Cartographic Gibraltar focuses on mapping process mainly around the contested coastal line with a series of urban conditions like disputable developments, projects, proposals, agreements and historical events. The map from now on is called designerly which means an approach to conceptualize everyday experiences, identify deeper meanings and relationships with both human and non-human forms of agency. By suggesting new understanding about space, place and time, designerly mapping can inform holistic approaches to design across a range of design purposes and intentions. Gibraltar is in a state of constant change and as it is projected in the future will continue to take advantage of it. Existing tools are not sufficient enough to deal with the speed of this change in order to design efficiently by bringing together the accumulation of the palimpsest past and present of this piece of land. The territory has very narrow land and due to its rock tiny piece of land is physically available to build with it. With the projected increase in population, while the need for land to build for housing, public, industry etc, there is no proper understanding of its threats and opportunities which is happening all around a single coastal line. This line has no physical border anymore because it has been changed continuously by different agencies such as disputes, environmental challenges and land reclamation. The focus point of this work can be explained in three-fold, It discusses the current developments around the territory and coast in both political and environmental aspects. Then, it selects critical projects to show and assemble them. Following this, opens up possibilities, to emerge new realities, does not provide completed design proposals, to provide a base for 2050 Municipality of Gibraltar for the future design and policies.
The assemblage of the projects aims to reveal a critical scenario when all the projects happen in a way they are proposed by different stakeholders, developers, students and politicians in their perspective to show vanishing qualities of the surrounding landscape and uncontrolled development.
Aim of the project is to develop a cartographic stage which allows different urban scenarios to occur and play on it. The idea of the stage gives a base to interpret Gibraltar as a palimpsest, different interests were brought together for mutual benefits. What is meant by mutual benefits is to with subliminal conditions which regular maps and plans can not provide and which forms a metaphoric space in the city needs a form of expression. While creating distinct layers that would come together, Cartographic Gibraltar produces separate activities whilst being on the same page.