Natural cities

When humans move through time and space, there are certain rules, known as spatial rules, that we must follow. To travel from one place to another, movement is required. For us to move, there must be accessibility. For example, we cannot walk straight through a wall or a mountain. The path we choose to reach our destination is often predetermined, as our ancestors have structured the space around us, influencing our decisions. For instance, our ancestors often planned cities, set administrative boundaries, and so on. But what really determines the location of a city?

From the concept of living Structures, a city can be viewed as as a living structure, a natural city. In this view, the behaviors of people define the city itself. The video on the right showcases the outcome of Lab 3, which highlights how natural cities in the U.S. evolved between April and December 2008. 

The purpose of this lab was to explore how we can map out natural cities by using social media data combined with animation techniques in ArcGIS PRO. By visualizing spatial data in this manner, we can uncover new patterns and, through thoughtful reflection, develop insights that help answer for example the fundamental question in cultural geography: Why do things happen this way, in this specific place?