(Un)Represented Places – A Case Study of Two Sports Venues in Gelsenkirchen and Dortmund

Maps represent a host of geographical features, but places are usually not among those depicted in detail. This is despite the various functions of a map, many of which refer to places as the common context in which geographical features are used, receive meaning, and even gain identity. Using the example of two sports venues, this paper explores the ways places implicitly influence what information is represented on a map and how it is represented, even if the places themselves are not represented. The findings presented suggest that the interpretation of maps rely partly on the way we perceive places and thus highlight the need for further research related to the interpretation of maps. This way of thinking may, in the long term, help to identify better ways in which places can be represented on maps.