Daniel Prosky

Daniel Prosky

The first striking difference between my map and an accurate one is the scale and spacing, especially between streets. I found that I drew relatively accurate depictions of areas I know well, and either exaggerated or reduced the distance between these areas. For example, the true distance between Harvard Yard and Dunster House is far smaller than depicted on my map, while the distance between Harvard Yard and the Quad is a bit larger than I drew. The streets are generally correctly placed, though they are far less straight on the actual map than on my map from memory. I omitted some streets from my map, imagining connections between certain blocks that do not exist. These differences likely stem from my familiarity with certain areas and how I navigate between them. I was far more likely to imagine streets as straight North-South paths as opposed to the curved, sometimes winding avenues that they are. This exercise really shows that the way one moves and stops throughout a city has a great impact on how one imagines it to be physically organized.