Mental Geography, Wonky Maps and a Long Way Ahead

Alan DixTalis and University of Birmingham

http://alandix.com/alanwalkswales

about me

University ofBirmingham

Tiree

About Tiree750 residents20,000 summer visitors

Tiree

at the edges ...750 people, 20 square miles, 4 hour ferry

Tiree Tech Wavefor the attendee and for the community

making a differenceTiree Mobile Heritage App.Tiree Connect

mapsreclaiming the local map within technological space

mapping never easier ... so long as it is ‘standard’

“Post-Renaissance maps cover the surface of the world with an homogeneous Cartesian grip”

Barbara Bender

local maps – local concerns

maps – issues

coordinate transforms – rubber sheeting

transitions – morph or discontinuous

authoring and data

walking Wales

Welsh Coast Path

opened May 2012linking existing pathsa single way marked routewith Offa’s Dyke encircles Walesthree full traversals in 2012 (one running)

Alan Walks Wales – Vision

personalencircling, encompassing, pilgrimage, homecoming,

practicalIT for the walker & IT for local communities

philosophicalreflections on walking and space, locality and identity

researchpersonal agenda and living lab

linear maps too

linear maps too

linear maps – issues

personal narrative and stories of place

curves and bends ... the high-pass filter

linking trails and localities

off the track

marginality

monmouth and the borders

conflict and boundaries:Offa’s Dyke, Norman Castles, Caerleon

contested territoryhow many counties in Wales?

divided yet joined

an interstitial community