Visualizing the Coronavirus Pandemic

Mapping of the crisis is producing a fascinating and important trove of cartographic records.

1 minute read

May 18, 2020, 8:00 AM PDT

Martin Sanchez / Unsplash

Laura Bliss interviewed modern cartography and GIS specialist John Hessler from the Library of Congress about the explosion of maps and visualizations coming out of the coronavirus crisis.

Hessler is collecting pandemic-related maps, which are coming out at a dizzying pace. "I’m just amazed at the sheer volume of geospatial images. It’s really an historic mapping moment like no other I remember."

Mapping today is no longer the domain of governments and private companies, says Hessler. "Now a lot of amazing cartography is coming from people sitting in their offices, cafés, and at home, visualizing geospatial data in ways that early cartographers couldn't have imagined."

FULL STORY: Collecting the Maps of the Coronavirus Pandemic

Monday, May 4, 2020 in CityLab

Land Use Social / Demographics Urban Development World Coronavirus Mapping Geomapping GIS Library of Congress Cartography Geographic Information Systems View More

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.