The cool, creative mapping lounge

This case study outlines a methodology that combines vox pop style interviews, hand-drawn maps and specialised computer mapping techniques to produce a threedimensional representation of a city's cultural vitality - as judged by its residents. In 2009, CAMRA researchers conducted a 'mapping lounge' at Wollongong's largest annual festival, gathering stories and maps that identified over 2300 cool and creative places, spread across the city. The data revealed the localised nature of 'creativity', and the value of small-scale, decentralised cultural infrastructure.