Mapping the Territory Differently: An Example of an Unnovative Geothermal Project Using Cognitive Maps
It is now recognized that actors’ representations of a territory are diverse and even conflicting (Di Méo 2002, 2007; Aldhuy 2007). We propose here to represent the territory through a cognitive map (Cossette 1994, 2004; Eden and Ackermann 2013, 2014; Ibrahim and Larsson 2017). The schematization of the diversified representations of the actors allows us to understand the debates that oppose them and to improve the territorial construction process. These maps were used in Gardanne (France) in the context of an innovative geothermal project. They allowed to “stage” the territorial debates and to improve the participative democratic process.