Participatory mapping is a general term used to define a set of approaches and techniques that ttempts to make the association between land and local communities visible by using the commonly understood and recognised language of cartography. In contrast to the common view of planners and managers responsible for a certain development process, participatory mapping provides the opportunity to represent a socially and culturally distinct understanding of landscape and include information that is excluded from mainstream maps. Therefore, it can become a medium of empowerment by allowing the local community to represent themselves spatially It is a bottom-up approach that allows the community to create maps based on the premise that local inhabitants possess expert knowledge of their local environments which can be expressed in a geographical framework which is easily understandable and universally recognized. Data that is mapped can be tangible such as the locations of roads, homes, business, and bus stops, but it can be also intangible and qualitative, such as feeling of safety, belonging, and walkability.The intangible data are part of local knowledge, informal data could be acquired from close interaction with a space that is personal and adapted to the concept. mapping can be done through a variety of means and using a variety of technologies, often including surveying, Global positioning system(GPS), and a collection of historical and political knowledge. For more information click here
