A presentation at Map Mosaic: From Queens the the World - GISMO Exhibit and Forum, Queens Museum, October 30, 2016

1. ...

2. I’m Tom Lowenhaupt, and I
live in the neighborhood of
Jackson Heights.

3. 3 Topics
● Neighborhoods
● Jackson Heights
● Maps

4. Neighborhoods
What are they?

6. About Neighborhoods 1.
“spatial units in which face-to-face social
interactions occur— the personal settings and
situations where residents seek to realize
common values, socialize youth, and maintain
effective social control.”
Schuck, Amie and Dennis Rosenbaum 2006

7. About Neighborhoods 2.
There’s nothing official about neighborhoods.
They come, they go, they morph - “Astoria Hts.”

8. Astoria Heights

9. About Neighborhoods 3.
Real Estate role: “desirability”
Rents

10. About Neighborhoods 3.
In New York City all
neighborhoods have poor
local communication.

11. Media Comparison
Terre Haute, Indiana Jackson Heights
Population 100,000 100,000
Television Stations 2 0
Radio Stations 8 0
Daily Newspapers 1 0

12. Jackson Heights
From Farm To Cosmopolitan
Neighborhood

13. P
T
O
L
O
M
Y
1
5
0
A
D

14. Another version of
Ptolemy’s world map ca.
150 AD. Note: No hint of
Jackson Heights.

15. Approaching
Jackson Heights’
existence.
V
I
N
L
A
N
D
M
A
P
F
A
K
E
?

16. 1755
John Mitchell
Jackson Heights

17. 1776
New Town - Early name for area that
included Jackson Heights

18. Lived here 1981
- 1991

20. Time Warp

22. Time Warping
http://maps.nypl.org/warper/maps/9300#Preview_tab

25. Time Warp

26. Internet History
In 1983 the Internet as we know it was
essentially completed with the addition
of the Domain Name System or DNS.
.com .org . edu .gov

27. Internet History
Community Board 3 Member in 2001
Internet Empowerment Resolution
.com .org .gov

28. Internet History
Community Board 3 Member in 2001
Internet Empowerment Resolution
.nyc .com .org .gov

29. Internet History
2014
.nyc

30. What if...
JacksonHeights.nyc

31. DNA Map
https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150928/inwood/we-asked-you-draw-you
r-own-neighborhood-map-heres-what-you-did

32. Queens Museum

34. We’re Warping Again To...
Jackson Heights (the atomic)
+
JacksonHeights.nyc (digital)

35. Discovery
What good is a dotNeighborhood, e.g.,
JacksonHeights.nyc? How does it aide
the real Jackson Heights?
Civics - QoL - Tourism -

36. Guiding Thoughts

37. Guiding Thought
Maps are a tool to get people
off the computer and into the
neighborhood.

38. Guiding Thought
Maps…
● Grafitti
● Potholes
● Pot sellers
● Parades… protests… homeless… lonely

39. Maps… of the mental type

40. Maps… of the mental type
JacksonHeights.nyc

41. Maps… of the mental type
JacksonHeights.nyc
Map.JacksonHeights.nyc

42. Maps… of the mental type
JacksonHeights.nyc
Map.JacksonHeights.nyc
Schools.JacksonHeights.nyc

43. Maps… of the mental type
JacksonHeights.nyc
Map.JacksonHeights.nyc
Schools.JacksonHeights.nyc
Restaurants.JacksonHeights.nyc

44. Maps… of the mental type
JacksonHeights.nyc
Map.JacksonHeights.nyc
Schools.JacksonHeights.nyc
Restaurants.JacksonHeights.nyc
Pizza.Restaurants.JacksonHeights.nyc

45. Maps
mental and physical and digital

46. Maps.nyc -

47. Maps.nyc - part of a mental map
shared by all New Yorkers
What?
● Folding Maps
● Digital Maps - historic, contemporary,
functional
● Tourist Maps
● To get somewhere maps
Who? When? How$

48. Tom Lowenhaupt
Tom@connecting.nyc
connecting.nyc