The City Guide Series is an interactive tool that brings together three editions of Survey of India’s Bangalore Guide Maps—1948, 1969, and 2002—layered over a current satellite data. This immersive platform allows you to explore how the city has grown, sprawled, and morphed across decades.
From tank systems and green corridors to planned layouts and informal settlements, the maps capture both the formalities and eccentricities of Bengaluru’s urban development. Trace the contours of change, zoom into familiar neighborhoods, and discover how historical cartography reveals not just geography, but intention, oversight, and transformation.
These aren’t just maps—they are city stories, drawn and redrawn. Step into The City Guide and see Bengaluru unfold in layers.
How to use
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Open the web application
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Use the “Select Year” panel to toggle between the maps:
- 1948: See the city’s form at independence with early PSU’s
- 1969: Observe expansion along transport corridors and key institutions.
- 2002: Witness dramatic growth and the rise of new neighbourhoods at the turn of the Millenium.
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Zoom in/out and pan across the city to explore specific areas.
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Use the Layers dropdown panel and change opacity to compare land use change between years.
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Use the Search box in the Earth Engine app to locate features on the map
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Use the app to identify patterns such as:
- Grid like formation of residential layouts
- Urban Sprawl
- Development along transit corridors
- Loss of Open Spaces
The maps used in this interactive tool are:
Heaney, C.F. 1948. Bangalore Guide Map Third Edition. 1:21,120. India. Survey of India
Paintal, J.S.1969. Bangalore Guide Map. 1:20,000. India. Survey of India
Nag, Prithvish. 2002. Bangalore Guide Map. 1:25,000. India. Survey of India
Web Application developed by:
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Sonia Das for Mod Foundation
Sonia is a GIS Specialist working on spatial analysis at the Mod Foundation
