{"id":773695,"date":"2026-06-30T10:50:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T17:50:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=arcnews&p=773695"},"modified":"2026-06-30T16:11:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T23:11:46","slug":"make-maps-people-with-people-not-just-for-them","status":"publish","type":"arcnews","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcnews\/make-maps-people-with-people-not-just-for-them","title":{"rendered":"Make Maps with People, Not Just for Them"},"author":6921,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","transcript_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1041,430081,282062],"tags":[11062,301,209142,241,493529],"arcnews_issues":[493539],"class_list":["post-773695","arcnews","type-arcnews","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-collaboration","category-from-the-meridian","category-geography","tag-aag","tag-community","tag-geographers","tag-gis","tag-participatory-mapping","arcnews_issues-summer-2026","arcnews_sections-gis-people"],"acf":{"short_description":"When mapping with communities, cartographers and geographic information scientists can rethink their processes to better fit a new purpose.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Cartographers and geographic information scientists often fall into this field because they enjoy maps. They like sourcing data, conducting geospatial analysis, and communicating visually. Many also enjoy the solitude and relative control they have over the process, which leaves plenty of room to make maps that are accurate, rigorously researched, and aligned with best practices in cartographic and geospatial standards. Meanwhile, the cartographer\u2019s client stands on the other side of the desk (or email), asking for their expertise and offering feedback when necessary.\r\n\r\nThen, something different happens. The once-left-alone cartographer is asked to work with a community to use maps to better understand their worldview. Perhaps they\u2019ve been approached by a local organization trying to produce social or environmental data, or they\u2019ve joined a movement that wants to make a map for certain groups of people. Suddenly, the cartographer\u2019s processes, setup, and even fonts are thrown into disarray. Suddenly, the cartographer is making a map with<\/em> people rather than for<\/em> people.\r\n\r\nWhen this happens, it can feel overwhelming. Cartography and GIS are often taught to be methodical, systematic, and orderly. Most cartographers develop their systems and workflows based on these expectations. Working with communities, however, is rarely any of that. Typically, mapping with communities flips the entire process on its head, rearranging the classic pipeline of gathering data first, conducting analysis next, and determining representation last.\r\n\r\nParticipatory mapping, for instance, is a method of working with people to understand how they see and know their worlds. It is often used to work with Indigenous and other vulnerable communities to bridge the divide between state-based understanding and local knowledge. Here, the map acts as a spatial anchor for information sharing.\r\n\r\nCartographers usually start these projects with a blank piece of paper and colored pencils. Participants identify what they would like to see on the map (for example, where land rights have been abused or people have been displaced) and what to keep off of it (sacred and ceremonial places, locations that are vulnerable to resource extraction, and spaces for people escaping violence or persecution). These kinds of projects engage with information that\u2019s not routinely collected, so recuperating data is the end goal, not the first step.\r\n\r\nThis way of mapping is challenging. It also offers an opportunity for seasoned cartographers and geographic information scientists to see their professions from the viewpoint of people whose lives and environments are being mapped\u2014people who might want different data, analysis, and representations so they can make their own decisions. This is one of the most valuable aspects of community-based mapping: It asks cartographers and geographic information scientists to rethink their processes, systems, and representations to better fit a new purpose."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":773696,"image_position":"center","orientation":"vertical","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Making maps with<\/em> people requires a great deal of humility, care, and flexibility. Cartographers must listen, ask questions that may not seem necessary, and challenge the conventions they may take for granted. It\u2019s hard work. But keeping the following principles in mind can help:\r\n

Know the Purpose<\/h2>\r\n

Who is this mapping project designed for, and why are you participating in it? What is the end goal? (To develop a proposal for a government organization? For the community to gather information about themselves or their environment?) Is the process more important than the final product? Is the map\u2019s purpose something other than wayfinding or conducting conventional analysis? Will the map challenge or expand the way maps tell stories? Who makes the map? Who reads it?<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Set the Standards<\/h2>\r\n

Different community projects have different values. The training that cartographers and geographic information scientists receive prioritizes accuracy, quality, and readability. When mapping with<\/em> people, however, participants might have different priorities that reflect their experiences and needs, such as data sovereignty, including where the data comes from and is stored; whether the software is no cost or inexpensive; how flexible the cartographic design is; or whether the politics of the project\u2019s technical side match or conflict with their own cultural and political worldviews. Sometimes, urgency is critical; other times, moving slowly and building trust is more important. The cartographer\u2019s role is not to decide on the standards but rather to advise on options and explore them as openly as possible.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Make a Community Agreement<\/h2>\r\n

Community agreements document the decisions made between mapmakers and the community partners they\u2019re working with. Agreements elucidate the project\u2019s values, along with how and when intellectual property and cultural knowledge is shared, acknowledged, and credited (including authorship of the data or map). They also outline parties\u2019 labor and compensation expectations\u2014and the right to end the partnership without animosity, plus what happens to the data if that occurs. The Guidelines for Ethical Research in Australian Indigenous Studies<\/em><\/a>, from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, is a helpful resource for community agreements.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Listen<\/h2>\r\n

Community partners won\u2019t always know technical lingo, and it might be difficult for cartographers to be open to criticism of their work or the organizations they represent. But surprisingly often, these arguments are similar to the critiques that cartographers and geographic information scientists already have of their own industry. (We know the world is not the map!) Community partners may just use different language and experience unfamiliar consequences. What appears to be a technical issue could reflect generations of attempted erasure or the dispossession of knowledge and cultural property. So it\u2019s important to listen\u2014carefully, openly, and slowly\u2014and come to community agreements on how projects should proceed. Sometimes just listening and acknowledging is enough.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Not All Solutions Are Software<\/h2>\r\n

When cartographers and geographic information scientists learn to listen, a range of problem-solving options open up\u2014options that don\u2019t involve technical or software-based solutions. Maybe there\u2019s no way around placing data on the mapping organization\u2019s server, but the community agreement can be renegotiated to ensure that control of intellectual property and copyright remains in the hands of the people who created it. Perhaps the modifiable areal unit is an enduring problem for measuring local outcomes, but the map or platform can display a disclaimer that makes viewers aware of the history of the unit and how it skews the data. Maybe adding images, videos, recordings, or other materials to a map would help communicate knowledge that can\u2019t be reduced to points, lines, and polygons.<\/p>\r\nBy creating a space of reciprocity based on mutual respect and trust, it is possible for cartographers and geographic information scientists to embrace new opportunities that make a difference for those who need maps most. If you are prepared to listen, be flexible, document agreements, seek out unusual solutions, and let go when necessary, you can do incredible things and make maps with<\/em> people, not just for them."},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Center","content":"From the Meridian is a regular column from AAG, a nonprofit scientific and educational society whose members, from nearly 100 countries, share interests in the theory, methods, and practice of geography. Find out about AAG\u2019s programs and membership<\/a>.","snippet":""}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"\nMake Maps with People | Summer 2026 | ArcNews<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When mapping with communities, cartographers and geographic information scientists can rethink their processes to better fit a new purpose.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcnews\/make-maps-people-with-people-not-just-for-them\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Make Maps with People, Not Just for Them\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When mapping with communities, cartographers and geographic information scientists can rethink their processes to better fit a new purpose.\" \/>\n<meta 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