Counter-mapping has become central to a wide array of spatial practices across activist, artistic, and academic spaces. This article reconceptualises counter-mapping for a broad audience interested in understanding what counter-mapping is and what it can achieve in theory and practice. It outlines a relational framework that moves beyond participation, engaging with debates in digital geographies, decolonial mapping, and radical cartographies. While rooted in action research and conservation studies, counter-mapping has developed critical and creative strands that expand its scope and relevance. Drawing on examples from around the world, we identify participation, pedagogy, and creativity as key themes, positioning counter-mapping as a dynamic, ethically grounded practice with increasing applications across geographic research and praxis.
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