Language of the Land: Radical Cartography

Maps are typically tools of the powerful, created by governments or large corporations to reflect and reinforce the status quo. Join associate professor William Rankin of Yale University for an exploration of how new kinds of cartography can challenge the entrenched politics of mainstream mapping. By combining historical research on the history of data maps with Rankin’s own work as a cartographer over the last twenty years, we’ll learn how contemporary cartography should be guided not just by new data or new technology, but by a new set of values.

Bio
William Rankin is an associate professor of history at Yale University, where he focuses on the history of mapping and the geographic sciences. Born and raised outside Chicago, he was originally trained as an architect before receiving a dual PhD in the history of science and architecture from Harvard University. In addition to his work as a historian, he is also an award-winning cartographer, and his maps—available at radicalcartography.net—have appeared in numerous books, magazines, and exhibits around the world.