Understanding Contemporary Urban Spaces: Techniques for Mapping People’s Spaces
Topics:
Keywords: People's Spaces, Deep Mapping, Land-Use Mapping
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract
Authors:
Ashra Madhubhashini Wickramathilaka, Ball State Univesity
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Abstract
Land-use is the most popular mapping technique used by urban planners. The four or five highly generalized large-scale land-uses they use are unable to capture most urban activities important to ordinary people. A study that I was involved in in Colombo also revealed the gap between mapping and people’s spatial processes. Hence, the question: What are more substantive alternatives to land-use mapping? While People’s Spaces (Perera 2016) argue for the need for understanding how people create spaces for their daily activities and cultural practices, critical cartographers have been exercising different mapping techniques to understand and explore people’s spaces. Nancy Peluso’s (1995) counter mapping and Denis Wood’s (2010) deep mapping techniques not only challenge traditional land-use mapping but also highlight people’s rights and agency. This study juxtaposes these social and physical discourses, applies these mapping techniques on spatial stories highlighted in Perera (2016) and asks how these techniques could be adapted for planning and development. The study and outcomes are helpful for planners to practice inclusive planning and development. The study employed a qualitative approach. Expounding the above base, it began with a literature review on both people’s stories and available mapping tools. By comparing the outcomes, identify the best techniques and processes and apply these to selected neighborhood areas in Muncie, Indiana, USA.
Understanding Contemporary Urban Spaces: Techniques for Mapping People’s Spaces
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Paper Abstract