Why maps are made

## 1.1 What makes a map?

### 2 Maps as everyday experience

# 2.1 How do we use maps?

Reading about maps, I have been struck by the number of times that the idea of ‘maps as part of our everyday experience’ has been mentioned. In fact, I was thinking about it recently, when I was preparing to travel from Belfast to London. I left home with a mental map of my journey to the airport – but on the way I found that the road was blocked by a burst water main. ‘Plan B’ was to consult my local road map for the quickest alternative and, in doing so, I wondered if my usual route really is the best one! I presume that the pilot of the aircraft on which I travelled had an appropriate route map, but there were maps representing the airline's routes in Europe and across the world in the magazine in the seat pocket. I used the London Underground from Heathrow Airport and consulted that now famous route map displayed at the station to decide where to get off. From there, it was a case of a street map to get me to the BBC.

## Activity 1

What about maps in your ‘everyday experience’? Note that this does not mean maps that you actually use every single day. I mean, rather, our commonplace experience of maps. Make a quick list of maps that you experience in this way.

## Discussion

Were you surprised, when you actually started to identify the common use of maps, at just how much they are part of our everyday experience? Or am I being optimistic in saying this? The kinds of thing you might have noted could include: newspaper or TV weather maps; ‘You are Here’ maps in town or shopping centres; road maps; travel brochures. You may well have thought of others.

OpenLearn - Why maps are made
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