New York - Global Island

This image of Manhattan presents New York literally as a global island. Country shapes are arranged into the form of Manhattan. The circular title reintroduces the shape of the globe. This map is inspired by the international diversity if New York’s residents. New York is a global city in many respects. It is a major hub of the global economy, it attracts world-class talent, and it is a major tourist destination. But the diversity of its residents and their varied contributions make it truly distinct. Each country retains its distinct borders in forming the mosaic of Manhattan. The Global Island suggests that residents from all over the world can coexist, that they are integral to making the City what it is, and they can still retain their separate identities. Rather than a melting pot, the City is a rich mosaic, a microcosm of the world.

Data Used: 2000 US Census data for citizenship, Tract level.

Spatial Layout Techniques Applied: ArcGIS Software was used to draw countries as data in decimal degrees at a scale of 1:50,000,000. A Census tract map of Manhattan was labeled with the derived citizenship data, drawn at a scale of 1:24,000. Both maps were exported into Adobe Illustrator for manipulation. Countries were placed near the Census Tract where most of their citizens were found, and spaced to fit in relation to the other country shapes.