Week 6 (23/25 Feb)

23 February (synchronous Zoom class)

Discussion: Your findings from OSM (known places and local knowledge)

Demo: Learning the Overpass API with overpass turbo; Making some queries based on OSM map features / downloading queries.

Making a Map from an Overpass API query with UMap.

Point-based queries: amenity = | building = church / mosque| historic=ruins | man_made=petroleum_well | natural=tree

node

[amenity=drinking_water]

({{bbox}});

out;

(

node[amenity=cafe]({{bbox}});

way[amenity=cafe]({{bbox}});

);

out body;

>;

out skel qt;

Check out Taylor's tutorial on using Overpass Turbo here.

Homework:

1 Read (before Quick Writing): Why would you use OSM is there is Google?
Inside the 'Wikipedia of Maps', Tensions Grow Over Corporate Influence (Bloomberg)

2 Watch: Extracting Data from OSM Using the Overpass API (9 mins)

3 Quick Writing #7 What are your strongest takeaways from working with OpenStreetMap and Overpass Turbo? What kinds of information are bound with location in open mapping environments such as OSM? This week's HOT webinar claims that there is colonial information bound up in OSM. What do you think that means? How might we would go to work on decolonizing OSM? This week's Bloomberg article also claims that the corporate sector is beginning to invade open infrastructure. Do you find that a good or bad thing? Due 0600, 2 March

3 Sign up: Choose a slot for small group discussions on 18 March here.

Accept the invitation to RStudio.Cloud that I have sent you (it will expire 28 February).

25 February (asynchronous Zoom class)

Introducing RStudio and the notion of an IDE (integrated development environment).

Watch: Introduction to RStudio Cloud (6 mins)| RStudio for the Total Beginner (6 mins)

Watch: Learning the RStudio Cloud Environment (10 mins) -- this video was created for another class, but is still rather general.

Watch: Cartography (a performance at NYU Abu Dhabi Arts Center) - 1 hour 42 minutes. Pay close attention to 55:00- (the map making moment) and 1:05- (the Q&A).

Read about the event here and the creators, artist Kaneza Schaal and writer Christopher Myers.

Assignment 1 (due 0600, 21 Mar)

In Assignment #1 (circa 1500 words + maps) you will be writing a "critical map essay" using data acquired through overpass turbo to assess data gaps in a place that you know in the world. You can do this assignment alone or in pairs. You might think of this as an extension of quick writing #6.

There are four steps to this assignment :

(1) choosing a place that you know somewhat well and identifying OSM map features which are relevant for that place;

(2) downloading data using the Overpass API (overpass turbo) and visualizing the data of those features using the UMap mapping platform (or RStudio if you have it installed and are familiar with it already);

(3) critically assessing your digital map for how this data corresponds to what you know of this location and how you know it;

(4) reflecting on a participatory mapping project with community members who would benefit from adding data to the map (to closing the "data gaps").

Instructions: Using OSM's feature list, explore some features that are present using overpass turbo and the simple queries we used in class. Choose 2 or 3 features that you believe are the most relevant for your essay for the chosen location. Download the data in geojson format and visualize it on UMap or RStudio.

Use your local knowledge to assess critically the features you chose. Are there some missing points? The maps that you create should be embedded into your essay. Choose center points that allow us to focus on the specific area of interest with ease.

Please address these questions in your critical map essay:

• how does OSM bundle information with location? how does this information compare with the local knowledge you have about the location? Google maps? Apple maps? where are the data gaps?

• what features are well represented in OSM? is it obvious that there was a particular effort to map certain features here (governmental, cultural, religious)? what did you think of the applicability of the OSM "feature ontology" for this location?

• what non-commercial map features are present in Google/Apple maps that you would like to see in OSM for this location?

• if you were to mobilize a non-profit, community mapping effort to remediate some of these data gaps, who would these community members be (small businesses, social justice activists, cultural heritage sector, youth, sporting communities, environmentalists) and what would motivate them to contribute their work?
  

Some additional information about Overpass Turbo:
Read: About Overpass Turbo | Extracting Data via Overpass Turbo

Watch short videos: How to use overpass turbo interface for OSM data (5 mins) | A Turbo Introduction to Overpass (25 mins) | Extracting OSM data using Overpass Turbo (9mins)

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER YOUR WORK IN STAGES, DM THE INSTRUCTOR WITH QUESTIONS OR SUBMIT A PARTIAL DRAFT BY 14 MARCH FOR FEEDBACK.