Maps & Power
About This Blog
All maps have been political documents since their inception. All projections lie. All borders are arbitrary. The map that depicts a city necessarily excludes something else, and somebody along with it.
Maps & Power is a personal research blog analyzing the interplay between cartography, political history, and geographic analysis. In Maps & Power, I discuss the use of maps as ideological documents, the application of GIS in perpetuating inequalities, and the practice of spatial inequality itself through mapping.
In my writing, I incorporate historical cartographic sources, geographical critiques, and novel GIS analyses. I am especially interested in uncovering how inequality, in terms of education, housing, health, and political representation, exists spatially, as well as counter-mapping initiatives that are empowering marginalized communities.
Maps & Power is a place for insightful and engaging writing on geography and politics. Its target audience is anyone who has ever gazed upon a map and asked: who made this, and why did they make it this way?
The Political History of Maps
From Ptolemy to Google Maps, cartography has always served power. I trace how maps have been used to claim territory, justify colonialism, and shape national identity.
GIS and Spatial Analysis
Using open-source GIS tools and public datasets, I build original analyses that make spatial inequality visible — from school access to environmental hazards.
Borders and Territory
The lines on maps are not natural features. They are political decisions, often made by people far from the places they divided. I examine how borders are made and what they do.
Projections and Perception
Every flat map distorts the globe. The choice of projection is never neutral — it reflects and reinforces assumptions about which places matter and which are peripheral.
Get in Touch
Have a question about a post, a collaboration idea, or just want to talk about maps? I'd love to hear from you.