Location, location, location : Collecting space and place in mobile media

Abstract

Finding our way between places, through spaces, has been documented using various techniques of mapping. Maps are often thought of as products that allow us to find our way between places. However, they have various other uses and meanings, existing as both scientific and cultural artefacts. Mobile phone technologies have evolved, allowing for the integration of global positioning systems (GPS). The inclusion of GPS in ‘smart phones’ such as the iPhone now allows users to view the spaces they are moving through in new ways. This article examines how we are now remapping places through mobile technologies, which poses the question of how our relationship with local spaces may be changing. It focuses on Foursquare, the Layar AR browser and the iPhone game Argh as examples of how our sense of place and mapping are evolving through user-generated input.