Urban Mapping

Urban Mapping prides itself on broad domain expertise. Unlike subject-matter experts, we value intellectual creativity and agility over any particular body of knowledge. Our passion lies between disciplines and across domains.

After a successful but wonderfully-undercapitalized start with the award-winning Panamap in 2003, UMI founder Ian White had a revelation: "It's the medium, stupid." Several years later Urban Mapping was reconstituted in San Francisco with a distinctly web-based geospatial approach. The company employs close to ten full-time professionals and a global network of contractors.

UMI's products serve those in areas of high population density—regions of great complexity and navigational challenges. With more than 50% of the world's population residing in urban areas, these regions dictate a unique set of rules relative to spatial cognition—how we identify where we are and where we want to go.

In suburban and rural areas, the yardstick may be the zip code, county or subdivision. In densely populated areas, the unit of measure becomes significantly more compact: parks, neighborhoods, city blocks, points of interest and other elements of the built environment become relevant. The highway is replaced by subway rails, bicycles are replaced by rollerblades and miles are replaced by city blocks.

©2003-2008 Urban Mapping Inc.

Ian White (CEO):

The company was founded by Ian White in 2001. He holds 10 years experience in marketing strategy and product development. Ian has written for ID Magazine and Core77. He is also the co-author of a chapter in "Next Generation Business Handbook" published by Wiley and an article in The Journal of Business Venturing. He holds an MBA from Babson College and a BA from McGill University and was educated in the US, France and Ireland. Ian counts Harvard University, General Motors, Trader Joe's, Xerox Corporation, Parsons School of Design, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration among his past clients. White also served as Adjunct Professor at Parsons School of Design. He is an active speaker in the area of geospatial data and local search.

Greg Sterling, Founding Principal, Sterling Market Intelligence

Greg serves on the Board of Directors of UMI and is the founding principal of Sterling Market Intelligence, a consulting and research firm focused on the Internet's impact on local consumer and advertiser behavior. He also is a Senior Analyst for Local Mobile Search, an advisory service from Opus Research.

Before Sterling Market Intelligence, Sterling ran The Kelsey Group's Interactive Local Media program, the first advisory service devoted to local search. Before that Sterling was at TechTV and AllBusiness.com. And prior to joining AllBusiness, Sterling was a practicing attorney in San Francisco. He also serves as an advisor to AdMission Corp. and Palore.