The Road to Modern Mapping: Short Course and Story Map
How did interactive, dynamic web maps and apps created with modern GIS tools evolve? What ways of thinking, technological innovations, and knowledge about the Earth had to advance to bring us to our current amazing geospatial tools and content? I recently taught an online short course entitled "The Road to Modern Mapping" and here share the course contents, as an ArcGIS StoryMap, with the community.
The ArcGIS StoryMap is here:
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/1814eac43ab0478cafaf7dc7c1442411
Because the short course was for the general public, rest assured that it is not laden with jargon or that you need to be a GIS expert to understand it. Rather, my aim was to present this content in an interesting way that anyone would be able to appreciate and understand. Given the time constraints of the course and to heighten interest, rather than a straight chronological timeline of the history of mapping, I organize the content into these 6 categories. In my view, advancements had to take place in each category to get us to today's modern GIS-based maps. For example, the Earth's shape and size had to be understood, we had to understand our position on the planet and how to map things on it. Maps had to be reproducible so that they could be consumed en masse. We had to understand and map place and space, and how to symbolize and represent those places on maps. Finally, we had to think about how we could use maps to understand, to plan, to manage, and to chart the way forward.
In each category, I select specific stories that got us to where we are today:
- The Earth’s shape and size.
- Position on the Planet.
- Reproducibility.
- Knowledge of Places.
- Representation: Projections, Symbology, Classification.
- Environmental Stewardship.
For example, under #1 above I delve into the innovations of Anaximander, Al Biruni, and Eratosthenes. I discuss how geodesy evolved and the big silver map made by Al Idrisi. Under #2, I cover the evolution from the cross-staff, sextant, compass, to modern GPS, with a healthy dose of latitude and longitude. Under #3, I discuss maps on silk, wood, wood blocks, and the Polynesians' maps using sticks. I also delve into the role of mapping and science agencies. Under #4, I mention figures such as Pliny the Elder, Von Humboldt, and Zheng He, and dig deep into the western USA surveys that led to the establishment of the USGS. Under #5, I focus on detailed city maps. Under #6, I make the case that the notion of environmental stewardship led to innovations in field work, field tools, and modern mapping.
I then dispel a few mapping myths, answer the question "haven't all the maps been made by now?", and discuss my favorite maps and my favorite map books. The next section covers 3 frontiers of mapping--medical mapping, planetary mapping, and AI/Deep Learning. I then describe the 6 most important skills that I believe are important to learn more about mapping, and conclude with 5 recommendations for moving forward in your mapping journey, with resources that you can use to learn more.
I am hopeful that this resource will be useful in the following ways:
1. To supplement course content for those teaching mapping, geography, and GIS.
2. To explain to colleagues or family members how modern mapping evolved.
3. As ice-breaking topics of conversations at parties or to the person next to you on the airplane!
For more on this subject, see my book Interpreting Our World.
I look forward to your reactions.