Version 1.0
July 2026

Why these principles matter

Cartogrammm is founded on the belief that people hold valuable knowledge about the places where they live, work, learn, care for others and spend their everyday lives. This knowledge is built through lived experience. It includes the places people value, the routes they use, the spaces where they feel safe or excluded, the resources they rely upon, and the opportunities they imagine for the future.

Although this knowledge plays an essential role in shaping communities, it is often overlooked in planning, research and decision-making. Cartogrammm exists to help make this knowledge visible, shareable and actionable while respecting the people and communities from whom it originates.

These principles guide the design, governance and future development of the Cartogrammm platform.

Principle 1 — Local knowledge has value

Everyday experience is a legitimate form of knowledge.

Residents, workers, visitors, community organisations and local stakeholders each understand places in different ways. Cartogrammm recognises that these multiple perspectives contribute to a richer and more complete understanding of place than any single dataset or professional survey can provide.

Principle 2 — Contributors remain the authors of their knowledge

Contributors retain ownership and copyright of the photographs and written material they upload to Cartogrammm.

By contributing to the platform, they grant Cartogrammm a non-exclusive licence to store, display and use their contributions for the purposes described in the Terms & Conditions and Data & Knowledge Policy, while retaining copyright over their original work.

Cartogrammm recognises that place-based knowledge is created collectively through lived experience and community participation. While individual contributions may be licensed for use, the knowledge they represent should not become the exclusive proprietary asset of any single organisation, commissioner or institution.

Project commissioners and partners may receive rights to access and use project outputs for the purposes agreed within their project, but these rights do not transfer ownership of contributors' original work or of the collective knowledge generated through participation.

Cartogrammm therefore acts as a steward of community knowledge rather than its owner, seeking to ensure that the knowledge contributed through the platform remains transparent, responsibly governed and capable of benefiting the communities from which it emerges.

Principle 3 — Knowledge should benefit communities

The purpose of documenting local knowledge is not simply to create data, but to support communities in understanding, discussing and shaping the places they care about.

Cartogrammm encourages projects that strengthen dialogue, support collective learning and contribute to more informed and context-sensitive decision-making.

Where appropriate, projects should seek to return value to participating communities through shared findings, reports, workshops, exhibitions or other accessible forms of knowledge exchange.

Principle 4 — Participation is voluntary and informed

Participation should always be based on informed choice.

Contributors should understand:

• what they are contributing;
• how their contributions will be used;
• who will have access to project outputs;
• whether a project is public or private; and
• who is responsible for managing the project.

Cartogrammm supports transparency throughout the lifecycle of every project.

Principle 5 — Knowledge deserves responsible stewardship

Place-based knowledge often reflects personal experience, community relationships and local identities.

Cartogrammm is committed to managing this knowledge responsibly by:

• protecting personal information;
• respecting privacy;
• avoiding unnecessary collection of personal data;
• safeguarding sensitive locations where appropriate; and
• complying with applicable data protection legislation.

Knowledge should be cared for rather than simply collected.

Principle 6 — Maps should support understanding, not surveillance

Mapping has the power to make places more visible. It also carries responsibilities.

Cartogrammm is designed to document communities rather than monitor individuals.

The platform does not seek to profile contributors, track behaviour beyond what is necessary for platform functionality, or enable surveillance of people or communities.

Where contributions could unintentionally expose vulnerable individuals, sensitive places or private information, Cartogrammm may reduce visibility, generalise location information or remove content where necessary to protect participants and communities.

Principle 7 — Technology should amplify human knowledge

Artificial Intelligence can assist contributors and project organisers, but it should never replace human judgement.

Cartogrammm may use AI-assisted tools to support project configuration, organise information, identify emerging spatial patterns and assist with analysis.

AI-generated outputs are intended to support reflection and interpretation rather than determine conclusions or decisions.

Cartogrammm does not use contributor-generated knowledge to train third-party foundation AI models without explicit consent.

Principle 8 — Openness should be balanced with care

Cartogrammm supports openness wherever appropriate while recognising that not all knowledge should be publicly visible.

Projects may be public or private according to the choices of project organisers.

Public projects enable wider participation and visibility.

Private projects restrict access to invited participants and authorised project members.

In all cases, contributors should understand who will be able to view and use their contributions.

Principle 9 — Collaboration creates stronger knowledge

Places are understood through many perspectives rather than a single authoritative view.

Cartogrammm encourages respectful collaboration between residents, community organisations, researchers, public authorities, designers, educators and other stakeholders.

The platform is intended to support dialogue across these perspectives rather than privilege one form of expertise over another.

Principle 10 — Knowledge should remain connected to place

Cartogrammm documents knowledge within its geographical and social context.

Photographs, locations and narratives are intended to preserve the relationships between people, places and everyday experience.

The platform seeks not only to record information about places, but also to reveal the meanings, practices and relationships through which places are continually produced.

Principle 11 — Trust is fundamental

The long-term value of Cartogrammm depends upon trust between contributors, project organisers and the platform itself.

Trust is built through transparency, accountability and responsible governance.

These principles underpin all Cartogrammm policies and inform the ongoing development of the platform.

As Cartogrammm evolves, these principles may be refined, but the commitment to respecting contributors and recognising the value of community knowledge will remain at the heart of the platform.

Version 1.0
Effective Date: July 2026

Welcome

Every place is shaped by the people who experience it.

Cartogrammm exists to make Place-based Knowledge visible by helping people document the places, relationships, memories and everyday experiences that matter to them.

These Community Guidelines explain how we can work together to create maps that are respectful, meaningful and useful for everyone.

Whether you are contributing to a neighbourhood project, a research study, a community initiative or a public consultation, we ask that you participate with care, curiosity and respect.

1. Share What You Know

Cartogrammm values everyday experience.

You do not need to be an expert to contribute. Your knowledge of the places you live, work, study, care for others or spend time in is valuable.

We encourage you to share:

• places that matter to you;
• everyday routes and routines;
• local resources and services;
• memories and stories;
• opportunities for improvement;
• environmental observations;
• places of care, belonging or connection;
• challenges that affect everyday life.

There is no single “correct” way to understand a place. Different perspectives help create richer and more inclusive maps.

2. Be Respectful

Treat others with respect.

Do not post content that is:

• abusive;
• threatening;
• discriminatory;
• hateful;
• defamatory;
• intentionally misleading;
• designed to provoke or harass others.

Healthy disagreement is welcome. Personal attacks are not.

3. Respect People’s Privacy

Think carefully before uploading photographs or information about other people.

Please:

• avoid photographing identifiable individuals without their permission;
• avoid sharing someone else’s personal information;
• avoid identifying vulnerable individuals;
• respect requests not to be photographed.

When in doubt, choose a photograph that focuses on the place rather than the people within it.

4. Respect Places

Some places deserve particular care.

Before contributing, ask yourself:

• Could sharing this location place someone at risk?
• Could it damage a sensitive environment?
• Could it expose a community resource that depends upon discretion?
• Could it encourage vandalism, theft or misuse?

If the answer might be yes, consider whether the information should be shared at all or whether a less precise location would be more appropriate.

Remember that making knowledge visible also carries responsibilities.

5. Share Your Own Experience

Contribute from your own observations and experiences wherever possible.

If you are expressing an opinion, make it clear that it is your perspective.

Avoid presenting rumours, assumptions or unverified claims as facts.

Cartogrammm values honest, situated knowledge rather than certainty.

6. Use Photographs Responsibly

Only upload photographs that:

• you have taken yourself or have permission to use;
• help explain the place you are documenting;
• comply with applicable laws and copyright requirements.

Please avoid uploading:

• copyrighted material belonging to others;
• manipulated images that intentionally misrepresent places;
• photographs that invade people’s privacy.

7. Help Build Better Maps

A good contribution explains why a place matters.

Instead of simply naming a location, tell others:

• what happens there;
• why it is important;
• how people use it;
• what could be improved;
• what others might not otherwise notice.

Rich descriptions help transform individual experiences into shared Place-based Knowledge.

8. Think About the Community

Cartogrammm is intended to support communities, not simply collect information.

When contributing, consider:

• How could this information help others understand this place?
• Could it support future conversations or decisions?
• Does it reflect the experiences of different people?
• Am I contributing constructively?

The strongest Projects are built through many voices rather than a single viewpoint.

9. Artificial Intelligence

Some Projects may use AI-assisted tools to help organise or analyse Contributions.

AI is intended to support Contributors and Project Organisers by identifying patterns or summarising information.

AI does not replace the lived experience, judgement or local knowledge of Contributors.

Human interpretation remains central to every Project.

10. If Something Doesn’t Feel Right

If you encounter content that you believe:

• puts someone at risk;
• invades privacy;
• contains hate speech or abuse;
• infringes copyright;
• deliberately misrepresents a place;
• otherwise breaches these Guidelines,

please report it using the moderation tools provided within the Platform or contact the relevant Project Organiser.

Cartogrammm reviews reports carefully and aims to respond fairly, proportionately and transparently.

11. Our Shared Commitment

Cartogrammm is built on the belief that people hold valuable knowledge about the places they inhabit.

By contributing, you are helping create a richer understanding of places through collective observation, experience and dialogue.

We ask every Contributor to participate with:

• curiosity;
• honesty;
• generosity;
• respect;
• care.

Together, we can make Place-based Knowledge visible in ways that strengthen communities, support learning and contribute to more informed and inclusive decisions.

Thank you for being part of the Cartogrammm community.

Questions or Feedback

If you have questions about these Community Guidelines or wish to suggest improvements, please contact:
Email: info@cartogrammm.com

Version 1.0
Effective date: July 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to Cartogrammm.

Cartogrammm is a digital participatory mapping platform that enables people to document, share and explore place-based knowledge through geolocated photographs and short narratives. The platform supports community, research, educational, public sector and commercial projects that seek to understand places through lived experience.

This Privacy Policy explains how Cartogrammm collects, uses, stores and protects your personal information when you use the platform.

Cartogrammm is currently operated by its founder and will in due course be operated by Cartogrammm Ltd. Throughout this policy, references to “Cartogrammm”, “we”, “our” or “us” refer to the current operator of the platform and, once incorporated, Cartogrammm Ltd.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and processing personal information fairly, lawfully and transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and other applicable legislation.

By creating an account or using Cartogrammm, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide
When you create an account, we collect:

• User ID
• First name
• Last name
• Email address
• Password (stored in encrypted form)
• Confirmation that you are at least 16 years old

If you choose to sign in using Google, we also receive the account information that you authorise Google to share with us.

Information created through your participation
When you contribute to a project, we collect:

• Geolocated photographs
• Geographic coordinates
• Written descriptions
• Categories
• Tags
• Date and time of contribution
• Associated User ID
• Project identifier

This information helps create shared maps of place-based knowledge.

Technical information
When you use Cartogrammm, we automatically collect certain technical information, including:

• IP address
• Browser type
• Device type
• Operating system
• Login activity
• Cookies
• Usage analytics

This information helps us maintain the security and performance of the platform.

3. Why We Use Your Information

We use personal information to:

• create and manage user accounts;
• authenticate users;
• enable participation in mapping projects;
• display contributions using your User ID;
• operate public and private projects;
• moderate inappropriate content;
• improve the functionality of the platform;
• provide technical support;
• communicate with users;
• generate project reports and analytics;
• support research, where applicable;
• comply with legal obligations.

We only collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for these purposes.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Depending on how you use Cartogrammm, we process personal information under one or more of the following legal bases:

• your consent;
• performance of a contract (providing access to the platform);
• our legitimate interests in operating, securing and improving the platform;
• compliance with legal obligations.

Where a project forms part of an academic or institutional research study, additional participant information or consent procedures may apply. These will be provided by the relevant Project Organiser.

5. Public and Private Projects

Cartogrammm supports both public and private projects.

Public Projects
Contributions are visible to anyone with access to the project. Your public identity is your chosen User ID. Your email address, real name and other account details are never displayed publicly.

Private Projects
Private projects are accessible only to invited participants and authorised members of that project. Your contributions continue to appear under your User ID unless the project information explicitly states otherwise.

6. How Contributions Are Used

Your contributions help document place-based knowledge. Depending on the purpose of a project, contributions may appear in:

• interactive maps;
• project reports;
• workshops;
• exhibitions;
• educational activities;
• planning processes;
• community engagement activities;
• academic publications;
• conference presentations;
• promotional material relating to Cartogrammm or the relevant project.

Where reasonably possible, contributions are attributed using your User ID rather than your personal identity.

7. Artificial Intelligence

Cartogrammm uses Artificial Intelligence to assist with certain platform functions. These may include:

• supporting project setup;
• suggesting project categories;
• assisting with project configuration;
• identifying emerging spatial patterns;
• supporting data analysis and reporting.

AI-generated outputs are intended to support human interpretation and decision-making rather than replace professional, community or individual judgement.

Cartogrammm does not use contributor-generated content to train third-party foundation AI models without your explicit consent.

8. Sharing Personal Information

We may share personal information with:

• Project Organisers;
• research partners;
• technical service providers;
• cloud hosting providers;
• professional advisers;
• public authorities where required by law.

Project Organisers may export project contributions for legitimate project purposes. By default, exported datasets include contributions, locations, categories, tags and User IDs but do not include contributors’ personal contact information. Where a Project Organiser wishes to contact contributors directly, this will only occur where contributors have expressly agreed to be contacted for that project.

Cartogrammm does not sell your personal information.

9. International Data Transfers

Where personal information is processed or stored outside the United Kingdom, Cartogrammm will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK data protection legislation.

10. Cookies

Cartogrammm uses cookies and similar technologies to maintain secure login sessions, remember user preferences, improve website performance, understand how the platform is used, and improve the user experience. Further information is provided in our Cookie Policy.

11. Keeping Information Secure

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information. These measures include encrypted passwords, secure authentication, access controls, secure cloud infrastructure, regular software updates, and monitoring of platform security. Although no online service can guarantee absolute security, we continually review and improve our security practices.

12. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. You may delete your account at any time. Where contributions form part of collaborative projects, published maps or research outputs, certain project information may continue to be retained in order to preserve the integrity and continuity of the project record. Where possible, retained contributions will remain associated only with your User ID.

13. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to access your personal information, request correction of inaccurate information, request deletion of personal information, request restriction of processing, object to certain processing activities, receive a copy of your information in a portable format, and withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. Requests may be submitted using the contact details below.

14. Children

Cartogrammm is intended for individuals aged 16 years or older. If we become aware that personal information has been collected from a person under the age of 16 without appropriate authorisation, we will take reasonable steps to remove that information.

15. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When significant changes are made, we will publish the updated version on the Cartogrammm website and revise the version number and effective date.

16. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, please contact:
Email: info@cartogrammm.com

If you believe your personal information has not been handled appropriately, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Version History

Version 1.0 — July 2026
Initial publication.