Urban morphologies in the global south are shaped by a complex interplay of historical imprints, from colonial legacies and ethnic tensions to waves of modernization and decolonization efforts. This study delves into the urban morphology of Hangzhou during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, unraveling its transformative patterns steered by a convergence of spatial politics, economic forces, and cultural dynamics. Drawing upon a unique blend of historical map restoration techniques, we unearth pivotal morphological nuances that bridge Hangzhou’s transition from its pre-modern fabric to its modern-day urban layout. We uncover key shifts such as the movement from intricate street layouts to systematic grids, the strategic integration of public spaces like West Lakeside Park, and the city’s evolving urban epicenter mirroring its broader socio-political and economic narratives. These insights not only spotlight Hangzhou’s distinct urban journey in the context of ethnic conflicts, Western influences, and decolonization drives but also underscore the value of context-sensitive urban morphological research in the global south. Our findings emphasize the criticality of synergizing varied methodologies and theoretical perspectives to deepen our comprehension of urban transitions, sculpt place identities, and invigorate public imagination in global urban planning.

Map is the basic language of geography and an indispensable tool for spatial analysis. But for a long time, maps have been regarded as an objective and neutral scientific achievement. Inspired by critical geography, critical cartography/GIS came into being with the goal of clarifying the discourse embedded in cartographic practice. Power relationship challenges the untested assumption in map representation that is taken for granted. After more than 40 years of debate and running in, this research field has initially shown an outline, and critical cartography/GIS has roughly formed two research directions: the deconstruction path mainly starts from the identity of cartography subject and the process of map knowledge production, and analyzes the inseparable relationship between cartography and national governance and its internal power mechanism respectively; the construction path mainly relies on cooperative mapping and anti-mapping to realize the reproduction of map data. Domestic critical cartography/GIS research has just started, and it is necessary to continue to absorb the achievements of critical geography and carry out research in different historical periods. The deconstruction research of different types of maps also needs to strengthen the in-depth bridging between the construction path and the deconstruction path, and to be more open to the public. Impartial map application research, and actively apply the research results to social practice.

Cartography includes two major tasks: map making and map application, which is inextricably linked to artificial intelligence technology. The cartographic expert system experienced the intelligent expression of symbolism. After the spatial optimization decision of behaviorism intelligent expression, cartography faces the combination of deep learning under connectionism to improve the intelligent level of cartography. This paper discusses three problems about the proposition of “deep learning + cartography”. One is the consistency between the deep learning method and the map space problem solving strategy, based on gradient descent, local correlation, feature reduction and non-linear nature that answer the feasibility of the combination of “deep learning + cartography”; the second is to analyze the challenges faced by the combination of cartography from its unique disciplinary characteristics and technical environment, involving the non-standard organization of map data, professional requirements for sample establishment, the integration of geometric and geographical features, as well as the inherent spatial scale of the map; thirdly, the entry points and specific methods for integrating map making and map application into deep learning are discussed respectively.

A review of the CARG Project of the Campania Region (marine counterpart) up to water depths of 200 m is herein proposed referring to the Gulf of Naples (southern Tyrrhenian Sea) aimed at focusing on the main scientific results obtained in the frame of this important project of marine geological cartography. The Gulf of Naples includes several geological sheets, namely n. 464 “Island of Ischia” both at the 1:25,000 and 1:10,000 scale, n. 465 “Island of Procida” at the 1:50,000 scale, n. 466–485 “Sorrento–Termini” at the 1:50,000 scale, n. 446–447 Naples at the 1:50,000 scale, and n. 484 “Island of Capri” at the 1:25,000 scale. The detailed revision of both the marine geological and geophysical data and of the literature data has allowed us to outline new perspectives in marine geology and cartography of Campania Region, including monitoring of coastal zone and individuation of coastal and volcano-tectonic and marine hazards.

The erudite priest Marciano Di Leo (1751–1819), a prominent personality in the historical and geographical panorama of his time, not only in his home territory, authored a vast literary and poetic production but also tried his hand at producing some maps, referring to a province of the Kingdom of Naples. At a time when the principles of geodetic cartography had become increasingly known, even locally, hand in hand with improvements in technology and accuracy of measurements, the author reflected on the historical narratives of the progress of the European (and Neapolitan) Enlightenment and translated them into an unpublished manuscript of statistical, historical, and geographical nature, accompanied by numerous maps of various scales. The rediscovery of a largely unknown—and therefore not very thorough—minor cartographic production underscores the spread, even in more marginal contexts, of the most innovative ideas and increasingly precise scientific foundations in the cartographic-mathematical representation of the territory. It also illustrates the role of a number of intellectuals in the service of the political choices of their time, in an attempt—often unrealized—to bring about a decisive change of course in public administration, in accordance with Enlightenment ideals and in the spirit of reform that spread throughout Europe thanks to the French Revolution.

The 19th century proved to be one of the most complicated periods in Spanish history for the Spanish Crown, as it faced both internal conflicts—the French War of Independence—and external conflict—the independence of what were its territories in most of America. France did not remain indifferent to this and always had a clear idea of where to draw the boundaries of what “belonged” to it. Thus, amid the wave of independence movements in the Spanish colonies, the French continued to produce rich cartography to establish these boundaries and settle their power over the new nations that were arising after the period of revolutions. The cartography of Rigobert Bonne, the last cartographer of the French king and the Revolution Era, and one of its disciples, Eustache Hérisson, represent the perfect witness to the changes over the borders of the Spanish colonies during the change of the century. This study aims to analyze such cartography, examine the rich toponyms it offers, and examine the changes in the boundaries created over time between both empires. The main cartography we will rely on will be that of Bonne, one of the most important cartographers of the 18th century, and his disciple Hérisson, a geographer engineer, who lived through the onset of the conflicts and always prioritized the French perspective and the interests of their nation.