Mapping in the Shadows

JveuxDuSoleil is an amazing interactive map which simulates the location of shadows.If you are looking for the perfect spot to catch a little sun (or escape from the sun) then you can open up JveauDuSoleil and quickly discover which areas will be shaded at any time of the day. 

The JveuxDuSoleil interactive map includes a date control and a time slider. Which means that you can use the map to see where building shadows will fall at any hour of the day on any day of the year. The map will also tell you the time of sunrise and sunset on your selected day. 

In a number of French cities JveuxDuSoleil also shows the locations of restaurants with outdoor terraces. Therefore, if you are looking for the perfect spot to eat alfresco, you can the interactive map to quickly discover which nearby restaurants will have tables in the sun and which will have tables in the shade at the exact time when you want to eat.

Shade Map is an interactive map which allows you to view the location of shadows from the sun throughout the day. The map is very handy for finding shade on a hot summer day or for trying to work out where you can find the most sun at any hour of the day and for any day of the year.

Search for any location in the world on Shade Map and the application will show you which local areas are currently in shade. The map uses a grey colored overlay to show you shaded areas based both on the local terrain and on the height of nearby buildings. 

At the bottom of the map is a timeline control which allows you to view shadow locations for any time of the day. Drag this time slider back and forth and the map will automatically update to show how the shadows move during the course of the day. If you click on the date then the time control will switch to show months instead of hours of the day. Now you can use the time control to show where shade will fall during the different months of the year. Just click on the time to switch back to showing the hours of the day.

Shadowmap is another interactive 3D map which allows you to view the location of building shadows around the world for any time of day and on any day of the year. If you want to know what kind of shade you will have (if any) at a certain time and place then you can just look up the location on Shadowmap. Enter the date and time of day, and Shadowmap will show you the shadows that will be cast by nearby buildings at that precise moment.

Shadowmap uses OpenStreetMap data with a global 3D building overlay. This map also includes a simple to use slide control which allows you to view the shadows cast by the buildings for any time of day. If you slide this control back and forth you can watch as the shadows cast by the buildings move around on the map. If you subscribe to Shadowmap Pro you also get access to the date control which allows you to change the date so that you can view the shadow positions for any specific day of the year.

If you live in New York then you can also use the New York Times' Mapping the Shadows of New York City interactive map to visualize the shadows cast by the city's famous skyscrapers (and all of its other buildings as well) during the different seasons. 

In Denmark you can use Septima Skyggekort, an interactive map which visualizes the shadows cast by Denmark's buildings at any hour of the day and for any day of the year. This map was created using the OpenLayers mapping library using height data from Styrelsen for DataForsyning og Effektivisering, the public data agency of the Danish government.

Cool Walks is a really useful route-planning tool which can help you find walking routes across Barcelona which prioritize shady sidewalks and the locations of drinking fountains. Enter your starting point and destination into Cool Walks and it will show you a route which avoids direct sunlight as much as possible. The map includes a shadows layer which allows you to see for yourself where building shadows will be cast at different times of the day.