Mumtaz Hammad works across urban planning, sound design, and writing to explore spatial justice, cultural preservation, and community-centered mapping. They hold an M.S. in Urban Planning from Columbia University's GSAPP and an M.A. in South Asian Studies from UT Austin.
Their trans-disciplinary practice investigates how community spaces are located, interpellated, and experienced through processes of planning, performance, and sonic composition.
Their writings have been published in EFNIKS, Spy Kids Review, URBAN Magazine, Cordite Magazine, and Rest for Resistance.
CV may be provided upon request.
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Critical Cartographies of Southern Cultures: Mapping Contemporary Cultural Spaces in Austin, Texas
Digital Atlas
Columbia University GSAPP Fall 2023
Role: GIS Analyst, Spatial ResearcherProject Overview
This virtual atlas project updates the City of Austin's 2018 Cultural Asset Mapping Project (CAMP), visualizing contemporary cultural spaces across Austin, Texas (Somi'sek). Using advanced GIS design and community-sourced data, the project creates an interactive platform for cultural preservation planning strategies.
The data represented in city databases are not merely points on a map—these are spaces where relationships form, where ideas are shared, where kinship is cultivated through culturally significant gathering. By examining spatial representations of cultural spaces, we can understand planning pathways to bolster and sustain their material presence for generations to come.
→ View Interactive Atlas
Software: ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, Cargo,
HTML/CSS
Methods: Geocoding, spatial joins, kernel density analysis, data validation, web mapping
Data Sources: City of Austin databases, community surveys, field verification
Deliverable: Interactive web-based atlas with 200+ locations
Study Area: Austin, Texas (Somi'sek) - 74 zip codes analyzed
Key Findings
Spatial Disparities in Cultural Access: My analysis revealed significant geographic inequities in cultural space distribution. East Austin, particularly zip code 78724, maintains diverse cultural spaces serving Tejano music, baroque orchestra, and community arts—yet faces disproportionate funding challenges and displacement pressures.
Transportation Equity: Transit accessibility analysis demonstrated that many cultural spaces lack adequate public transportation connections, particularly in outer East Austin neighborhoods where car ownership rates are lower and transportation barriers are most acute. The referenced transit analysis maps are featured on my PDF portfolio.
Displacement Risk: Cultural spaces in rapidly gentrifying areas face heightened vulnerability. Organizations like Rancho Alegre Conjunto Radio in the 78724 zip code have faced funding denials from the City of Austin's Thrive Fund, despite serving established cultural communities.
Density Patterns: Kernel density mapping revealed high concentrations of cultural assets in central Austin and near-east neighborhoods, with far lower density in outer East Austin—the region with the highest proportion of BIPOC residents and greatest historical marginalization.
Planning Applications
This project demonstrates how GIS tools can support cultural preservation planning and equity-focused policy development. The atlas serves as:
- An advocacy tool for community organizations seeking funding and support
- A planning resource for city officials making land use and zoning decisions
- A research foundation for understanding gentrification's impact on cultural infrastructure
- A community asset documenting spaces of cultural significance for current and future residents
By spatially archiving Austin's cultural spaces and providing evidence of funding disparities, this work supports efforts to maintain longstanding networks of community and tradition while contributing to Austin's diverse cultural fabric.
Technical Skills Demonstrated
✓ Advanced GIS analysis (kernel density, spatial joins, geocoding)
✓ Database management and quality assurance protocols
✓ Web mapping and interactive atlas development
✓ Community-engaged spatial research
✓ Policy analysis and planning recommendations
✓ Data visualization and cartographic design
✓ Integration of municipal datasets with community-generated data