsiveness during peak events.
Improvement 3
The app would benefit from more customization options, allowing users to filter protests by specific themes (e.g., political issues, social causes) or by protest size to tailor the map to their interests.
Product Functionality
Adding crowd count data would significantly enhance the depth of the map. Additionally, including a search or filtering feature to allow users to view protests by specific categories or causes would improve functionality.
UI & UX
Consider adding a more dynamic interface that allows users to interact with the map more deeply, such as zooming in on specific regions or viewing detailed information about individual protests.
SEO or Marketing
To increase visibility, consider implementing SEO best practices such as targeted keywords related to protests, political activism, and social movements. Promoting the map through social media channels, especially during significant protest events, could help drive traffic.
MultiLanguage Support
Given the national scope of the app, adding multi-language support could be valuable, particularly in areas with a high percentage of non-English speakers. This could include Spanish, Chinese, and other widely spoken languages in the U.S.
- 1
How frequently is the data on ProtestMap updated?
The map is updated daily, using an automated process that scrapes and sanitizes data from a Google Sheet, ensuring that the information is fresh and current.
- 2
Can I contribute to the map or provide feedback?
Yes, the author encourages feedback, and contributions are welcomed. You can find the project's repository on GitHub, where you can suggest improvements or report issues.
- 3
Why doesn't the map include crowd counts?
Currently, the map does not display crowd counts, but the author is open to including this feature in future updates. The main focus is on showing protest locations and trends.