Visualizing the Invisible

This image and caption combo illustrates the aspects of place that google maps does and does not show. There are visible highways and rivers, small icons and titles identify nearby shops, eateries, and other municipal and industrial sites. The data to the left, including the ratings and the sarcastic image of the young blond man, also captures a bit of the sarcastic online discourse circulating around this place. What is not captured, however, is the lived experience of this place as toxic. The toxicity of this place is either muted (by google itself) or represented through a satirical lens (by the google maps users).