Mapabsence

Mapabsence is a descriptive term applied to situations in which geographic information or cartographic representation is missing, omitted, or deliberately excluded. The concept can refer to technical gaps in geographic information systems (GIS), the deliberate removal of locations from maps for political or security reasons, or a design choice in media and games to omit maps and encourage exploration.

In cartography and GIS, mapabsence may result from incomplete data collection, incompatible formats, privacy restrictions, or algorithmic filtering, producing blank areas or null values in spatial datasets. In political and historical contexts, mapabsence can reflect contested sovereignty, censorship, or marginalization, where authorities or mapmakers omit regions, communities, or features from official maps.

In user-interface and game design, intentional mapabsence is used as a mechanic to promote discovery, uncertainty, or narrative tension. In cognitive science and urban studies, the term describes how individuals or groups lack mental maps of an area, affecting navigation, access to services, and inclusion.

Consequences of mapabsence include reduced accessibility to services, distorted public perception, impaired planning, and exacerbated social exclusion. Mitigation approaches involve open-data initiatives, participatory mapping, improved data standards, transparency in cartographic choices, and community-driven mapping projects.

The term is interdisciplinary and descriptive rather than technical, used to highlight absences in representation and data and to prompt discussion about the social, political, and practical implications of what maps omit.