Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
JERUSALEM: This plan dating from 1838 depicts Jewish, Muslim and Christian sites in one of the
world's most important religious centres.
To complement these portrayals of London, we have chosen maps depicting ten other cities
from across the world, from mighty New York (
I saw three ships
)
to tiny Willemstad in Cur-
açao (
Out of proportion
)
. These offer a taste not only of the broad chronological and geo-
graphical coverage of urban maps within the archives, but also of the varied purposes for
which they were created and used. Our earlier examples tend to reflect two concerns: defence
and civic pride. For instance, both fortifications and coats of arms feature prominently on the
maps of Valletta (
The Knights of St John
)
and Frankfurt am Main (
At home on the Main
)
.
In the second half of the chapter, concerns with security and status begin to give way to the
practicalities of urban development and administration. The maps of Adelaide (
A city fit for
a queen
)
and Nairobi (
Separate and unequal
) address town planning, while the regulation of
commerce inspired the map of Cape Town (
Fine wine
).
Several themes persist across the continents and centuries covered by these city maps. One
of these is the careful rendering of streets and buildings that define urban landscapes. Anoth-
er is a preoccupation with water. Many successful cities are also ports, and several of these
maps feature sailing ships as decoration. Something common to all of the maps is that they
fulfil the need to make sense of, and assert control over, the complex and sometimes unruly
world of the metropolis. In this chapter, we invite you to explore the urban jungle through
our maps.
