Zine as drafting board: collaborative zine-making about the geographies of heat

This contribution examines the zine as a drafting board – a creative space for experimentation and interdisciplinary collaboration at the crossroads of science and photography. While presenting research in alternative formats is not a novel concept, we advocate for expanding conversations around the methods, rationale, and value of zine-making within academic and public discourse. Using our project, Heat Diary: Visualizing the Geography of Heat - Issue 1: Devices , as a case study, we delve into the methods, challenges, and strategies involved in producing a zine informed by the place-based perspectives of a geographer and a sociologist living and working in Phoenix, Arizona. Set in the context of record-breaking heat waves in 2023 and 2024, Phoenix’s innovative urban heat mitigation efforts, and the proliferation of new signage and infrastructure addressing extreme temperatures, the project reflects the evolving geographies of heat. Blending ethnographic fieldnotes, visual documentation, and collaborative research, this zine serves as both a record of these transformations and a creative reflection on the broader implications of urban heat in one of the world’s hottest cities.