ABSTRACT
Traditionally maps have acted as a form of literal and abstract representation. The standard map is a precise top-down cartographic representation of a geographic terrain, a visualization of place. Fundamentally, maps are used to provide a view of data that is manageable for particular groups and uses. They are designed to be easily understood and represent selected information that is scaled down for ease of use. Similarly, a looser definition of cartography may allow us to consider that any form of data abstraction or representation based on a location is a map. This framing has seen maps being used as a medium to communicate ideas beyond the scope of physical geography, such as the amount of pollution in a given neighbourhood. More recently,
the environmental movement has adopted mapping as a form of communication. Green Map System (1999), an organization based in America, in particular, formed around the notion of almost exclusively using maps to further the cause of environmentalism.
