# Low-Tech Park Maps The High Park Map Uses a Grid System to Help Friends Find One Another By Joey Haar | Published 2016-08-08 | World Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/high-park-map References: [torontoist](http://torontoist.com/2016/08/how-to-find-your-friends-in-high-park-with-a-handy-map/) & [torontoist](http://torontoist.com/2011/06/clever_trinity-bellwoods_map_helps_friends_get_together/) Hanging out in a park is a gleefully tech-free experience, and the High Park Map by Torontoist.com strives to keep it that way. When relaxing in a grassy meadow, soaking up the sun and enjoying the surrounding greenery, the last thing park-goers want is to spend ages on their phones helping their friends find them. But friends are a welcome addition to parks, technology be damned. To solve the conundrum, the High Park Map divides the [public space into a grid](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/allinmap), allowing people to say "I'm at C4" rather than "I'm by that weird-looking tree." The High Park Map was inspired by the [Trinity Bellwoods Map](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/toronto-park-hangs) created by Jason McDonough. While these systems are imperfect, they are a tongue-in-cheek response to a [growing over-reliance on technological devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/touch-grass1). ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 0.5/10 - Popularity: 6% | Activity: 1% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [World](https://www.trendhunter.com/world) > [Travel](https://www.trendhunter.com/travel) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Tech-free Park Experience:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing low-tech solutions that enhance park experiences without relying on technological devices. - **Grid System Navigation:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Creating grid-based navigation systems for public spaces to simplify location sharing and finding friends without using smartphones. - **Tongue-in-cheek Maps:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Designing humorous and unconventional maps as a response to the over-reliance on technology for navigation. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Outdoor Recreation:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing innovative products or services that enhance the outdoor recreational experiences in parks and public spaces. - **Travel and Tourism:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Creating novel navigation solutions for tourists visiting unfamiliar parks and leisure areas. - **Cartography and Mapping:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Redefining traditional cartography by incorporating unconventional and playful elements in map designs for different environments. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Interactive Quiet-Locating Maps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/quiet-places-finder.md) - [Park-Navigating Map Updates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/map-update.md) - [Screen-Free Wandering Navigation](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/screenfree-wandering.md) - [Connective Canine Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dog-park-app.md) - [Social City Exploration Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/geometrik-app.md) - [Nearby Playground Finders](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-playground-app.md) - [Haptic Stone-Like Compasses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/terra-compass.md) - [Location-Based Social Media Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/instagram-map.md) - [City Navigation Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/open-path.md)