Since the earliest humans painted stories on cave walls, languages that transcend the written word have brought people together. Cartography, the science of creating maps, is one of those languages. As the visual language of geography, maps reveal to us just how interrelated everything is in the world and how interrelated we are to each other—something we understand all the more in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Geography integrates disciplines like sociology, biology, economics, and even psychology by uniting them within the context of location.
We need this level of integration in our thinking and problem-solving as our planet faces dire and complex sustainability challenges—related to environmental viability, social equity, and economic prosperity. To address any one of these concerns requires a holistic view of the others, as they depend on one another. The language of maps, powered by technology and alive with data, can help us create solutions. Maps produced by geographic information system (GIS) software serve as a framework for understanding and identifying where issues must be addressed and how they’re related.
We’re already seeing this effective approach enable progress on three factors necessary for long-term sustainability: environmental viability, social equity, and economic durability.