La métaphore spatiale : pour une lecture de Michel Foucault et Yves Lacoste.

Based on a close scrutiny of Michel Foucault's interview published in the very first issue of Hérodote, a journal dedicated to geopolitical approaches founded by Yves Lacoste, this article unfolds, thanks to the analysis of spatial metaphors, the conceptions and functions of space for the philosopher as well as for geographers. This symmetrical reading enlightens a subtle system of similarities, between Time and Space (two categories rejected by Foucault and the geographers alike, as they abandon grand concepts in [...]

Sous le calque, la carte.

The zenith view offered by the maps may have led to the oblivion of their sources : horizontal experiences of space through the practical and theoretical mastery of distance. This oblivion and the figurative object, received as a higher reality in the form of the trace, were instruments of power. But the profusion of sources that are now imposed by alternative channels calls into question the scientific exercise of cartography, forcing us to return to the horizontal dimension of [...]

Vraies et fausses évidences de la géographie électorale suisse.

Remarques sur une votation populaire et son traitement graphique.

Various maps of the results of the 9th February 2014 Swiss vote “Against mass immigration” have been used in the debate that followed it. They offer the opportunity to question methodological decisions regarding the making of electoral maps and the ensuing statements. The maps that were the most shared on the Internet and in institutional media convey a partial view of the polls’ socio-spatial logic. In order to produce a more complete analysis and to minimise the ecological fallacy [...]

Mapping Time.

Geographical maps are rooted in Cartesian thought. This inevitably limits their heuristic value, especially in their ability to capture movement. In the context of present-day reality, marked by a society in constant flux, these limitations render traditional geographical maps increasingly less satisfactory. On the basis of this premise, and aiming to explore alternatives to the rationalist approach and to Euclidean geometry, I shall present a review – not all encompassing, to be sure, but sufficiently extensive [...]

Istanbul : la carte du troisième pont sur le Bosphore.

L’implantation du troisième pont sur le Bosphore (Radikal, 01.05.2010). Traduction de la légende : Jaune : Autoroute Nord-Marmara ; Violet : Autoroute Istanbul-Izmir ; Rouge : D-100 (Ancienne E5) ; Vert : Autoroute Tem (Trans-European-Motorway). Le 29 avril 2010 le ministre turc des transports, Binali Yıldırım, a annoncé lors d’une conférence de presse la construction [...]

(Dés)ordonner la ville : (Art)rangement urbain.

Démantèlement de la ville – Puzzle Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine. Atelier animé par Armelle Caron – Cliché des auteures. Paris, 10.09.2010. Aux murs de la dernière salle de la Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine est affichée une exposition insolite de tableaux anagrammes en lignes courbes et traits arqués savamment ordonnés. Divisées en [...]

Louisiana, we’ve got a situation (yes, again…).

There are only three seasons in Louisiana: football season, Mardi Gras season, and hurricane season.1 The beginning of each is marked by civic rituals (knocking on wood comes to mind), heated discussions, expert strategizing, and complicated chart-supported predictions. Just as Mardi Gras represents a major event on the Louisiana calendar (whereas it is just another [...]

An Egyptian Geographer in Ouessant.

Within less than twenty-four hours, I have moved from Cairo, the capital city of Egypt, with its fifteen-million population, to the Ouessant island, with its less-than-a-thousand population. At the last moment before catching the boat sailing from Brest to Ouessant, I picked up a very impressive touristic map. On board, with a coffee and a [...]

Minarets : malaise dans l’alteridentité.

Le résultat de la votation suisse du 29 novembre 2009 portant sur l’interdiction de construire des minarets a surpris les observateurs par son résultat : 57,5% de oui, avec une majorité de 19,5 cantons sur 23 (il existe vingt cantons et six « demi-cantons ») en faveur de la proposition. Une des raisons du décalage [...]

Ikea revisite les classiques de la géographie.

Source : catalogue Ikea 2010 (2009). Cet article est livré en kit et doit être monté selon les consignes données dans le mode d’emploi qui suit : Etape 1 : Ouvrir la page « Ikea » de Wikipédia. Etape 2 : Trouver la seule aire urbaine de France qui dépasse le seuil des deux millions [...]