Mapping of public places : integration of mobile devices and conventional mapping to investigate place identity in Muar, Malaysia

Advancement in technology provides new opportunities for mapping. Human factors need to be considered when implementing this advanced technology, mainly in the context of humans’ perceptions and engagement. A combination of digital technology and conventional approaches offers possibilities to cater for different group of participants. This paper aims to highlight the roles of mapping technique as a tool to empower residents in identifying spaces that they believed to portray their local identity in Muar, the royal town of Johor. During the investigation of place identity in Muar, 150 participants were given choices to elicit their preferences by sketching polygons either via online software on an IPad or an A3 sized printed map. They were asked to identify places that located within the targeted area by referring to a provided list of 15 landscape features. The results were then processed using GIS in order to show spaces and places that are significant and contribute to the identity of place in Muar, as a modern royal town of Johor Sultanate, Malaysia.