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From the authors of Portlandness comes Upper Left Cities, a new book that compares and contrasts San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle through innovative cartography. In 150 infographic maps, this compelling book compares and contrasts the great cities of the Upper Left part of the US. Upper Left Cities explores unexpected and diverse topics like lost jazz clubs, Japanese food, church bells, and Sasquatch through creative infographics leveraging forms like crossword puzzles and musical notation.
Upper Left Cities was co-authored by Portland Street Art Alliance board member and PSU Professor Hunter Shobe. PSAA Executive Director, Tiffany Conklin has also co-written a section about the graffiti scene in these great west coast cities.
Custom Fonts by Galen Malcom
Graffiti section co-written by Tiffany Conklin
Upper Left Cities redefines modern cartography by going into uncharted territory to create a narrative about three great cities through informative and detailed infographic maps. Who needs Rand McNally when you can explore a city by taking a trip through wildlife and city trails or by drilling down into your city's voting records, commutes, marathon routes, and food and drink patterns? Better yet, why not compare three great cities at once?
The work of two geographers and their team, this cultural atlas includes more than 150 maps, each using data around a given topic and then translating that to a visual format that blends traditional cartographic skills with modern graphic design. A perfect blend of form and function, each map is meticulously and ingeniously designed. The collection of maps cover history, geography, social and economic issues, and pop culture, offering readers a visual, intellectually stimulating experience that they will want to dip into again and again.
About the Authors
Hunter Shobe is a cultural geographer and assistant professor at Portland State University. He holds a PhD in geography from the University of Oregon and has more than twenty years of experience researching the cultural, political, and economic dimensions of how people connect to places and environments. Past studies focused on diverse topics, including the role of Football Club Barcelona in constructing urban identity in Barcelona, and national identity in Catalonia.
Additional Photography by Rachel Escoto. Additional Research provided by Lourdes Jimenez.
David Banis has managed the Center for Spatial Analysis and Research in the Geography Department at Portland State University since 2006, working with a wide variety of partners at the federal, state, and local levels. His work explores the diverse ways that cartographers can tell stories with maps, focusing on the mapping of nontraditional subjects.
