By Elinor Frisa

When you're new to a place, or even when you're not, sometimes you just need a good map to orient yourself and understand your surroundings. This certainly can be true at Virginia Commonwealth University, a large campus that is always in flux in the middle of a busy city.

To keep pace with its ever-changing environment and the needs of students, faculty, staff and visitors, VCU launched a new interactive campus map at maps.vcu.edu over the summer. The map provides 3D renderings of campus buildings as well as addresses, photographs and information on the units and programs housed within them. A drop-down menu in the top left corner lets users toggle between the Monroe Park and MCV campuses.

The map is searchable and filterable. Looking for parking options? Select "Monroe Park" under "Parking and Transportation" to see all parking decks and lots on that campus. Want to know where gender-inclusive restrooms are located? Go to "Campus and Student Services" and select "Inclusive Resources." Bus routes, visual and performing arts venues, electric vehicle charging stations and lactation rooms are just a few of the other categories you can easily view using the map's filters.

The map also offers wayfinding if you need step-by-step directions from point A to point B, and in the coming months, users will be able select "show only barrier-free routes" for accessible paths to their destinations. Up-to-date road closure information and construction updates will also be incorporated in the future.

VCU worked with third-party vendor Concept 3D to create the interactive map, and the new resource is being co-managed by the Technology Services and Facilities Management divisions at VCU. With their help, VCU units can create custom "layers" to the map. For instance, VCU Residential Life and Housing collaborated to create a "move-in" layer for the map this summer that showed unloading zones and where families could access five-hour parking.

The map team plans to continue enhancing the map in the coming months. Feedback and questions about the interactive map can be sent to [email protected].