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# Concluding thoughts

Some cartographic choices are made consciously, but some are made unconsciously, leading cartographer J.B. Harley to argue that “the map is a silent arbiter of power.”
Spatial arguments, like this one that shows surface temperature alongside median household income, are powerful and persuasive.

Two thematic maps, one showing household income and one showing temperature in Denver — Thematic maps of Denver, showing the surface temperature and household income. NPR (2019).

We can make maps to advocate for issues we care about in our communities, like environmental justice. But to do this, we also need to become good readers of maps.

Maps as visual arguments

# Looking ahead to Session 2

In the next session, we will

Dive deeper into different types of data,
Introduce projections,
Go over the concept of joining spatial and non-spatial data,
Review the different file types you might encounter when making a map, and
Have a closer look at the LMEC Public Data Portal.

← Learning to question data