Kemal Ahson

What makes a ‘good’ map?

Maps and mapping are everywhere, and issues related to place dominate today’s news cycle. It is widely accepted (at least by geographers) that maps and mapping are contentious as they are not necessarily transparent, simply reflecting reality, but are socially constructed and reflect power. Here the representation of ‘data’ on a map influences the interpretation of the content and nature of the sources.  These criticisms also reflect a history of cartography linked to the refinement of spatial measurement and representation according to clearly defined mathematical principles in pursuit of military and economic power.  Nonetheless, there is a growing interest in the use of maps and mapping, outside the traditional field of Geography, such as in Literary Urban Studies, Comparative Literature, and Urban Storytelling. But if we wrestle the power of maps and mapping away from ‘expert’ cartographers what might a ‘good’ map look like? In this paper, based on the creation of twenty-eight sets of ‘maps of meaning’, as part of the Cultural Literacies’ Value in Europe (CLiViE) project, I explore how ‘facts’, ‘figures’ and ‘feelings’ can be drawn together through art-based practices that challenge familiar topographic tropes and cartographic conventions. However, I also highlight that maps cannot tell the whole story and that, despite their appeal, portraying meaningful relationships of a complex, three-dimensional world through them, may pose challenges for the researcher.