A Grid-based Space: Cognitive Mapping in Fargo, North Dakota

Abstract

We all navigate the city. We give directions to strangers and friends. We sketch out maps on bar napkins and the backs of our hands. Addresses are scribbled in margins or printed distinctly at the top of letterhead. These documentations of urban spaces tell not only of specific directions within space, but also of how we perceive the space around us. In the midwest, specifically Fargo North Dakota, the documentation users create of spaces exemplifies a grid-based perception of the urban environment.