climateadaptation:

This is a must watch citizen mapping project, which was picked up by Google. Cheap cameras were strung from balloons and kites, and maps of polluted sites were created at high resolution. The resolution is higher than that of NOAA and NASA, which is why Google Maps published the maps online. 

First used during th BP leak to map environmental damage not being reported or recorded. The technique is now being used in places like Lima, Peru and the West Bank, for housing projects.

The name of the project is, A Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science by MIT. Urban planners, architects, anthropologists, and artists are collaborating on the project. PLOT even holds workshops to teach people how to do their own mapping project with balloons and a cheap camera. Fantastic grassroots planning project. 

h/t http://pncacd.tumblr.com/institute