The document discusses the purposes, perceptions, and implications of maps, emphasizing that they are more than mere representations of geography. It encourages critical geographic thinking and examines the evolving nature of spatial data infrastructures while highlighting the role of technology in data collection and visualization. Additionally, it stresses the importance of understanding maps beyond their aesthetic value, urging users to analyze their potential uses and distortions.

1. O N
S P A T I A L,
D A T A
&
M A P P I N G M Y O P I A
Geo-information Science, Wageningen U (geo)

2. Your questions?
Today’s goal: encourage critical geographic thinking

3. What is the correct map?

4. What is the meaning of these symbols?

5. My 2 second rule: get the
message of a map in 2
seconds, or start looking
for an error grammer in

6. SemiologyofGraphics,JacquesBertin

7. Utah Drawn: An Exhibition of Rare Maps

8. “Maps serve many purposes. They represent physical geographies, recording
landmarks, routes, and boundaries. But they also reflect varying perceptions,
imaginations, values, and aspirations. This is certainly true of the maps
presented here. Over five centuries, empires and explorers along with printers
and publishers worked first to trace the outline of a continent that was new to
Europeans and then, eventually, to fill in its vast middle.
These maps show the steady increase of geographic knowledge of the
Americas, but they also demonstrate the economic and political interests that
produced that knowledge and the individuals who benefited from it. They hint at
what map makers and their sponsors determined was worth documenting,
identifying, and, in some cases, possessing. They often erase, obscure, and
distort. Put simply: maps are more than cartographic representations of known
or imagined physical features on the landscape. As you examine these maps,
try to determine the purposes for which they were made and any mistruths,
omissions, and distortions they may contain.”
https://heritage.utah.gov/history/utahdrawn

9. O N
S P A T I A L,
D A T A
&
M A P P I N G M Y O P I A

10. III Reader
Week 1 (SDI concepts)
 1. “Spatial data infrastructure for Sustainable land management”
(background information)
 2. “Spatial data infrastructures as Complex Adaptive Systems”
(essential read)

11. My question
What is spatial?
What is not spatial?

12. Spatial?

13. Geographic Data Combine layers of data to gain
new insights

15. No zombies in Haiti?

16. Discuss
Like maps, data possesses an aura of credibility.
It is your task to break that down.

17. ON
S P A T I A L,
D A T A
&
M A P P I N G M Y O P I A

18. 3D
Visualization
Analytics
Apps
Collaborative
Applications
Open
Configurable
Agile Easier
Ready to Use
Implementation
GPS
UAVs
Real-Time
Crowdsourcing
Sensors Scientific Data
Remote Sensing
Field Survey
Social Media
Content
Big Data
Cloud
Virtualization
IoT
Consumerization
Smart Devices
Technology
Integrating Many Innovations
A Whole New Pattern Is Emerging
GIS Is Evolving

20. Data is/was…
collected by experts
consciously
closed
static
structurecreated by software
subset of reality
send as input to an analytical process
on your computer
Ignoringthequantitativeview

21. Data is/becoming…
collected by a crowd
unconsciously
open
real-time
no-structurecreated by data
the analytical process is send to the data
closer to realitythink clusters and cloud

22. 22Met dank aan: Kadaster, Rijkswaterstaat, Rotterdam,…
open

23. A picture of reality

24. A picture of reality

25. A picture of reality

26. A picture of reality

27. Rotterdam Canvas Basislaag voor eigen informatie
A picture of reality

28. Philli
A picture of reality

29. By the crowd

38. realtime

43. 1124, 8942, 1.755.410.209

44. Discuss
As data is increasingly real-time,
the atlas of our world is always alive.

45. ON
S P A T I A L,
D A T A
&
M A P P I N G M Y O P I A

46. Please remember
Great maps are beautiful, insightful, but they also may be…

47. Incomplet

48. With hard to define borders

49. With objects of
various accuracy

50. Outdated

51. This grid on our world

52. ..diminishes, but it will always stay.

53. Discuss
The more we measure, the more we know.

54. Our challenge I
to look beyond the beauty of the map itself,
to define it’s possible use broadly,
not in a narrow way,
and to be user-oriented while doing so.
(see T. Levitt, Marketing Myopia, HBR)

55. Our challenge II
To explore data with geography as a starting point, and to
use alternate visualisations when they bring more insights
- treemap, bubble chart, donut, … ,

58. Discuss
What makes a map perfect?

59. Final Thoughts
Develop a t-shape profile
Do challenge the status quo
Get the science of meaningful maps

60. Recommended
Books & Papers
J Bertin, Sémiologie graphique, (in French, English)
Edward Tufte (www.edwardtufte.com) Beatifull Evidence (here)
Marketing Myopia, T. Levitt (here)
The Floating Sheep Manifesto (here)
MOOCs
Going Places with Spatial Analysis, starts april 12th! here
Critical thinking, e.g. Think Again series by Duke on Coursera, here
Introduction to Philosophy: God, Knowledge and Consciousness, by MIT on EdX, here
Do pm me if you are considering to include Big data / GeoAnalytics in your thesis

61. O N
S P A T I A L,
D A T A
&
M A P P I N G M Y O P I A
@jwvaneck
Geo-information Science, Wageningen University (geo)