This engaging and fascinating final year digital project by Daniella Traynor explores how deep mapping and digital tools can enhance our understanding of socio-economic history in culturally-rich urban areas. Exploring SHUA (Socio-economic History of Urban Areas) combines Deep Mapping, GIS, and historical archival media to explore socio-economic history through an inviting online experience.

Daniella explains her innovative process and the broader implications of her work at the ExploringSHUA website. ExploringSHUA demonstrates the possibilities emerging from the combination of close and deep mapping, geographic information systems and historical archives. SHUA reimagines this synthesis to provide more profound and more thoughtful engagement with otherwise distant information. Daniella brings together previously disparate tools and methodologies to deliver an immersive and memorable experience. She brings the recent history of the English Market to life. – You can experience this for yourself at this SHUA StoryMap.

Daniella augments her demonstration with a unique behind-the-scenes tour of her process. This video instructs and informs, and inspires others to creatively engage with historical artefacts. SHUA invites the community to engage more deeply with urban environments and exposes the deep connections between individuals, the community, and the environment through lived experiences.