Cultural geography

Calculation Walkability Indices Using GIS-Based Methodology Walkability is a multidisciplinary research subject in several fields such as transportation planning, urban and transportation geography, public health, GIS and commercial interests. As such, it is relevant to insist that walkability is a contested definition. Walkability refers to how friendly an area is for pedestrians. In more detailed definition, walkability as the extent to which the built environment supports and encourages…

An evolving industrialized nation can sprout both negative and positive effects. Technology continues to progress through time and evolve our species, but its triumphs can bring chaos when put into the hands of an immoral individual. For example, Richard Reid, also known as the infamous “Shoe-Bomber”, used his expertise with technology to craft an improvised explosive device (IED) to attempt to kill 197 passengers on American Airlines Flight 63 (Shoe bomber NBC). Technology continues to adapt…

February 4th, 2116 will be granted a seat on the first series of launches to New Earth.” The broadcast continued for a while longer as the General called out the names of the approximately 800 scientists, local politicians, business leaders, and cultural icons who had been deemed “essential individuals.” I winced when I heard my father’s name. We had seen the press release when it came out four months prior to the broadcast, but it still hurt to think that my family would be given a chance for…

The 2008 Disney film, Wall-e, shows a futuristic reality in which humans have polluted the Earth so much, we are forced to leave Earth behind in search of a new sustainable place to live (Wall-e). This kid’s film is important because it brings up many good points as to why we should take better care of our planet and to not be so caught up in our own realities. The underlying meaning conveyed through the population’s depletion of Earth’s resources serves as a good reminder of the serious…

remain underdeveloped even now, or were only developed through colonialism by more developed western countries, and not through their own produce. In Guns, Germs and Steel, Diamond (1997) argues that rather than any racial supremacy, or a religious cultural reason, countries which became developed did so simply because their geographical…

grade in Kentucky, my favorite class was AP Human Geography. It was a class about all of the things I had been dreaming of since I was a girl. We studied cultures, populations, economies, and how people relate to systems. I loved every moment of it. The next year, I was given the opportunity to explore all of those things first hand when my father took a job in Japan. From being there I learned so much more than I ever could from my Human Geography class. Instead of learning about the…

In Ricardo Hausmann’s article, “Prisoners of Geography,” he discusses the effects of geography on the economic stability of a certain area. After several detailed explanations, Hausmann comes to the conclusion that geography is the deciding factor in the development of a region’s economy with no regards to the people’s desires. The author’s belief that citizens are bound and chained to their geography and the effects the environment has on their economy despite their efforts is an accurate…

On October 13th, McMaster had the honour of hosting Dr Catherine Nolin’s presentation on Transnational Ruptures in a Time of Impunity. Dr. Nolin is an associate professor and chair at the University of Northern British Columbia. She is also a social geographer with two broad areas or research interest: migration studies and justice in Guatemala. Nolin has received various prestigious awards, most recent one being the 2007 UNBC Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient. She organized a trip to…

Book Review for Marshall Every nation is influenced by its geography. Mountains, deserts, and rivers all play key roles in determining if a country can trade and grow or isolated and dependent on others. Marshall claims in his book Prisoners of Geography that technology, politics, and people will come and go, but geography has always been here, shaping the interactions of states. The best examples of geography shaping countries is seen in the topography of America where the land has been a…

Pixar's movie WALL-E, may be able two robots falling in love but the message is directed solely at the humans. In the film, the last generations of the human race are overweight and lazy people who’s only mode of transportation is a moving chair and only way to consume food is by putting the food into a liquid form to be eaten. While companies like Disney and Pixar is usually draw their cartoon figures with the tiniest of waists, the characters in Wall-E changed that stereotype. People believed…