Lab#3: Neogeography

Neogeography, which essentially means "new geography", can be defined as a depiction of the real world through geographic information and maps. What is so different and radical about this type of geography is that the person creating maps does not need specific master’s degree in cartography or geography information systems or extensive training. Map making has fully become publicly accessible that anyone with a sense of location, direction, and ability to describe places can create a map. One of the programs that helps average people with little or no knowledge of map-making is the Google program “My Maps”. Through this application, I was able to create my own map for this lab assignment. The concept of neogeography has infinitely transformed the way people view the world through maps. When comparing neogeography to traditional geography, we should look at how each type of geography is observed. Traditional geography looks at the actual topography and physical locations and professional people creating maps for a specific location or region do not have biases and personal opinions about that place. There is no bearing on how the map looks like because of their personal affiliation with that area. On the other hand, neogeography gives everyone and anyone to make maps that pertain to their liking and tastes such as the map I created of Mammoth, California. Also, neogeography does not include any formal or analytical foundation. Most importantly, the main difference between neogeography and traditional geography is the contrast in accuracy and precision of map production.

One of the best features of neogeography is that it has made the world smaller place and personal maps make this even more possible. With rapidly developing technology like Smartphones, GPS devices with their extremely spot-on parallel multi-channel design, and resources that are free to the public like Google or Yahoo Maps, everything in the world has come virtually closer. This makes it more convenient and easier for many people to view the millions of places in the globe on a computer or phone screen. Neogeography has forever changed people navigate around places, physically and virtually. With new technology, come many possibilities. Also, it makes map-making more interactive and allows for the person making the map to include a sense of closeness to the region.

The drawbacks of neogeography include the following reasons. Even though technology is in a sense faster, more precise, and oftentimes more reliable than people, because it is man-made, it is not perfect. Neogeography is not always accurate and reliable. Computers and phones are often faulty and internet service isn’t readily available everywhere on Earth. Certain atmospheric factors and other sources of error can also affect the accuracy of GPS devices and phones with GPS embedded in them. Sometimes, neogeography does not leave room for personal creativity and adventure. Why waste a whole day trying to navigate through a foreign city with a regular map with no guidance to where the best restaurants and shopping centers are when other people’s maps of where to go are available online? Also, it makes people dependent on GPS devices and cannot go anywhere without them. Today, many people do not rely on their memory to drive to a different city and instead, solely rely on technology. Neogeography has become so ever-present that it is making people ignorant and less willing to learn addresses and street names.

Here is the map I created with Google Maps application, My Maps. It is of the different restaurants and shops in Mammoth Lakes, California:

View Mammoth! in a larger map