Atlas of Resistance

Methodology

The Atlas of Resistance project employs a digital humanities approach in which spatial analysis, data visualization, and born-digital interface design are critical forms of interpretation. Beyond technical supports, these elements actively shape the platform’s analytical framework and the arguments we advance regarding the reciprocal relationship between urban transformation and cultural production.

We work toward this through several interconnected methodological practices:

  1. Mapping cultural activity spatially
  2. Interrogating the production, limits, and implications of data
  3. Presenting this research on an interactive, public-facing platform
  4. Building this knowledge collaboratively and in dialogue with local communities

Proposed Contributions

The Atlas of Resistance makes three primary contributions to the fields of Iberian cultural studies and urban studies. First, it advances a methodological model that integrates GIS-based spatial analysis with close readings of cultural texts, situating resistance as both spatial and aesthetic practice. Second, it conceptualizes visibility as both object and method, examining how different cultural forms contest regimes of representation while redistributing visibility through the platform’s own design. Third, it develops a collaborative, participatory model of digital humanities research grounded in co-creation, shared interpretive authority, and ethical data practices.

Transparency and Ethics

The Atlas of Resistance is built on a commitment to transparency, ethical data use, and public accessibility. All datasets included in the platform are drawn from publicly available sources, aligning the project with digital humanities principles of openness, reproducibility, and accountability.

Working with public data also means working within its limits. Across institutions, data availability is uneven: some records are incomplete, inconsistently formatted, or not accessible in machine-readable formats. These gaps shape both what can be visualized on the platform and how we interpret urban change. Rather than treating these limitations as purely technical obstacles, the project makes them visible as part of its critical framework, highlighting how data availability reflects broader systems of governance and representation.

Sources

The Atlas draws on data from national, regional, and municipal institutions, including the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), the Ayuntamiento de Madrid, the Comunidad de Madrid, and the Catastro, Spain’s official cadastral system, which provides detailed parcel-level information on land use, building characteristics, and property structure.

In addition to these sources, the project includes a cultural archive developed by the research team in collaboration with artists and community partners. This archive brings together materials that are often not captured in institutional datasets, expanding how urban life and cultural response can be documented and understood.