The Green Apple Map is the local project of the global non-profit organization, Green Map System. Originally created* in 1992, the Green Apple Map was the very first Green Map. It was designed to help tourists, relative newcomers and native New Yorkers develop a renewed personal interest in sustainable living, and getting involved with the natural sites and culturally significant places that make our environment special.

Since then, we have created several exciting Green Apple Maps – both in print and online – charting New York City's diverse environment. Download in the Our NYC Maps section and see for yourself! You might also find complementary copies around town, as noted on each map’s webpage.

Our own ‘hometown’ Green Maps have helped inspire folks around the world to take action locally, so we have also developed the adaptable Green Map program and led the collaborative creation of its tools, iconography, methods and websites as seen at GreenMap.org. In addition to this outward expansion into 50 countries, we have encouraged local students and NYC groups to chart their findings, as well.

In many ways, the original Green Apple Map continues to be the "flagship" Green Map project, functioning as a proving ground for our global program while promoting sustainability in NYC. Our maps have provided locally-led Green Map projects with fresh design models, guidance manuals and educational resources, inspiration for tours, workshops and exhibits, and guided projects in 20 countries as they got their local youth involved in expressive Green Mapmaking. Our tools and advice are shared our global Resources section, where all registered Green Mapmakers share what they have created, benefiting all communities seeking a more sustainable future everywhere.

"One bad apple can spoil the lot, but one green apple can start a trend." - Metropolis Magazine

* The original Green Apple Map was created by Modern World Design in 1992. The global Green Map System was initiated in 1995, and the whole local-global project was spun off as a non-profit organization in 2000. According to Wendy E. Brawer, Founding Director, “The first Green Apple Map had fewer than 150 green sites, and by 2000, our 4th citywide edition had about 1,000. It showed us how far NYC had come and helped everyone understand the challenges ahead in greening our community, We were growing beyond the city, too, and had over 100 locally-led active Green Mapmaking teams and 36 Green Maps published worldwide by the turn of the century! The Green Map is clearly an effective response to today’s sustainability challenges!”