Digital Poster
Sâmia Pedraça and Luciano Frizzera
University of Alberta
Biographies
Samia Pedraça is currently doing the first year of Humanities Computing Masters Program at University of Alberta, Canada. She is an experienced Graphic Designer and 3D modelling and animation.
Luciano Frizzera is currently in the second year of Humanities Computing Masters Program at University of Alberta, Canada. He is an experienced Flash Developer and Web Designer, interested in Mobile Media, Urban Culture, Social Media, Interactive Design.
Abstract
A city map is a representation of its urban divisions and physical structures, containing, among other things, streets, blocks, landmarks, regions and natural barriers. Each one of these entities is delineated by a variety of shapes: squares, rectangles, circles and a different range of geometric forms. These representations are mere conventions and usually cannot express the full meaning of the area. In front of this, we are posing question regarding to the way in which the city got its current outline and what kind of information the shapes carry. In order to address these questions, we are proposing a visualization in which we can overlay different datasets upon the shape of the city. Our project is inspired in Harpold’s (1999) concept of counter-mapping, in which he proposed that instead of using institutional political conventions, different results could emerge if people design their own maps using contextual information. Also, as Kevin Lynch (1964) stated, the boundaries and identity of a region is not singular defined by the constituent power, but socially produced by its dwellers (Lefebvre, 1992). Following Harpold and Lynch ideas, this proposal endeavors to carry forward a previous Edmonton Pipelines Project: Shaping the City.
In this project we have been working in an interactive visualization of the shapes of the city of Edmonton, in which each shape will be load up with data and dynamically organized in order to show different faces of the city. The options to filter and sorting the shapes allow the users to play with the data imposed upon the map in serendipitous way. This juxtaposition of data and locations could generate a range of extra relations and improve the comprehension of the city outline, posing questions, for instance, about the choices made by local authorities in order to accomplish development of Edmonton as city.