Neogeography and My Map of Tel Aviv

View Tel Aviv on my Mind in a larger map

I created this guide to Tel Aviv in order to provide the average tourist with a simple and easy guide to some of the main points of interest and destinations in Tel Aviv. Because I have spent a lot of time in that city I was able to provide recommendations to several restaurants, shuks (outdoor markets) and historical/cultural sites. Incorporated into the points of interest on the map are explanations of what the place is and its relevancy. As such, I won’t re-discuss the meaning and value of every place mentioned on my map. The tour can be done either by walking or by taking public transportation (I tried to provide relevant bus lines wherever I could). I only wish I had known about this feature in google maps while I was still in Israel so I could have forwarded my map to some of my friends who came to visit the country when I did not have time to give them a tour of the ‘white city’ myself.

Neogeography provides many advantages to the field of geography including the ability for people to instantaneously share relevant cultural and cartographic information with others. Moreover, neogeography (especially through simplistic and easy to use softwares like google maps) grants the average person the ability to map the world through their own personal perspectives and interests. This is a particularly important development in geography because throughout history those who hold power and control have determined the information conveyed through maps and other cartographic data. Allowing the average person to distribute geographical data, however, comes with several consequences. For example, with the expansion of softwares like ‘my maps’ people have the ability to distribute inaccurate information. Moreover, neogeography contributes to a larger amount of subjectivity in cartography, which can cause issues in areas where territory or places are already disputed. Finally, while pre-existing tool kits might seem easy to use, sometimes glitches make them difficult and frustrating to employ. While trying to make my map I had several issues drawing lines (the lines wouldn't coordinate with where I clicked my mouse) and embedding youtube videos.