Project Abstract

Abstract
Cartographies of danger represent a critical approach to mapping and understanding various forms of risk and threats within different geographical contexts. This research project aims to explore how danger is represented, perceived, and managed through cartographic means, focusing on the intersections between space, power, and vulnerability. By analyzing a range of case studies, including maps of natural disasters, conflict zones, crime hotspots, and environmental hazards, this study seeks to uncover the complexities of danger mapping and its implications for society. The research will investigate the role of cartographies of danger in shaping public perception and policy responses to risks. By examining how different stakeholders, such as governments, NGOs, and communities, utilize and interpret maps of danger, this project aims to elucidate the power dynamics inherent in spatial representations of risk. Furthermore, the study will explore the ethical considerations involved in mapping danger, including issues of data accuracy, privacy, and the potential for stigmatization of certain areas or populations. Through a critical analysis of existing danger maps and their underlying methodologies, this research project will contribute to the development of more nuanced and socially responsible approaches to cartographic representation. By engaging with theories of critical cartography, feminist geography, and risk communication, this study aims to highlight the ways in which maps can both empower and marginalize certain groups within society. The research will also consider the role of emerging technologies, such as GIS and remote sensing, in shaping contemporary practices of danger mapping. Overall, this project seeks to deepen our understanding of how danger is spatially constructed and navigated in the modern world. By interrogating the biases, limitations, and possibilities of cartographic representations of risk, this research aims to contribute to more informed decision-making processes and more inclusive approaches to risk management. Through a multidisciplinary lens that incorporates perspectives from geography, sociology, and information science, this study will provide valuable insights into the complex interplay between space, danger, and society.

Project Overview

No place is perfectly safe, but some places are more dangerous than others. Whether we live on a floodplain or in “Tornado Alley,” near a nuclear facility or in a neighborhood poorly lit at night, we all co-exist uneasily with natural and man-made hazards. As Mark Monmonier shows in this entertaining and immensely informative book, maps can tell us a lot about where we can anticipate certain hazards, but they can also be dangerously misleading.

California, for example, takes earthquakes seriously, with a comprehensive program of seismic mapping, whereas Washington has been comparatively lax about earthquakes in Puget Sound. But as the Northridge earthquake in January 1994 demonstrated all too clearly to Californians, even reliable seismic-hazard maps can deceive anyone who misinterprets “known fault-lines” as the only places vulnerable to earthquakes. Mapping Hazards

Important as it is to predict and prepare for catastrophic natural hazards, more subtle and persistent phenomena such as pollution and crime also pose serious dangers that we have to cope with on a daily basis. Hazard-zone maps highlight these more insidious hazards and raise awareness about them among planners, local officials, and the public. Mapping Hazards
With the help of many maps illustrating examples from all corners of the United States, Monmonier demonstrates how hazard mapping reflects not just scientific understanding of hazards but also perceptions of risk and how risk can be reduced. Whether you live on a faultline or a coastline, near a toxic waste dump or an EMF-generating power line, you ignore this book’s plain-language advice on geographic hazards and how to avoid them at your own peril.Mapping Hazards

“No one should buy a home, rent an apartment, or even drink the local water without having read this fascinating cartographic alert on the dangers that lurk in our everyday lives. . . . Who has not asked where it is safe to live? Cartographies of Danger provides the answer.”—H. J. de Blij, NBC News.Mapping Hazards

“Even if you’re not interested in maps, you’re almost certainly interested in hazards. And this book is one of the best places I’ve seen to learn about them in a highly entertaining and informative fashion.”—John Casti, New Scientist.Mapping Hazards