Mapping the Cultural Buzz
Apologies to residents of the Lower East Side; Williamsburg, Brooklyn; and
other hipster-centric neighborhoods. You are not as cool as you think, at least
according to a new study that seeks to measure what it calls “the geography
of buzz.”
What do you see?
Purpose
The buzz project was centralized around the
cultural foundations of Los Angeles and New
York City. The purpose of the project was to
locate hot spots based on the frequency and
draw of cultural happenings: film and
television screenings, concerts, fashion shows,
gallery and theater openings.
Methodology
For the buzz project, snapshots from more than
6,000 events — 300,000 photos in all — from
Getty Images were categorized according to event
type, controlled for overly celebrity-driven
occasions and geo-tagged at the street level
The researchers then conducted GIS and spatial
statistics to analyze macro-geographical patterns
(Curid & Williams).
Result
By geo-referencing, coding, and performing
statistical analysis on 6,000 events and
300,000 photographs taken in New York and
Los Angeles, the team has shown that cultural
industry events tend to cluster spatially. While
the data might illustrate what we already
know—that certain “hot spots” in the city
exist—investigating them in this way allowed
them to gain a better understanding for why
clustering occurs in certain localities.
Stated Intention
…to be able to quantify and
understand, visually and spatially, how
this creative cultural scene really
worked…
Pros
• Legible Headings
• Vibrant Colours
• Infrared Techniques
Cons
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Missing Fundamental Features
Lack of context
No data-related information
Unclear purpose of map
Inability to draw clear conclusions
Which map shows you more?
Static Map Prototype
Conclusions
• It is important to maintain consistency and
understanding with regards to maps and visual
representations of data-collection throughout a
project.
• The priorities of the project and data collection are
unclear.
• While this map is extremely appealing to the creative
eye, it does not clearly represent the researchers
conclusions nor maximize the benefits of GIS
technology.