Googling the City's Edge

A recent update to Google Maps added a new feature that Atlantic Cities readers will probably enjoy. When searching for a specific city (or county or ZIP code), the map displays a border along the city limits.

It’s a basic sort of addition, but one that provides a wealth of context. As we’ve previously written, the spread of cities often goes beyond these borders to a metropolitan or even “megapolitan” scale. And yet, for the purposes of governance, city borders remain important tools. Being able to easily see where those borders sit helps provide a deeper understanding of the scale of local conditions. And when compared to other cities, these maps offer at least an interesting lens to explain why cities are so very different.