Green City Chronicles – Episode 1
Mapping Sustainability with @Kumaarsantosh in Noida
Hello, Local Guides friends
Welcome to the very first episode of Green City Chronicles—a community interview series celebrating eco-friendly places, sustainable initiatives, and the inspiring Local Guides who help make Google Maps more useful for everyone.
In this episode, I’m delighted to feature Kumaarsantosh, a fellow Local Guide who has been actively mapping sustainable locations Noida(NCR) we’ll explore how thoughtful contributions on Google Maps can support a more sustainable future.
Let’s begin!
The Inspiration
Host:
When and why did you start highlighting sustainable (eco-friendly/green) spots on Google Maps instead of just regular reviews and photography?
Santosh:
I started highlighting sustainable and eco-friendly spots on Google Maps when I realised that, as Local Guides, our role can go beyond regular reviews and photography.
During my visits, I began noticing simple but meaningful sustainability practices; recycling facilities, refillable dispensers, filtered water stations, waste segregation, and other green initiatives.
I felt these details deserved to be documented and made visible to the community. A regular review tells people about the experience; highlighting sustainability can help people make more responsible choices.
Since then, I have consciously looked for opportunities to Reduce • Reuse • Recycle, sharing what I discover through photos and reviews and updating relevant information on Google Maps whenever possible. I also make an effort to encourage fellow Local Guides to notice and highlight sustainable practices around them. I am happy to see that many have been inspired by my posts on Local Guides Connect and have started contributing their own sustainability-focused content and experiences.
Definition
Host:
In your opinion, what is a Sustainable Spot?
Santosh:
In my opinion, a Sustainable Spot is any place that adopts thoughtful practices to reduce its environmental impact and encourages people to make responsible choices. It could be something as simple as refillable water stations, recycling and waste-segregation facilities, plastic-free initiatives, EV charging points, solar-powered infrastructure, green spaces, or sustainable products and services.
For me, it is not always about how big or advanced the initiative is. Even a small action that promotes Reduce • Reuse • Recycle and makes sustainable choices easier for people can make a place a Sustainable Spot.
As Local Guides, I believe documenting and highlighting these small initiatives on Google Maps can create awareness and inspire others to follow.
Your Favorite Sustainable Spot
Host:
Which location in your city best represents sustainability and is featured on Google Maps? Why is it your favorite?
Santosh:
Since I consider Delhi NCR as my city, there is not just one Sustainable Spot that stands out for me; there are many places across Delhi, Noida, Gurugram and the wider NCR that reflect sustainability in different ways.
Some of them have impressed me through green spaces and biodiversity, while others demonstrate waste management, recycling, conservation, sustainable infrastructure, or responsible use of resources. What makes these places special to me is not necessarily their scale, but the thoughtful sustainability practices that can be observed during a visit and discovered on Google Maps.
I particularly enjoy identifying such initiatives, documenting them through photographs, and sharing them with the Local Guides community. For me, a Sustainable Spot is a place that not only adopts an eco-friendly practice but also creates awareness and encourages visitors to make more responsible choices.
This is why I find many Sustainable Spots across Delhi NCR worth highlighting. Each one tells a different story, but together they reinforce the philosophy I continue to follow: Reduce • Reuse • Recycle.
As a Local Guide, I believe that by discovering, documenting and sharing these places on Google Maps, we can make sustainability more visible and inspire others to look for and contribute to similar initiatives.
Mapping Challenge
Host:
What is the biggest challenge you face while updating sustainable places or their attributes on Google Maps (such as EV chargers, recycling facilities, accessibility, or eco-friendly features)?
Santosh:
The biggest challenge I face is that many sustainable practices I discover at a place are not yet available as attributes on Google Maps. For example, I may come across recycling facilities, waste-segregation bins, refillable dispensers, filtered water stations, or other eco-friendly initiatives, but there is often no relevant attribute through which I can directly update this information.
In such cases, I try to document these practices through photographs (using Update feature), reviews, and posts on Local Guides Connect so that the information is still visible to the community.
Another challenge is that some sustainability initiatives are not clearly documented or are difficult to verify, especially when they are located inside hotels, offices, residential communities, or other private spaces.
I feel Google Maps has a great opportunity to make sustainability-related information more comprehensive and discoverable. The ability to add or suggest more sustainability attributes would help Local Guides like us contribute more effectively and make sustainable choices easier for everyone.
Data Impact
Host:
How do you think adding accurate information about sustainable places on Google Maps benefits travelers, residents, and the local community?
Santosh:
In my opinion, adding accurate sustainability information to Google Maps can make a real difference in the choices people make every day.
For travelers, it helps them discover places with facilities such as recycling, refillable water, EV charging, accessible spaces, or other eco-friendly practices and make more responsible choices while travelling.
For residents, this information makes sustainable options easier to find in their neighbourhood and encourages them to choose places that follow environmentally responsible practices.
For the local community, it creates visibility for businesses and places that are making genuine efforts toward sustainability and can inspire others to adopt similar practices.
As a Local Guide, I believe that accurate information is not just about mapping a place; it is about making the right information available at the right time to help people make better choices. When more of us document and update these sustainable practices, we can collectively make sustainability more visible on Google Maps and encourage a wider movement around Reduce • Reuse • Recycle.
Future of Mapping
Host:
How important do you think Google Maps features—such as eco-friendly routing and sustainability attributes—are for the future of mapping?
Santosh:
I believe these features are very important for the future of mapping. Google Maps is no longer just about finding a place or getting directions; it can also help people make more informed and responsible choices.
Features such as eco-friendly routing, EV charging locations, recycling facilities, refill stations, accessibility information, and sustainability attributes can make sustainable choices more visible and convenient for both residents and travelers.
From my experience as a Local Guide, I feel there is a lot of scope to make sustainability-related information more detailed and easier to contribute to. Many places already follow thoughtful green practices, but these are not always reflected on Maps.
I see the future of mapping as not just “How do I get there?” but also “How can I get there responsibly?”
If Local Guides and communities can contribute accurate sustainability information, Google Maps can become a powerful platform to discover, promote, and encourage sustainable choices.
For me, it all comes back to the simple philosophy: Reduce • Reuse • Recycle; and map it so others can discover it.
Best Tip
Host:
What advice would you give to new Local Guides who want to contribute sustainable mapping in their city?
Santosh:
My advice to new Local Guides would be: start by observing. Whenever you visit a place, look beyond the usual reviews and photographs and consciously notice the small sustainability initiatives around you; recycling bins, waste segregation, refillable water stations, EV charging points, solar installations, plastic-free practices, green spaces, accessibility, and other responsible practices.
Document what you see through clear photographs, accurate reviews, and relevant information on Google Maps. If a sustainability attribute is available, make sure it is updated accurately; if it isn’t, share the information through photos and Local Guides Connect so that others can discover it.
Most importantly, don’t wait for a big sustainability project to start contributing. Small initiatives can have a big impact when they are noticed and shared.
My simple approach is: Observe • Document • Map • Inspire.
And always keep the philosophy of Reduce • Reuse • Recycle at the heart of your sustainable mapping journey.
One-Line Message
Host:
Share one inspiring line or message about sustainable mapping and protecting our local environment.
Santosh:
Map sustainable choices today, inspire responsible journeys tomorrow; because every small green action we document can help protect the place we call home.
And, remember, Sustainability Is Not Just a Hashtag 
A Big Thank You to Santosh
A big thank you to Kumaarsantosh for sharing your valuable insights and experiences. Every meaningful contribution—whether it’s adding an EV charging station, updating accessibility information, or highlighting a green space—helps make Google Maps more useful while encouraging a more sustainable future.
Stay tuned for the next episode of Green City Chronicles, where we’ll meet another inspiring Local Guide making a positive impact through mapping.
I’d like to hear from fellow Local Guides who are passionate about sustainability and sustainable mapping.
If you have a perspective, an experience, a story, or simply an interesting idea to share, come join the conversation.
I’d also like to hear what you found interesting in this interview, which sustainability topics you’d like to explore further, and what questions you would like to see discussed in future episodes.
And who knows—you might be the next voice featured on Green City Chronicles!
Let’s discover, discuss, and map sustainability together.
Your experience. Your perspective. Your voice. Let’s have the conversation.
Disclaimer:-
“This feature is based on a conversation (interview) with @Kumaarsantosh and is shared with their consent.”
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