Mapping the Urban Farming Activities

Data Visualization and Mapping Poster

The project, designed by Longfeng WU, stands out for its unique approach to data collection. Instead of relying solely on traditional sources such as official statistics and open-source maps, the project utilizes online news articles to construct an original dataset. By extracting and combining data from various sources, the map provides valuable insights into the occurrence of urban farming on a national scale, while also shedding light on the challenges faced by older generations transitioning from rural to urban life.

The map, rendered using vector graphic applications like Adobe Illustrator and Vectorworks, showcases the spatial distribution of urban farming activities by older people. The data used for the map includes national maps, urban expansion statistics, and population data from published materials. Additionally, more than 200 news reports from 2000 to 2010 were extracted from Baidu News, the largest Chinese internet news site.

The project's interaction is facilitated through the integration of various technologies. The base map, which includes the aging population in 2010 and China's urban expansion from 1990 to 2010, was processed using ArcGIS 10. The location of urban farming activities, along with netizens' comments, was extracted using a customized script from Baidu.com. The news data was then geo-referenced on the base map in ArcGIS and further rendered using Vectorworks and Adobe Illustrator.

Presented at the Esri Developer Summit in Palm Springs and the Esri International User Conference in San Diego in 2015, the project garnered attention for its innovative approach to data visualization. It was also collected by the CGA Center website at Harvard University.

The project's research focuses on capturing a social phenomenon during China's rapid urban construction period, which began in the late 1980s. The transformation of agricultural land into urban areas resulted in significant challenges for older generations who were accustomed to rural life. The project aims to reveal the dynamics of urban farming by older people in relation to urban construction, aging population, and farmland occupation.

One of the main challenges of the project was to document this common but undocumented phenomenon at a national level. By utilizing online resources and search engines, the project successfully built an original dataset that could be made accessible to the public. This approach also opens up possibilities for using mobile internet as a data source in future projects.

The Mapping the Urban Farming Activities project, designed by Longfeng WU, was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in 2016. This prestigious award recognizes designs that demonstrate creativity, resourcefulness, and a commitment to improving quality of life through art, science, design, and technology.