How can I turn off the map when using the Places Tag?

As no-one else has come up with a solution I've popped in to say that although I can't really help - I've never used the Places Tags. I've just made my own place names in the Keywords Tags - one for UK, another for Abroad, and another for Dorset (which is where I live). In each Keyword Tag I've made sub-categories as I've needed them. No irritating map getting in the way then.

Similarly I've never used automatic face identification - I decided that if I didn't know who I'd taken a photograph of then may be I should stop using a camera.

Personally I feel that recent updates of Elements try to force us into its way of working rather than allowing us to design a system which suits our own situation - and I fight that the best way I can.

I feel just the same, and I could not tell it better than you did.

I understand how the availability of geotagging may be interesting for many users, but I much prefer the power and flexibility of assigning my own keywords and categories.
Face recognition is definitely a 'gadget' for me. Identification of persons is crucial for me, I would not let any automatic process do it for me. It's as important for me to leave the 90% of faces I don't care for untagged.

What is sad in my view is that most users don't understand that you don't need the new 'features' to work with Places, People and Events. As a matter of fact, you have more power and efficiency without them, and you make your catalogs cleaner and safer to work with.