Friday Eye Candy: Maps Reveal Differences in How Locals and Tourists See the City

The cities that visitors see will always be different than the city that locals see. A new mapping project reveals the distinctions between the local perspective and the tourist perspective for 136 cities around the globe.

1 minute read

February 27, 2015, 6:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Locals and Tourists - Pittsburgh

Eric Fischer / Flickr

Talia Lavin shares news of an insightful mapping project by Eric Fischer that shows where specific kinds of city folk (e.g., tourists and locals) take photos around cities all over the world.

Here's how Lavin describes the project: "Using geotagging—location data embedded in photographs and other digital media—[Fischer] created a series of maps that show us precisely which locations are beloved by tourists, by locals, and by both groups."

The photo series, called "locals and Tourists" is available for viewing on Flickr. In the maps, blue dots represent local photos and red are for tourists. Fischer determined how long the photogs had taken photos in the city to make the distinction between local and itinerant. 

Thursday, February 19, 2015 in Huffington Post

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Historic homes in St. Augustine, Florida.

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs

Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

March 18, 2025 - Newsweek

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands

The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

March 17, 2025 - The Wall Street Journal

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

Aerial view of neighborhood under construction with houses and vacant lots.

Report Outlines Strategies for Resilient Wildfire Recovery in LA

Project Recovery offers a roadmap for rebuilding more sustainable and climate-resilient communities after wildfires and other disasters.

36 seconds ago - Urban Land Institute

Red rock landscape in Bears Ears National Monument, Utah.

New Executive Order Renews Attack on Public Lands

An order issued late last week pushes for increased mineral extraction on federally owned public lands.

1 hour ago - Rocky Mountain Community Radio

Black SUV viewed from rear in traffic.

Study: Larger Vehicles Lead to More Congestion

New research links large SUVs to lower traffic throughput.

2 hours ago - Bloomberg CityLab