OpenLayers recipe: How to map proportional symbols

Have you heard of OpenLayers? It's a JavaScript library you can use to throw up maps. And I think it's pretty awesome.

I've used it at work to to plot out the neighborhoods of Los Angeles. But in the future, I'd like to use it for other stuff, like mapping proportional symbols.

Today's L.A. Times has a nifty Flash map made by my awesome coworkers that shows places in Southern California where real estate projects have stalled due to the recession.

So I took an hour this morning to see if I could replicate the Flash map in OL. Guess what, it's pretty easy! Click the thumbnail above and have a look. Or just click here.

Per usual, all feedback and hatemail welcome. Let me know what sucks and we'll sort it.