The Bessert Family Website
Christopher J. Bessert: Portfolio Samples
Displayed here are a very small sampling of some of the maps and other projects I have completed in the past few years. Additional examples, hardcopy and/or digital versions are always available upon request.
Jump to: Top of Page |General/Recreational | Utility | University | Other | Web
| General-Purpose & Recreational Maps | |
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Mackinac Island Map. This map consists of several maps in one. First, a map of the full island at a scale of 1:25,000 showing all roads, trails, major buildings, parks, golf courses (including greens, numbered by hole), water features and public land ownership. This portion of the map also includes a comprehensive index of all named roads, streets and foot paths throughout the island. A second map at a scale of 1:12,500 shows the southernmost portion of the island--the downtown area--in detail, as well as indicies of points of interest, lodging and historic cottages. An inset map of the Hubbard's Annex area is included at the same scale. A third map at a scale of 1:6,250 shows Fort Mackinac, its buildings and walkways in extreme detail. Total map measures 28" x 44" in size. A 400% close-up of the downtown map is included below the full map at left. |
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Greater Greening Lake, Bitely & Vicinity Map. This map is a recreationally-focused map showing a portion of north-central Newaygo County, around the Bitely area. It highlights the area lakes, hiking trails, campgrounds and other recreational opportunities. It also includes several historic photos of the area along with a history of the region. Map measures 36" x 24" in size. A 400% close-up is included below the full map at left. A photograph of the finished and framed wallmap is included below left. A 34-page bound mapbook has also been created from this wallmap, including a Newaygo Co. map, lake depth maps of 11 area bodies of water, maps of several National Forest facilities and much more. |
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Osceola County Road Map 2008. This map was created as a "fun" project during early 2008 and will be offered to the Osceola County Road Commission soon for their use, should they find it desirable. It is a standard county-based road and recreation map as issued by most counties across Michigan. The front of the map contains a full county road map and includes all communities, parks, state lands, exit numbers, section lines and numbers, airports, cemeteries, all hydrology, and a complete road index. The reverse of the map includes twelve inset maps, one each for the two cities, four villages and other hamlets and congeste areas. These inset maps include all roads and streets, points of interests, parks, trails, cemeteries, schools, government buildings, and all hydrologic features. Map measures 17" x 22 " in size. A full-resolution version of this map in PDF format for review is available upon request. |
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City of Rockford Community Map 2008. The City of Rockford approached me in the hopes that I could take a rather crude map-and-brochure combo created in-house and overhaul both the map and the informational portion of the publication. What had been a low-resolution and unpolished document created in Microsoft Publisher was converted into a professional-looking, high-resolution, print- and web-ready brochure. Map measures 11" x 17 " in size. Follow the link below to view or download a copy in PDF format: Rockford Community Map 2008 (1.5 MB PDF) |
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Alpine Township 160th Anniversary Map. Previously not having available any type of street map for township residents or visitors, the Alpine Township Board and Historic Commission decided to issue a double-sided map for 2007-08, the township's 160th birthday. The full-color side features a typical street map as well as a comprehensive index and photos of major township buildings. The black-and-white side includes a reproduction of an 1876 township plat map, copious text on the history of the township and several historic photographs. Map measures 34" x 22" in size. Copies of this map are available from Alpine Township. |
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City of Grandville Street (Base) Map. This project began by converting existing basemaps created by an outside engineering firm into GIS-based maps, with the first product being a street/base map. From there, additional maps, such as a Zoning Map, Voting Precinct Map, Planned Landuse Map and others were created. Map measures 11" x 17" in size. A 400% close-up is included to the right the full map at far left. |
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Cannon Trail Map. Cannon Township built a new multi-purpose trail in 2007 connecting their township office complex with the Warren Townsend County Park in Cannonsburg. A GPS unit was used in the field to map the location of the new trail, then within hours of this location data arriving in from the field, the map at left had been created. It was used in conjunction with the official opening of the trail in late 2007. It also includes a locator map showing the trail in relation to the rest of the township as well as a listing ot the Cannon Township Trail Rules and the Rules of Etiquette. Map measures 11" x 17" in size. A 400% close-up is included below the full map at left. |
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Downtown Grand Rapids Map. This map shows the downtown area of Grand Rapids in great detail, including the footprints of all buildings, many of which are indexed on the reverse side of the map. Also indexed and shown are all public parking facilities. Map measures 8.5" x 11" in size, making for easy printing for use while travelling into downtown GR. A 400% close-up is included below the full map at left. Other adaptations of this map are used by the City of Grand Rapids, Kent County and other organizations to highlight their facilities and events: • Downtown Grand Rapids Map • Parking Facilities Map • DASH Bus Map • Santa Parade Map • Celebration on the Grand Map • Kent County Courthouse Juror Parking Map |
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| Utility-Based Maps | |
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Plainfield Township Water Distribution Map. This map displays the entire water distribution system serving Plainfield and Alpine Townships, including portions of the City of Walker and Grand Rapids Township. Map measures 63" x 42" in size. A 400% close-up is included below the full map at the left. |
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Plainfield Township Water Distribution Atlas. A section-by-section water distribution atlas showing similar detail as the areawide system map above, but in a convenient 11" x 17" size. Bound into books for portible use. A locator map is included on each sheet and kep maps are included at the front of the atlas. A 400% close-up in included below the full map at the left. |
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Plainfield Township Water Fire Hydrant Map. This map displays the entire fire hydrant system serving Plainfield and Alpine Townships, including portions of the City of Walker and Grand Rapids Township. Map measures 63" x 42" in size. A 400% close-up is included below the full map at the left. |
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| University Campus Maps | |
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Grand Valley State University Campus Maps. In 2005, GVSU felt the need to revamp the various and uncoordinated maps of their various campuses around West Michigan. I first created a unifying theme for all of the maps, featuring the exact "GVSU Blue" color supplied by the university as a prominent part of the theme. Every map features the GVSU logo in the upper left corner, a color gradient and the title aligned right. Consistent symbology and typefaces help make the entire set "feel" like they are coordinated. Both full-color and black-and-white versions of each map are created. Map measures 8.5" x 11" in size. A close-up is included below the full map at left. So far approximately a dozen maps have been created, some available for viewing or downloading on the GVSU website: • Allendale Campus • Pew Campus • CHS Map • Holland Campus • Muskegon Campus • Traverse City Campus |
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Michigan Technological University (MTU) Map. This map, while not commissioned nor used by the University itself, was created as part of a larger and ongoing project to map all communities of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This project includes creating maps of every incorporated and unincorporated city, town and hamlet in all 15 U.P. counties, as well as other specialized maps of facilities such as MTU. Map measures 8.5" x 11" in size. A close-up is included below the full map at left. |
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| Other Map Types | |
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Cascade Township Fire Department Basemap. This map was created specifically for the firefighters and support personnel at the Cascade Township Fire Department. It consists of a base street map with all roads, hydrology and major buildings labeled. Added to that are all fire hydrants in the township, a background shading depicting the fire station "response zones," ZIP Code boundaries, and a "Restricted Burning Area" as defined by the township ordinances. Versions of this map hang on the walls of the township's fire stations and is also used as a base for all township fire department mapping needs. Map measures 20" x 17" in size. A close-up is included below the full map at left. |
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Grand Rapids MPO Area Non-Motorized Map. This map, and a companion detail map of just the Grand Rapids urbanized area, were created in 2006 to help in non-motorized transportation planning in the region. The focus of the maps was to highlight all non-motorized types of transportation facilities, including bicycle and hiking trails (existing and proposed), sidewalks along Federal-Aid roadways, recreational facilities, public transporation routes and hubs, etc. Both maps are 11" x 17" inches in size and a close-up is provided below the main map at left. These maps are available for viewing or downloading at the GVMC Transportation website: Main Map (PDF) GR Urban Map (PDF) |
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Elevation Map of 92nd Street Hill. This isohypse map uses two-foot contour line data and spot elevations to create this colorful rendering of this southern Kent County topographic landmark. |
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Three-Dimensional Hillshade Map of Plainfield Township. Using the same two-foot contour line and spot elevation data as the above 92nd Street Hill example, a greyscale hillshade map of the entirety of Plainfield Charter Township was generated with ArcInfo 9.0 and the 3-D Analyst Extension. Map measures 11" x 17" in size. A close-up is included below the full map at left. |
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Milwaukee Freeway System Map. Created for my Wisconsin Highways website, this map illustrates not only the existing freeway system in Wisconsin's largest city, it also locates the many proposed-but-unbuilt freeways in the region. This map incorporates both vector GIS data and a shaded relief hillshade backdrop. The "live" version of the map is "clickable," where site visitors can simply click on any freeway segment and be taken to an in-depth article relating to that highway. Milwaukee Freeway System Map. |
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| Webmastering & Web Design | |
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This is a little website set up by Chris & Linda, Rachael's proud new parents, in response to repeated requests for photographs and the latest information on how Rachael is doing. As many of you know, Chris & Linda welcomed their daughter into the world six weeks early in late June, so the birth and first few weeks of Rachael's life have been a bit less than "usual."