Representation of space in Google Maps: the case of Poznań

Maciej Główczyński

Chapter 13 in Handbook of Platform Urbanism, 2025, pp 174-187 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Digital platforms are becoming increasingly involved in creating digital representations of places. They aspire to facilitate users’ experiences, while simultaneously affecting the creation of narratives and identities of place. Consequently, they act as gatekeepers for digital content, reinforcing digital inequalities and seeking to expose or marginalise selected parts of cities. This chapter aims to explore how the increasing platformisation of the city affects the place experience through manipulating digital content. The aim will be achieved by analysing the spatial distribution of place search results through Google Maps at two spatial scales in Poznań, Poland, and in different language iterations: Polish, English, Ukrainian and German. Results highlight the digital divides created by Google Maps in Poznań, where non-Polish and non-English speakers might face a relatively poorer digital representation. It may lead to the question of whether Ukrainian and German speakers or other minorities might not fully participate in urban life.

Keywords: Digital platforms; Place experience; Digital representation; Digital inequalities; Marginalisation; Google Maps (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035313754
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