Jordan Boan, "Hand-Drawn Overlays: Their History and Prospective Uses"

It is commonly believed by those new to landscape architecture that Ian McHarg “invented” the use of map overlays as a driving force behind land planning and landscape design. More than a half century previous, however, Warren Manning composed sets of maps that show different land qualities, all at the same scale. Though these were not directly overlayed, the basic process of comparing the relationship of different data about a site had emerged. In contemporary times, the debate between analog and digital mappings has risen to determine the place of hand rendered and computer rendered maps. To me, hand drawing can be either a quick but inaccurate process or a time consuming but meticulous process. Digital drawing will require more time but the result can be accurate to the fraction of an inch. The balance of the two is something that I am still grappling with. The way my brain functions would favor the detailed, highly accurate results in the face of larger time requirements. I must learn how to sacrifice this practice for analog rendering that would allow me to produce a large variety of design solutions without sacrificing time.