Layerscapes. Cartographic Imperative in the Hypermediated City

Abstract

The impact of digitalization on everyday reality has meant the immersion of the human being in a reality full of stimuli. The interference of a geolocated digital layer incorporated into the traditional physical space of the city increases the complexity of the urban phenomenon. Hyperconnective network dynamics and instantaneous data exchange speeds inaugurate a new form of relationship between individuals and between them and the environment mediated by technological tools.  This research seeks to identify the elements and mechanisms that participate in the construction of the landscape of digital contemporaneity. Based on Kevin Lynch's concept of imageability, it shows the way in which we are witnessing a multiscale redefinition of the traditional metropolis. The methodology adopted is aimed at the exploration of a series of digital cartographies translating territorial complexity, as well as the characterization of the cartographic communication process through the interfaces of electronic devices. The qualification of the selected cartographies based on their properties reveals a new semantics of the urban experience while identifying the characteristics that contribute to the emergence of an imageability characteristic of the digital paradigm. In this way, the research is committed to the study of a topic that is shaping the future of the cities we inhabit, finally considering arguments for the adoption of an alternative approach to traditional urban analysis.