The Map Lab is an innovative geospatial research initiative housed within the Centre for Sustainability, Environment, and Climate Change (CSECC) at FLAME University, Pune. Its mission is to make spatial data and maps more accessible, insightful, and usable for research, education, policy-making, and community awareness.
Through a combination of satellite-based remote sensing, historical survey maps, field data, and open-source geospatial tools, The Map Lab develops thematic atlases that document both historical and contemporary landscapes of India. Its projects explore a wide range of themes such as environmental change, land use and land cover dynamics, hydrology, climate impacts, biodiversity, and socio-economic patterns.
A key strength of The Map Lab lies in its open-access approach—making maps and datasets freely available to researchers, planners, students, and citizens. This openness encourages collaboration, fosters informed decision-making, and supports the development of data-driven solutions for pressing environmental and urban challenges.
Open Pune is a specialized segment within The Map Lab dedicated exclusively to the city of Pune. It serves as an open-access geospatial repository that documents and visualizes key aspects of the city’s environment, infrastructure, and socio-economic fabric. The collection includes maps and datasets that track environmental changes over time, analyze climate and weather trends, map critical infrastructure such as transport, utilities, and health facilities, and present socio-economic and demographic patterns that shape the city’s growth.
Through the integration of satellite remote sensing, field surveys, and public data sources, Open Pune offers an in-depth spatial perspective on urban dynamics. Whether for academic research, government planning, or public awareness, it provides valuable insights into how Pune is evolving—highlighting challenges like environmental degradation and urban expansion, while also mapping resources, resilience, and opportunities for sustainable development.