Mapping and Countermapping Study Notes

  • Mapping: The process of creating a visual representation of geographic areas, often used for analysis and planning.

  • Countermapping: A strategy that challenges traditional mapping practices by asserting local identities and knowledge, reshaping narratives imposed by dominant cultures.

Concepts in Urban Representation

  • Influence of Representation on Thought:

    • How we draw and represent cities impacts our perception of them.

    • Conversely, our perception of cities influences drawing practices.

  • Nature of Representation:

    • Representation is not neutral; it creates and reproduces specific spatial ideologies and protagonists.

  • Urban Analysis & Design Relationship:

    • In modern urban design, mapping is often the first step in the design process.

Types of Drawings in Urban Design

  • Propositional Drawings: Illustrate design proposals.

  • Descriptive Drawings: Depict existing conditions.

  • Common Types of Drawings:

    • Maps

    • Sections

    • Diagrams

    • Elevations

    • Axonometric views

    • Perspective views

    • Collages

  • Other Urban Representation Methods:

    • Photography

    • Movies and documentaries

Practice and Theory in Representation

  • Photorealist Representation vs. Conceptual Notation:

    • Photorealist Representation: Shows apparent reality.

    • Conceptual Notation: Invents a concept.

  • Types of Representation:

    • Representation as Description

    • Representation as Interpretation

The Narratives of Cities

  • Two City Narratives:

    • The city as a rationalized and efficient system.

    • The city as an “irrational” place of fantasy, mystery, crime, poverty, and other human conditions.

Historical Mapping Techniques

  • Renaissance Representation:

    • 1500s: Bird's eye view techniques used for Renaissance cities.

    • Example: Map of the Town of Imola by Leonardo da Vinci (1502) - one of the earliest modern flat/ichnographic maps.

  • Topographic Maps (Survey Maps):

    • Became key tools during colonization.

    • Example: Philadelphia survey plan in 1683 detailing road and block patterns and property subdivision.

Survey Maps and Property Boundaries

  • Survey Example: Survey of the Township of Kingston, Ontario by John Collins (1783)

    • Visualized property boundaries.

  • Survey Systems in Ontario: Includes types like single front, double front, Indian, and sectional acreage.

Industrial Revolution and Mapping

  • Mapping’s Role:

    • Became instrumental in documenting urbanization’s negative outcomes, e.g., cholera epidemic tracking in London (Dr. John Snow, 1854).

Zoning and Functionalism

  • Charter of Athens (1933):

    • Introduced regional city setting and four functions: dwelling, recreation, work, transportation, and historical legacy.

    • CIAM (International Conference for Modern Architecture) influenced urban design through functional zoning.

  • Cornelis van Eesteren's Amsterdam Expansion Plan (1934).

Zoning Maps and Housing Segregation

  • Zoning Map Functions: Primary planning and representation tools.

    • Example: Toronto Land Use Plan (2019) detailing various zoning designations.

  • Racial Segregation Impact:

    • HOLC maps and their secretive, racially discriminatory grading systems affected mortgage access for minorities, preventing neighborhood improvements.

Urban Design and Modernism

  • Post-WWII Reassessment:

    • Shift away from modernist ideals; focus on preserving and studying existing cities.

    • Drawing began with analyses of existing urban spatial and social networks.

  • Structuralism in Design:

    • Connections between forms and their socio-cultural structures; forms convey messages that reflect culture.

  • New Approaches:

    • Emergence of methods like behavioral mapping to study and represent existing cities.

Mapping Methods

  • Counting & Mapping:

    • Counting activities like people, areas of use, and movement patterns.

    • Behavioral Mapping: Visual representation of where people engage with a space and their behaviors.

  • Documenting Desire Lines:

    • Observing and tracing pathways, flows, and usage patterns in urban spaces.

Countermapping and Thick Mapping

  • Countermapping:

    • Production of alternative spatial representations that challenge dominant claims and reveal hidden power relations.

    • Examples include the Detroit Geographic Expedition (1970) and the Anti-Eviction Project (2013).

  • Thick Mapping:

    • Incorporates quantitative and qualitative dimensions: narratives, community memories, institutional relationships, and lived experiences.

Visual Representation Techniques in Architecture

  • One-Point vs. Two-Point Perspectives:

    • One-point perspective contributes to control in perception; two-point perspective adds dynamism in representation.

    • Examples span historical contexts from Roman streets to modernist architect designs.

  • Use of Collage in Urban Design:

    • Employed by architects like Le Corbusier to reflect contrasts in urban development.

  • Photography's Role:

    • Documenting realities of urban life as seen in works by Jacob A. Riis (1891) and modern interpretations showing social injustices.

Concluding Thoughts on Mapping Practices

  • Decentralization of Perspective:

    • Modern urban analysis encourages graphic representations that respect the existing context of the city.

  • Reclaiming Urban Experience:

    • Engaging with the social, emotional, and behavioral dimensions of urban life can reshape actions and future designs.