The Technopolitics of Mapping Dar es Salaam: An examination of the technological and political motivations of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team / La tecnopolítica de la cartografía de Dar es Salaam: Un examen de las motivaciones tecnológicas y políticas del equipo humanitario OpenStreetMap

Specht, D. 2021. The Technopolitics of Mapping Dar es Salaam: An examination of the technological and political motivations of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team / La tecnopolítica de la cartografía de Dar es Salaam: Un examen de las motivaciones tecnológicas y políticas del equipo humanitario OpenStreetMap. Espacio, Tiempo y Forma. Serie VI, Geografía. 14, pp. 193-216. https://doi.org/10.5944/etfvi.14.2021.30644

TitleThe Technopolitics of Mapping Dar es Salaam: An examination of the technological and political motivations of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team / La tecnopolítica de la cartografía de Dar es Salaam: Un examen de las motivaciones tecnológicas y políticas del equipo humanitario OpenStreetMap
TypeJournal article
AuthorsSpecht, D.
Abstract

Mapping has long formed a key part of development work, from recording household surveys, participatory mapping exercises, and PRA projects. Now though the sector is full of new actors- mapping and tech companies as well as NGOs- monitoring through drones and satellite images, alongside employing more traditional methods. Many of these new players were born from NGOs and companies who started as ‘crisis mappers. Short-term ‘crisis mapping’ projects have become a regular part of humanitarian response following a disaster. The short-term nature of such actions, and the need for stable employment/profits, has led to an increasing trend for the same organizations and companies to either remain on the ground producing maps or to move into new areas as part of a pre-emptive mapping practice, inserting themselves into the wider international development ecosystem. This research, centered on Tanzania, examines how HOTOSM has attempted to pivot towards working as a development organization that creates maps for prevention of crisis, but also wider socio-economic outputs. The research used interviews to explore the interplay between technology and micro/macro politics around the mapping of Dar es Salaam. Examining how HOTOSM its role, and how they position their map-making within the context of Dar es Salaam. Findings suggest that HOTOSM is still underdeveloped as an organization and lacks the maturity to create true participatory models of working.

KeywordsParticipatory mapping
international development
OpenStreetMap
Dar es Salaam
JournalEspacio, Tiempo y Forma. Serie VI, Geografía
Journal citation14, pp. 193-216
ISSN2340-146X
1130-2968
Year2021
PublisherUNED
Publisher's version
License
CC BY-NC 4.0
File Access Level
Open (open metadata and files)
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.5944/etfvi.14.2021.30644
Web address (URL)http://revistas.uned.es/index.php/ETFVI
Publication dates
Published17 Nov 2021

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