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Geo-Conferences

Geography conferences are great opportunities for geographers, environmental scientists, GIS practitioners, social scientists—and basically anyone who performs work that is geographic in nature—to network and share recent developments in the field. Many conferences accept all abstract submissions, so they are great opportunities for students to get experience and practice presenting their research. Even if you aren’t presenting, it is still very useful and interesting to attend … Continue reading Geo-Conferences

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Classroom Ideas, Geography In the News

Testing Crime Theory with Maps: Broken Windows & Violent Crime in Philadelphia

Each year the National Geographic Society sponsors a number of cartography awards to support up-and-coming student map makers. Today I’d like to introduce you to Brad Carter, a student at the Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada, who won second prize in the Association of American Geographers-National Geographic Award in Mapping with his map, Broken Windows & Violent Crime in Philadelphia. His prize: $300 and a National Geographic 9th Edition Atlas of the World. Brad shared his map and some insights into his motivations for creating it.
brad-carter.jpg
Where are you from?
Toronto, Ontario
Name one or more dream jobs: 
Too many jobs could fit that description for me to pick just one. Any job that provides a challenge, demands creative problem solving, and offers an element of discovery would make it to the top of the list. That’s probably why I’ve gravitated towards cartography. It offers you the opportunity to work across many fields of study, while at the same time demanding the creativity to express complex information in a single image.
Who is your favorite geographer, map maker, scientist, or adventurer?
If I had to choose a favourite adventurer it would probably be Scott Carpenter, the astronaut that flew in orbit during the Mercury program, then left NASA to participate in the SeaLab project. To have had the opportunity to be a pioneer in the exploration of two great frontiers– outer space and the deep sea–makes his story particularly compelling.
What was your undergraduate major?
Marine Biology

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Classroom Ideas

Geography of Buzz: Buzzworthy?

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A presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association of Geographers (AAG) held in Las Vegas this March described how geographic analysis can be used to identify the “coolest” places in LA and NYC–depending upon your definition of “cool.”

 “The Geography of Buzz” project, conducted by Elizabeth Currid and Sarah Williams, was brought to my attention after being featured in the New York Times. Their methodology: Currid and Williams mined through thousands of stock photographs from the imaging giant Getty Images, carefully identifying photos that showed masses of ‘cool people’ doing ‘cool things.’ Then, they located where these photos were taken on a map. According to the two women, the objective of the study was “to be able to quantify and understand, visually and spatially, how this creative cultural scene really worked.”

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