Report: Digital Cities Seminar - Presentation1: Sir Terry Farrell

Reporting the Digital Cities event 27th April 2009:
Presentation1: Sir Terry Farrell - (© Alan Thompson for A&A)
Sir Terry Farrell: This keynote presentation investigated the nature of mapping in general; pondering the reasons for why maps are so different from each other and considering how each kind of map finds its own particular way of organizing information. Musing on the introduction of SatNav, Sir Terry wondered if our absorption and trust in these emerging technologies is producing dependency on a topographical crutch; encouraging us to ignore our surroundings; it was suggested that such diminished engagement and familiarity with the city could ultimately lead to the “Death of Place.” An elaboration of a mapping project for London, undertaken by the Farrell Partnership, showed how a sense of place could be reestablished: perhaps, the abstractions of the tube map, bus map and road map could all be reassembled into one master map; a diagram that presents very abstracted route information; yet, simultaneously respects strict geographical proximities and conveys neighborhood identity. A fascinating investigation, provoked by the seminal “collage city” studies of Colin Rowe showed how the apparently ad hoc street layouts of London could be forensically examined to reveal patterns of land ownership and underlying topographical generators (e.g: the buried rivers of Waldbrook, Fleet and Tyburn.) A very real schematic separation of function and influence is readily apparent: the triad of royal power, government/ecclesiastic power and the power of the people can be observed. Sir Terry's new book “Mapping London” that examines these phenomenon at length will be published in Autumn 2009.