Reflexive Cartography: A New Perspective on Mapping

The book addresses the adaptation of cartography, including its digital forms (GIS, WebGIS, PPGIS), to the changing needs of society and outlines the experimental context aimed at mapping a topological space. Using rigorous scientific analysis based on statement consistency, relevance and the proposals, and model accessibility, it charts the transition from topographical maps created by state agencies to open mapping produced by citizens. Adopting semiotic theory to uncover the complex communicative mechanisms of maps and to investigate their ability to produce their own messages and new perspectives, the book outlines a shift in our way of conceptualizing maps: from a plastic metaphor of reality, as they generally considered, to solid tools that play the role of agents, assisting citizens as they think and plan their own living place and make sense of the current world.