Maps are not neutral. They reflect and perpetuate power relations and have always been political instruments influencing our understandings of the world. In contemporary endeavours and struggles towards a more socially and environmentally just urban, maps are being used in various ways and by a wide variety of actors to raise consciousness, to contest and re-shape the status-quo.

Visual communication and critical mapping are key instruments (among others) in the voicing and giving legitimacy to narratives and discourses of dissensus and dissent, as demonstrated by many scholars and examples of practice. In this project and the resulting mapping change logbook, we took a closer look at some of the many interpretations of critical mapping. We explored how and in what ways their employment contributed to shifting mindsets, reshaping realities, and addressing the historically far-reaching origins of neoslaveries and urban polycrises. With this, we hope to humbly contribute to the countless global efforts to create localized systemic reforms and anti-hegemonic pathways.

This project was funded by Volkswagen Stiftung through its program: "Original – isn’t it? New Options for the Humanities and Cultural Studies" (now OpenUp) an ran between OCT 2018 - APRIL 2022.