diff --git a/frontend/src/components/button.js b/frontend/src/components/button.js
index 50b3f7fd02..4deed2140f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/button.js
+++ b/frontend/src/components/button.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { Link } from '@reach/router';
 import { LoadingIcon } from './svgIcons';
 
 const IconSpace = ({ children }) => <span className="mr2">{children}</span>;
-const AnimatedLoadingIcon = () => (
+export const AnimatedLoadingIcon = () => (
   <IconSpace>
     <LoadingIcon className="h1 w1 v-mid" style={{ animation: 'spin 1s linear infinite' }} />
   </IconSpace>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/projectCreate/messages.js b/frontend/src/components/projectCreate/messages.js
index 6da745b853..2b57df0e1d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/projectCreate/messages.js
+++ b/frontend/src/components/projectCreate/messages.js
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ export default defineMessages({
   },
   showProjectsAOILayer: {
     id: 'management.projects.create.show_aois',
-    defaultMessage: 'Show existing projects',
+    defaultMessage: 'Show existing projects AoIs',
   },
   disabledAOILayer: {
     id: 'management.projects.create.show_aois.disabled',
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/projectCreate/projectCreationMap.js b/frontend/src/components/projectCreate/projectCreationMap.js
index e26851638f..faf67951db 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/projectCreate/projectCreationMap.js
+++ b/frontend/src/components/projectCreate/projectCreationMap.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import MapboxLanguage from '@mapbox/mapbox-gl-language';
 import MapboxGeocoder from '@mapbox/mapbox-gl-geocoder';
 import '@mapbox/mapbox-gl-geocoder/dist/mapbox-gl-geocoder.css';
 import { useDropzone } from 'react-dropzone';
+import { mapboxLayerDefn } from '../projects/projectsMap';
 
 import {
   MAPBOX_TOKEN,
@@ -32,23 +33,31 @@ const ProjectCreationMap = ({ mapObj, setMapObj, metadata, updateMetadata, step,
   const mapRef = React.createRef();
   const locale = useSelector((state) => state.preferences['locale']);
   const token = useSelector((state) => state.auth.get('token'));
-  const [showProjectsAOILayer, setShowProjectsAOILayer] = useState(false);
+  const [showProjectsAOILayer, setShowProjectsAOILayer] = useState(true);
   const [aoiCanBeActivated, setAOICanBeActivated] = useState(false);
+  const [existingProjectsList, setExistingProjectsList] = useState([]);
+  const [isAoiLoading, setIsAoiLoading] = useState(false);
   const [debouncedGetProjectsAOI] = useDebouncedCallback(() => getProjectsAOI(), 1500);
   const { getRootProps, getInputProps } = useDropzone({
     onDrop: step === 1 ? uploadFile : () => {}, // drag&drop is activated only on the first step
     noClick: true,
     noKeyboard: true,
   });
-  const minZoomLevelToAOIVisualization = 11;
+  const minZoomLevelToAOIVisualization = 9;
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    fetchLocalJSONAPI('projects/').then((res) => setExistingProjectsList(res.mapResults));
+  }, []);
 
   const getProjectsAOI = () => {
     if (aoiCanBeActivated && showProjectsAOILayer && step === 1) {
+      setIsAoiLoading(true);
       let bounds = mapObj.map.getBounds();
       let bbox = `${bounds._sw.lng},${bounds._sw.lat},${bounds._ne.lng},${bounds._ne.lat}`;
-      fetchLocalJSONAPI(`projects/queries/bbox/?bbox=${bbox}&srid=4326`, token).then((res) =>
-        mapObj.map.getSource('otherProjects').setData(res),
-      );
+      fetchLocalJSONAPI(`projects/queries/bbox/?bbox=${bbox}&srid=4326`, token).then((res) => {
+        mapObj.map.getSource('otherProjects').setData(res);
+        setIsAoiLoading(false);
+      });
     }
   };
 
@@ -187,6 +196,41 @@ const ProjectCreationMap = ({ mapObj, setMapObj, metadata, updateMetadata, step,
     }
   };
 
+  const noop = () => {};
+
+  useLayoutEffect(() => {
+    /* docs: https://docs.mapbox.com/mapbox-gl-js/example/cluster/ */
+    const { map } = mapObj;
+
+    const someResultsReady =
+      existingProjectsList &&
+      existingProjectsList.features &&
+      existingProjectsList.features.length > 0;
+
+    const mapReadyProjectsReady =
+      map !== null &&
+      map.isStyleLoaded() &&
+      map.getSource('projects') === undefined &&
+      someResultsReady;
+    const projectsReadyMapLoading =
+      map !== null &&
+      !map.isStyleLoaded() &&
+      map.getSource('projects') === undefined &&
+      someResultsReady;
+
+    /* set up style/sources for the map, either immediately or on base load */
+    if (mapReadyProjectsReady) {
+      mapboxLayerDefn(map, existingProjectsList, noop, true);
+    } else if (projectsReadyMapLoading) {
+      map.on('load', () => mapboxLayerDefn(map, existingProjectsList, noop, true));
+    }
+
+    /* refill the source on existingProjectsList changes */
+    if (map !== null && map.getSource('projects') !== undefined && someResultsReady) {
+      map.getSource('projects').setData(existingProjectsList);
+    }
+  }, [mapObj, existingProjectsList]);
+
   useLayoutEffect(() => {
     if (mapObj.map !== null && mapboxgl.supported()) {
       mapObj.map.on('moveend', (event) => {
@@ -247,6 +291,7 @@ const ProjectCreationMap = ({ mapObj, setMapObj, metadata, updateMetadata, step,
               isActive={showProjectsAOILayer}
               setActive={setShowProjectsAOILayer}
               disabled={!aoiCanBeActivated}
+              isAoiLoading={isAoiLoading}
             />
           )}
           <BasemapMenu map={mapObj.map} />
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/projectCreate/projectsAOILayerCheckBox.js b/frontend/src/components/projectCreate/projectsAOILayerCheckBox.js
index 36de58f1ff..14d784a9e2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/projectCreate/projectsAOILayerCheckBox.js
+++ b/frontend/src/components/projectCreate/projectsAOILayerCheckBox.js
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@ import ReactTooltip from 'react-tooltip';
 import messages from './messages';
 import statusMessages from '../projectDetail/messages';
 import { TASK_COLOURS } from '../../config';
+import { AnimatedLoadingIcon } from '../button';
 
-export const ProjectsAOILayerCheckBox = ({ isActive, setActive, disabled }) => {
+export const ProjectsAOILayerCheckBox = ({ isActive, setActive, disabled, isAoiLoading }) => {
   return (
     <>
       <div className="bg-white fl dib pv1 ph2 blue-dark mt2 mh2 f7 br1 shadow-1">
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ export const ProjectsAOILayerCheckBox = ({ isActive, setActive, disabled }) => {
         <span className="di v-mid" data-tip>
           <FormattedMessage {...messages.showProjectsAOILayer} />
         </span>
+        <span className="ml1">{isAoiLoading && <AnimatedLoadingIcon />}</span>
         <ReactTooltip place="bottom">
           {disabled ? (
             <FormattedMessage {...messages.disabledAOILayer} />
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/projectCreate/tests/projectsAOILayerCheckBox.test.js b/frontend/src/components/projectCreate/tests/projectsAOILayerCheckBox.test.js
index fafc5d11f4..c63aa0334f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/projectCreate/tests/projectsAOILayerCheckBox.test.js
+++ b/frontend/src/components/projectCreate/tests/projectsAOILayerCheckBox.test.js
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ describe('ProjectsAOILayerCheckBox', () => {
         <ProjectsAOILayerCheckBox isActive={false} setActive={testFn} disabled={true} />
       </IntlProviders>,
     );
-    expect(screen.getByText('Show existing projects')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText('Show existing projects AoIs')).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(screen.getByRole('checkbox').className).toContain('b--grey-light');
     expect(screen.getByRole('checkbox').className).not.toContain('b--red');
-    userEvent.hover(screen.getByText('Show existing projects'));
+    userEvent.hover(screen.getByText('Show existing projects AoIs'));
     expect(
       screen.getByText(
         "Zoom in to be able to activate the visualization of other projects' areas of interest.",
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@ describe('ProjectsAOILayerCheckBox', () => {
         <ProjectsAOILayerCheckBox isActive={false} setActive={testFn} disabled={false} />
       </IntlProviders>,
     );
-    expect(screen.getByText('Show existing projects')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText('Show existing projects AoIs')).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(screen.getByRole('checkbox').className).not.toContain('b--grey-light');
     expect(screen.getByRole('checkbox').className).toContain('b--red');
-    userEvent.hover(screen.getByText('Show existing projects'));
+    userEvent.hover(screen.getByText('Show existing projects AoIs'));
     expect(
       screen.getByText("Enable the visualization of the existing projects' areas of interest."),
     ).toBeInTheDocument();
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/projects/projectsMap.js b/frontend/src/components/projects/projectsMap.js
index 1f2f5576eb..b0d0f1f660 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/projects/projectsMap.js
+++ b/frontend/src/components/projects/projectsMap.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ const licensedFonts = MAPBOX_TOKEN
   ? ['DIN Offc Pro Medium', 'Arial Unicode MS Bold']
   : ['Open Sans Semibold'];
 
-export const mapboxLayerDefn = (map, mapResults, clickOnProjectID) => {
+export const mapboxLayerDefn = (map, mapResults, clickOnProjectID, disablePoiClick = false) => {
   map.addImage('mapMarker', markerIcon, { width: 15, height: 15, data: markerIcon });
   map.addSource('projects', {
     type: 'geojson',
@@ -80,7 +80,9 @@ export const mapboxLayerDefn = (map, mapResults, clickOnProjectID) => {
   });
   map.on('mouseenter', 'projects-unclustered-points', function (e) {
     // Change the cursor style as a UI indicator.
-    map.getCanvas().style.cursor = 'pointer';
+    if (!disablePoiClick) {
+      map.getCanvas().style.cursor = 'pointer';
+    }
   });
   map.on('mouseleave', 'projects-unclustered-points', function (e) {
     // Change the cursor style as a UI indicator.
diff --git a/frontend/src/locales/en.json b/frontend/src/locales/en.json
index 41add66813..bc206b65e0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/locales/en.json
+++ b/frontend/src/locales/en.json
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@
   "management.projects.create.errors.fileSize": "We only accept files up to {fileSize} MB. Please reduce the size of your file and try again.",
   "management.projects.create.split_task.description": "Make tasks smaller by clicking on specific tasks or drawing an area on the map.",
   "management.projects.create.reset.button": "Reset",
-  "management.projects.create.show_aois": "Show existing projects",
+  "management.projects.create.show_aois": "Show existing projects AoIs",
   "management.projects.create.show_aois.disabled": "Zoom in to be able to activate the visualization of other projects' areas of interest.",
   "management.projects.create.show_aois.enable": "Enable the visualization of the existing projects' areas of interest.",
   "management.projects.create.show_aois.legend": "Color legend:",
@@ -359,6 +359,7 @@
   "projects.formInputs.campaign.title": "Campaign",
   "projects.formInputs.categories.title": "Categories",
   "projects.formInputs.organisation.description": "Organization that is coordinating the project, if there is any. The managers of that organization will have administration rights over the project.",
+  "projects.formInputs.admins.title": "TM Admins",
   "projects.formInputs.imagery.select": "Select imagery",
   "projects.formInputs.license.select": "Select license",
   "projects.formInputs.organisation.select": "Select organization",
@@ -855,6 +856,7 @@
   "management.teams.visibility.public": "Public",
   "management.teams.visibility.private": "Private",
   "management.teams.invite_only.description": "Managers need to approve a member's request to join.",
+  "management.teams.newJoinRequestNotification": "Enable for team managers to receive (email) notifications each time a new join request is made",
   "teamsAndOrgs.management.teams.messages.waiting_approval": "Your request to join this team is waiting for approval.",
   "management.projects.no_found": "This {entity} doesn't have projects yet.",
   "management.organisation.teams.no_found": "No teams found.",