Making and remaking Mapping for a Sustainable World: a retrospective and prospective analysis as a case study in Processual Cartography

Abstract

Here, we provide a retrospective and prospective analysis of the making and remaking of Mapping for a Sustainable World, an open-source Cartography textbook jointly published by the United Nations (UN) and International Cartographic Association (ICA). Our analysis follows a postrepresentational approach to Cartography, detailing a 'behind the scenes' look at the intentional book design process, revealing potentially transferable insights for designing maps about the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and atlas-like compendiums broadly. Retrospective design insights include recommendations for making the book like an atlas using a grid-based template and the golden ratio, best practices for working with the highly uncertain and dynamic SDG global indicator database, and lessons learned for designing SDG maps by maintaining a living map specification sheet. Retrospective processual insights include the formation of a core Editorial Team, detailed justification of the evolving book and chapter scoping, and the multi-stage review process coordinating international activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ongoing prospective activities include development of a translation guide for multilingual use of the book, expansion of the book section dividers into an annual atlas-like campaign, composition of open source QGIS technical tutorials to recreate figures from the book, and articulation of a research agenda on SDG mapping.