Il sostenibile ossimoro del GIS qualitativo

This paper discusses the idea of a qualitative GIS, by presenting an experiment held in Palermo during the last few years. It first presents a theoretical framework on the shifting paradigms concerning maps and GIS, and then introduces the current debate on mixing qualitative and quantitative data and techniques of analysis in GIScience. By collecting mental maps representing the neighbourhoods of Palermo and inserting them within a traditional GIS structure, the author has warped these traditional representations in order to obtain a map which is less technically accurate, yet more complying with the perception of the citizens. These operations have significant repercussions on the planning policies and the consideration of the role of geographers within the political agorà.