Vandeviver Crime Science 2014, 3:13 http://www.crimesciencejournal.com/content/3/1/13 SYSTEMATIC REVIEW Open Access Applying Google Maps and Google Street View in criminological research Christophe Vandeviver Abstract Online mapping technologies such as Google Maps and Street View have become increasingly accessible. These technologies have many convenient uses in everyday life, but law enforcement agencies have expressed concern that they could be exploited by offenders and might alter existing offending patterns and habits. For environmental criminologists, they have the potential to open up new approaches to conducting research. This paper draws on the results of earlier studies in related fields and a handful of criminological studies to discuss how these online mapping applications can trigger new research questions, and how they could be considered a valuable methodological addition to criminological research. Keywords: Google Maps; Street View; Environmental criminology; Innovation; Methodology; Methods Introduction to environmental criminological research, and this Although Google Maps and Street View have not been article considers how they might be implemented in developed with scientific research in mind, they create future criminological research. Drawing on previous interesting possibilities for research. Several scientific criminological applications, I discuss how the availability disciplines were quick to implement these web mapping of Google Maps and Street View can generate new applications in their research. For instance, geographers research questions; and how they could be considered rely on aerial photography from Google Maps as an alter- important additions to the methodological toolkit of native to expensive commercial satellite imagery (Pringle criminologists. 2010) and biologists tap into Street View imagery to This article is structured as follows. First, some back- assess the habitat of certain animal species (Olea and ground information on Google Maps and Street View is Mateo-Tomás 2013). However, while there are abundant provided, and the existing literature in relation to their examples of studies that apply Google Maps and Street application in related fields and previous studies is View in related scientific fields, only a few crimino- reviewed. Next, several potential uses for these online logical studies have tapped into the power of online mapping technologies in environmental criminological mapping technologies for research purposes. Whereas research are explored. Third, their advantages and the general public, offenders and law enforcement agen- drawbacks are discussed. Fourth, readers are provided cies have already discovered the power of these online with an outline of where to find additional information mapping services and use them daily, criminologists, on how to use these mapping technologies. Fifth, an somewhat surprisingly, seem not to have fully discov- interesting future development of environmental crim- ered the advantages of using Google Maps and Street inological research that is rooted in the availability of View in their research. In this article I argue that the web mapping technologies is identified, and finally proliferation of online mapping technologies opens up several suggestions for further reading are provided. several new approaches for criminologists to conduct environmental criminological research in particular. A Background small number of criminological studies have already An introduction to Google Maps and Street View shown that these technologies can be a valuable addition Google Maps Originally launched in 2005, Google Maps (Google 2014c) Correspondence: [email protected] is a free-to-use, web-based mapping service that combines Institute for International Research on Criminal Policy, Ghent University, Universiteitstraat 4, Ghent (9000), Belgium © 2014 Vandeviver; licensee Springer. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. Vandeviver Crime Science 2014, 3:13 Page 2 of 16 http://www.crimesciencejournal.com/content/3/1/13 conventional cartographic maps with satellite imagery and such as places, labels, photos, and videos to the under- high-resolution aerial photography. The maps are embed- lying Google Maps map. Moreover, users can draw lines, ded with additional information on terrain, street and road shapes and patterns directly on the map, add directions, names, famous landmarks and buildings, public transit, and organize and compare up to three different datasets. real-time and typical traffic information. Users can con- Once created, custom maps can be shared and users can veniently switch between map and satellite view, or opt work together to create a collaborative custom map. for a hybrid view that overlays the information available in Google Maps has considerably simplified looking up the map view onto the satellite view (see Figure 1). For a addresses, and has made mapping and cartography number of cities worldwide, 45° aerial imagery is available accessible to the masses. Over a billion users access allowing users to get a better understanding of the size Google Maps and its related services such as Street and proportions of buildings as well as observe certain View on a monthly basis (Choudhary 2013) and the landmarks from four different perspectives. Google Maps mobile app is used at least once a month The available aerial imagery is generally believed to be by more than one in two smartphone users, making it no older than three years and is updated on a regular the most popular smartphone app worldwide (Smith basis. Users can update the map data in real time using 2013). Essentially, Google Maps is an easy-to-use mapping Google Map Maker (Google 2014b) and, following application that allows its users to locate addresses quickly, approval, these updates are implemented in Google and provides cartographic maps augmented with digital Maps (Sridharan 2011). The underlying aerial imagery information and high-resolution aerial imagery. database also powers Google Earth, a downloadable geographical information program with similar function- Street View alities to Google Maps that allows users to access map Street Viewa is a service available in Google Maps that data from their desktop. Three-dimensional mapping supplements the original two-dimensional map view of was also made available in Google Maps in late 2011 Google Maps with three-dimensional, 360° street-level (McClendon 2011). panoramic imagery (see Figure 2). Launched in 2007 Additional services that are available in Google Maps in a handful of U.S. cities, Street View currently covers include Street View, a route planner for driving, public locations on all seven continents (Google 2014j). Almost transit, walking and bicycling, and a business locator. total coverage has been achieved in North America, Users are also able to create and share custom maps Australia, Japan and most countries in Europe. Additional (Liebert 2013). The custom maps environment (Google Street View imagery is currently being collected in a range 2014g) allows users to add additional layers of content of countries. Figure 1 Example of hybrid map view with typical traffic information. Vandeviver Crime Science 2014, 3:13 Page 3 of 16 http://www.crimesciencejournal.com/content/3/1/13 Figure 2 Example of Street View image. Street View imagery is captured through a diverse fleet as far back as 2007 (Shet 2014). Moreover, in a limited of vehicles equipped with specialist cameras (Vincent number of cities users can virtually visit businesses 2007). After collection, photos are digitally processed participating in the Business Photos program (Chang and ‘stitched’ together to obtain the familiar 360° pano- 2013). Essentially, Street View allows users to explore ramas. These images are connected to the Google Maps the real world virtually, without losing the underlying map and embedded with information on the street name map context provided by Google Maps (Vincent 2007). and the approximate address. To protect the privacy of bystanders that are inadvertently captured on camera, Google Maps and Street View in scientific research faces and license plates are pixelated (Google 2014h). Web mapping technologies have been embraced by Users can make additional requests for blurring out disciplines such as geography, archaeology and ecology, images that feature the user, their family, their home or but also by several social scientific disciplines. Regard- their car, and have tools available to request the removal less of the discipline, two particular applications can of inappropriate or sensitive images. generally be distinguished. First, Google Maps and The majority of images currently captured by the Street View have been implemented as convenient tools Street View fleet is of near high-definition quality (Cawley to reduce the costs and expertise needed to conduct 2010). Up to September 2010 the images being collected research. Second, a smaller number of studies have were low resolution, and some areas can therefore only be shifted their focus towards these applications and experienced in Street View in low-resolution quality. In treat them as full-grown research subjects in their time, the low-resolution imagery will be replaced with own right, generating new and significant research