Mapshop: Learning to Map, Mapping to Learn

Abstract

The emergence of participatory and public participation GIS in the late-1990s have led to a series of productive conversations, disciplinary discussions, and university initiatives broadly termed, ‘community geographies’. These efforts are only partially about research methods and have instead drawn in debates around the role of the contemporary public university. In this paper, we discuss one such modest initiative at the University of Kentucky: Mapshop. For us, learning to make maps and learning from those mapmaking endeavors are sutured, if always a balancing act. We outline some of our findings from these efforts including some new engagement attempts with Instagram.