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In December 2020 the ICA joined the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) as an associate member. As a community composed of businesses, government agencies, universities, and research organizations that work with geospatial data, the OCG is a resource to which software developers who work with geospatial data turn for guidance and advice. As such, it provides the ICA with an opportunity to reach a group of people who might not have had prior experience or background in cartography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kashiwa Library (KL), The University of Tokyo, holds a collection of old paper maps over the world, about a half of which were originally collected for the International Map Exhibition 1980 in Tokyo. The collection has 3,200 maps published in the 1970s and 1980s, and 1,260 of them were displayed at the exhibition. The map collection is important because it represents the cartography at the emerging era of new technologies and techniques such as satellite remote sensing, computers and GIS for map production (Arikawa et al., 2016). These maps were donated from the Japan Cartographers Association in March 2016, after their collection and storage by the association since the exhibition. In the Japanese fiscal year 2017, the Center for Spatial Information Science (CSIS), The University of Tokyo, and KL started a cooperative research project to produce a digital archive of this map collection, with support from the University of Tokyo Academic Archives Project that facilitates digital archiving of academic materials owned by various units at the university. This presentation explains the procedure of making our digital archive "Kashiwanoha Paper Maps Digital Archive". "Kashiwanoha" is the address of the Kashiwa Campus of The University of Tokyo where KL and CSIS are located, and it literally means "oak leaf". There are three steps for opening the archive to the public: (1) conversion of analogue paper maps into digital ones, (2) developing a digital archive system for storing and browsing the digital maps, and (3) license applications for publishing the maps on the web. (1) Conversion of paper maps into digital ones: We tried to make map images as detailed as possible for enhancing the value of the archive and presenting high-resolution images to users. The method of digital conversion is simple; we used a large size scanner for sheets up to A0 size to obtain 600 dpi high-resolution images of the paper maps. However, a part of the collection could not be scanned because some maps have been damaged or are thicker than the capacity of the scanner. We tried to use photo stitching methods with handy cameras for conversion of these maps. (2) Developing a digital archive system: To make our digital archive open to public, we developed a web application for users to search map data and browse high-resolution digital map images with a web browser. The front-end user interfaces of our system are coded by JavaScript and HTML5, and the back-end server scripts are coded by Perl. The web interface displays boundary boxes of maps on the tiles of OpenStreetMap© (https://www.openstreetmap.org/). This function allows users to understand geographical locations of the images (Figure 1). In the map image view, users can browse each map image in detail with using a tracking and scaling function, and can read 16 attribute data such as Title, Scale, Topic, Author, and Description (Figure 2). (3) License applications: We have been making license applications for web publication to the creators or publishers of the maps. This process is taking time because the list of creators and publishers includes a lot of individuals as well as private and government organizations, and some countries that provided maps have changed their status drastically since 1980. As of December 2018, we have obtained licenses for about 220 maps from four Japanese organizations. We have been discussing related issues such as the way to publish the digital map images and their fair use policy. In November 2018, we opened our digital archive system to public (URL: https://maparchive.csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/browse/). As of January 2019, anyone with web access can see 41 map images and metadata using our system. We will keep developing the system and making license applications to expand the contents to enhance the value of this digital archive. Especially, we need to implement functions to produce metadata features efficiently. Currently, making metadata requires a great effort because we need to read information from each map manually, if we do not have any other document about it. A possible better way to make metadata is to use the crowd sourcing method by ordinary users like the case of OpenStreetMap. Another possible way is metadata extraction using an appropriate image processing method. Either way can be adapted to not only making metadata but also vectorizing maps, which will make our system and the digital archive more useful and valuable. We will also attempt to publish the digital archive system itself as an open source software. We expect such an attempt will lead to effective utilization of hoarded paper maps all around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking four influential Chinese surveying and mapping journals as the data source, 5863 papers published during the period of 2003-2013 were obtained. Using the method of bibliometrics and visual analysis, summarizing the surveying and mapping papers in the past ten years (2003-2013), research themes, authors, and geographical distribution were analyzed. In the study, the papers of geodesy, cartography and GIS are 59.9%, more than half of all the papers. We also determine that the core author group has 131 authors, mainly of whom are from big cities. 90% of top ten cities on the number of publishing papers are capital cities or municipalities directly under the central government. In conclusion, we found that the research focus was different every year, and the research content was richness, the content of geodesy, cartography and GIS were widely researched, and the development of surveying and mapping is imbalanced in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decades, the concept of map visual complexity has been extensively investigated in cartographic research. Existing approaches provide specific measures and metrics which can be utilized towards the objective examination of map effectiveness, e.g. Monmonier (1974), MacEachrean (1982), Fairbairn (2006), and Rautenbach et al. (2015). Moreover, recent studies analyze behavioral data, e.g. Cybulski (2020), Tzelepis et al. (2020), using cartographic products distributed in the internet (Schnur et al., 2018). However, map visual complexity could be affected by several factors. Among them, map scale seems to play a significant role, since it is connected to the accuracy and the level of information delivered by a cartographic product (Dumont et al., 2020). In this work, the concept of map visual complexity is connected to visual heterogeneity. A new method for quantifying visual heterogeneity of paper maps is proposed. The method is based on diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and on a random segmentation and sampling in maps with different scale levels. It is shown that by using certain segmentation size, an indicator based on Shannon entropy of the samples can be efficient in characterizing the visual heterogeneity and the scale of the maps. A low-cost optical spectrometer is utilized in order to record the spectra of 40 random segments of the maps. Reflectance spectroscopy aims at measuring the relative level of reflected light as it is compared with a reference (white surface) to record a percentage value at each wavelength and for each segment of the map. A bifurcated optical fiber has been used to deliver the reference light to the map surface (Halogen light source), while the reflected light is guided to the spectrometer (Figure 1). Segment size is defined by moving the fiber closer to the map surface and it is expected to significantly affect the estimation of the indicator. In the present experiments, the distance of the fiber from the map surface is such so that the diameter of the randomly selected segments is approximately 3 mm. The spectrometer spectral resolution is approximately 1.5 nm and, consequently, more than 240 spectral channels are recorded for each sample, since only the visible region of the spectrum is required (380 nm - 750 nm). The proposed heterogeneity indicator is the Shannon entropy, as is calculated by the probabilities to record similar reflection spectral values (relative reflected light) in the space defined by the 40 samples of each map. Since the spectral values are continuous variables, they have to be properly quantized (discretization process), before the probabilities and the entropy are calculated. In addition, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) can be also utilized in order to reduce the spectral data dimensions (channels) and to enable faster calculations. As a means to evaluate the proposed indicator, 60 different paper maps are used. Maps' production is based on the use of the standard layer of OpenStreetMap (OSM) as it is provided by the Web Map Service (WMS) of terrestris GmbH & Co. KG. OSM cartographic backgrounds are utilized in this work because they present adequately high information (content) density and diversity across different scale -- or zoom -- levels compared to other online map services, e.g. Google Maps, Here WeGo, etc. (Skopeliti and Stamou, 2019). More specifically, for the needs of this research study, twenty regions in Greece and three different map scale levels (1:k, 1:4k, & 1:40k) are examined. The produced maps are printed using the same paper quality. Box plots are applied to show the indicator with respect to the scale. It is shown that the scale of the map strongly affects the information content and the visual heterogeneity of the map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In November 2019, the Office of Coast Survey (OCS) announced its plan to discontinue the publication of all traditional raster and paper nautical charts by 2025. The rationale cites that the use of paper charts has decreased steadily over time as U.S. and international authorities began permitting the use of only electronic navigational charts (ENCs) for inland and oversea voyages. The time saved by maintaining only one product line would allow OCS to focus on improving ENC products to serve its customers better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study on water vapour spectroscopy and its impact on the ratio of heavy water (HDO) and water (H2O) in Scanning Imaging Absorption spectrometer for Atmospheric Cartography (SCIAMACHY). In the study,the impact of updated water spectroscopy is tested on total column retrievals of high-resolution Fourier-Transform Spectrometers (FTS). It shows negative shift in the HDO/H2O ratio for both the SCHIAMACHY and FTS measurements.

The article presents a study on the usage of hyperspectral instrumentation in deriving fluorescence information from space. The study uses the SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) satellite instrument and the Greenhouse Gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT). It compares the temporal and spatial variations of additive signals of GOSAT and SCIAMACHY with those of MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer's (MODIS) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI).

In this article, we have focused on mapping villages and resources near the study areas to support development goals and planning. In this article, we will look at the importance of maps in this context and how maps are important for showing changes in demographics or landscape over time. Thematic maps offer perhaps the greatest scope for specialization, as a map is tailored to present specific information in a very particular style to promote a specific theme. A map is a very important visualization method for any research. In this paper, four Gram Panchayats have been selected as study areas that can (1) help outline the framework for Smart Villages, (2) enhance the use of quantitative and qualitative techniques, and are also part of the RUSA 2.0 project under the Smart Village initiatives. This paper discusses the critical importance of maps for spatial analysis and draws on geographic research related to mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale maps are generally used in spatial analysis for fast calculation, but part of important features are missing due to its generalization level, which makes the analysis results less accurate. Therefore, it is necessary to improve feature completeness of smallscale maps. The goal of this paper is to put forward a mapping method of integrating the existing multi-scale river thematic maps. In order to achieve this goal, this paper proposed an algorithm for multi-scale line features matching by calculating the distance from node to polyline and an integrating algorithm by simplifying, shortening and merging the features from the original multi-scale thematic maps. The experimental results proved that the new map produced by the method proposed in this paper keeps the same scale as the original small-scale map and it is consistent with the original large-scale map in terms of feature completeness. The strategy proposed in this paper can be used to produce a new river thematic map concluding all the features that users need; moreover, the new map not only expresses features completely but also takes up less storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the retrieval algorithm for bromine radicals (BrO) from Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY) limb near-ultraviolet (UV) measurements data. It says that the retrieval algorithms show agreement with the independent observation of balloon within one standard deviation regarding retrieval noise. It states that the data shows stratospheric loading.

The article offers strategies relevant to mapping climate and climate change information, including uncertainty climatic condition. It proposes a clear technique designed to follow standard cartographic practicse to map climate variables. It relates that the proposed strategy is visible to color blind people and is easy to replicate and understand.

The article presents a study that focuses on collecting independent regional cavity geometry representation of sub-ice shelf circulation and freezing/melting rates and turn them into a global data set using S-2004 global 1-min bathymetry and an improved version of the bed topography mapping (BEDMAP). It relates that existing global cavity geometry data sets contain inconsistencies and inaccuracies. However, local or regional simulations were able to use more detailed data sets.

Only few years ago, maps and paper were directly related. A map and the paper containing the map were the same thing. The map was the paper, and the paper was the map. Even at the beginning of this century, the main GIS and CAD outputs were plots. Each a every cartography company had a plotter, because the deliverables of the usual projects were sheets of paper containing maps. Those maps had two parts, the frame and the content itself. They were the most powerful way to see the territory from a global point of view. Digitalisation affected the maps industry like a tsunami, like everywhere else. The first step was to convert the paper into PDFs. The material was complete changed, paper vanished, but the main static content and tools were nearly the same. But after the creation of the OGC protocols, the disruption of google maps, and the implementation of the INPSIRE Directive, a new way of maps appeared in the scene. Web Map Service (WMS) protocol allowed to share maps in a completely different way. Not only the format, but the infrastructure needed, and the content suffered a massive disruption. The user of the maps was able to access huge quantity of data, from their pc or mobile, connecting directly in real time to the data provider, at many different zooms, to the last up to date information. We went from "The Map is in internet" to "the map is internet". However, at the same time, something went a step back. Texts vanished from maps, the frame of the map with crucial information disappeared (who made it, when, legend, scale, date). Colours and styles were simplified so much, scale became a strange concept. It was like all the tools to help how to interpret the map were delegated in the user's skills to navigate and configure the WMS at his own. Any cartographer will understand how far the maps are nowadays from the paper classic maps. In this article, we will share best practices to make the maps served though WMS the best tool to communicate information about the territory. What to do with texts, how to proceed with layers, where to put the relevant information, and how important is to have readable legends. We will share examples of public institutions, to show how the huge value, and cost, of the geographic information can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the use of Cartography made by Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in K 12 education levels with these two objectives:

1. Get students familiar with this type of Geographical representation.
2. Achieve that students get skill learning on Geography and Cartography.

This paper will present the approach and first findings of a research project on multi-perspective peace and conflict cartography conducted within the research network "Cooperation and Conflict in Eastern Europe" (KonKoop)1. The author is part of a visualisation lab connected to this network which explores maps and geovisualisations in the context of how peace and conflict are perceived, articulated and negotiated via spatial representations. This means looking at how maps produce, represent and interpret different positions in conflict and cooperation, but also thinking about how different spatial and temporal perspectives are experienced and mediated. The research takes up the approach of critical cartography and systematic analysis of conflict visualisations to gain an understanding of how they are produced within specific regimes and technologies of visibility, truth and world-making. Analysis insights will provide key inputs for prototyping visualisation methods and tools for articulating the spaces of peace and conflict by experimenting with diverse media and design approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which validates the vertical distributions of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from limb measurement of scattered solar light from the scanning imaging absorption spectrometer for atmospheric cartography (SCIAMACHY). It discusses the retrieval approach and the sensitivity of the SCIAMACHY NO2. It describes the photochemical corrections needed to make the validation feasible and the collocation criteria.

The article presents a study which examines the derivation of surface solar irradiances (SSI) from the Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Cartography (SCIAMACHY) satellite measurements. The retrieval algorithm used in the study is highlighted which is called the Fast Retrieval Scheme for Clouds from Oxygen A band (FRESCO) SSI. The validation of the SCIAMACHY SSI product against the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BASRN) is also outlined.

The main aim of this paper is to present types of maps used as stimuli in empirical studies in cartography in the context of the user and researcher perspective. Such revisions could possibly bring opportunities similarly to the taxonomy of interaction primitives proposed by Roth (2013) or data base focused on studies' participants by White (2017). Their work is a systematisation of previous knowledge, it constitutes a framework for future studies and makes them easier to compare and validate. It was decided to focus on papers published in years 2000-2017. The query covered journals affiliated to the ICA: The Cartographic Journal, Cartographica: The International Journal for Geographic Information and Geovisualization, and Cartography and Geographic Information Science, and the journal published by the ICA: the International Journal of Cartography. From the wide scope of geovisualisations used in empirical studies only maps were included. By elaboration of a matrix of map types, which juxtaposed maps according to objective criteria, and performance of a meta-analysis of the gathered data, the extensive group of studies can be more precisely characterised. The review juxtaposed 103 research papers presenting an experiment where a map was used as the stimulus. They constituted 8.6% of papers published in the mentioned journals since 2000. In the analysed period the number of research papers concerning empirical studies in cartography has risen (Figure 1). Unfortunately, it is not possible to specify the number of maps used as stimuli in the analysed papers, as authors do not always provide this information. However, organised description of the stimuli would provide an opportunity for repetition and, consequently, verification of results. The matrix is available on-line with the accompanying paper (doi.org/10.2478/mgrsd-2018-0014). The attributes of maps used for the identification of map types were chosen on the basis of the author's description of stimuli. Four main features were chosen (Figure 2): map medium (paper, screen), reactiveness (interactive, noninteractive), method of cartographic presentation (quantitative, qualitative), users' familiarity with the presented area and data (familiar, unfamiliar, fictional). In most experiments more than one type of map was used. Such experiments are presented in figure 2 as transitional areas, marked by vertical banding in the middle of the figure, in order to point out differences in overlapping proportions between features. The predominance of digital maps in the whole analysed period could be observed. With rising availability of geoportals, one could predict the increase of interactive maps use. Nonetheless, they were used in less than a half studies. What may be also thought-provoking is that the percentage of paper maps used in experiments have risen in last years. It shows that both types of media are thought to be equally important. In the scope of every analysed feature, one of the types could be observed to dominate (Figure 2). The most common types are maps displayed on a screen (88%), non-interactive (66%), qualitative (88%) and unfamiliar (62%). Studies that applied maps that fall into all these dominant categories simultaneously were the subject of 25% of all experimental studies. The elaboration of a consistent database of map types is a continuation of the work by Roth (2013) and White (2017) and another step towards enhancing the reporting of empirical studies in cartography. Complying with this postulate would allow studies to be better validated and compared. In order to apply this proposal, explicit characteristic were defined. This allows this database to be further developed. Furthermore, the described database could be integrated with the database concerning participants by White (2017), which would allow profound insight to be gained into the empirical research conducted by cartographers since 2000. By juxtaposing maps according to objective criteria and performing a meta-analysis of the gathered data, the extensive group of studies can be more precisely characterised. The conclusions may serve other researchers who would like to make informed decisions when preparing their studies. In summary, meticulous description of experimental studies is crucial for proper construction of forthcoming research. Revisions of conducted experiments may constitute a frame for reporting study results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maps serve many purposes -- they can help users find where they want to go, or they can steer users where the map creator wants them to go. Sometimes these purposes are hidden from users, but on other occasions they are visible in plain sight. Into this category we see "locator maps" -- those that were created primarily for customers, or potential customers, of a business. Often made freely available, and sometimes created by advertising agencies not cartographers, these maps are rarely considered as a distinct class but can reveal hidden sophistication or complexity. Moreover, even as the number of paid-for consumer maps plummeted, locator maps continued to be created in paper formats (and online). This paper will review the development of locator maps mainly drawing on selected examples principally from the USA and Europe. Surviving early maps are scarce; by their very nature they were designed to be freely available, produced at low cost and often with low perceived value. Only a hoarder would want to keep last year's map once an updated edition had become available -- with more up to date features such as roads, as well as new locations for the sponsor's business -- although occasionally they might have been kept as a souvenir of a vacation trip. Firstly, a "locator map" needs to be defined. For the purpose of this paper, it must have been issued by or on behalf of a single organization (or closely related group of businesses), and not by a commercial cartographer selling advertising space to the businesses. It is possible that the map might carry some third-party advertising (Amoco/Standard Indiana maps in the USA often did this), but the primary organization has to be clear. Maps from trade or tourist associations would generally fall outside this classification, although those from franchisors of a specific chain of businesses (such as a petrol or hotel brand) count. Commercial map products, such as a road atlas, that carried detailed cartographic information and only incidentally mark the sponsor's locations would also fall outside the scope. Conversely, quite crude or incomplete maps -- perhaps just marking a few main highways and towns with the sponsor's locations -- can be considered as locator maps. City maps, marking a single hotel or department store location, are a grey area -- although they might enable the user to return to the place where they had been given the map -- as are maps found in franchised hotel directories. Those maps that survive come from a variety of businesses, but with a bias towards those serving the traveller or holidaymaker. Providers of locator maps include camping, hotel, restaurant and pub chains; petrol stations, car dealerships, car rental companies and car parks; banks, supermarkets and other retail trades; but isolated examples can be found from a wide range of businesses. Apart from an early flourish in the USA when oil companies were first opening roadside service station chains, these maps appeared most frequently from the 1950s onwards. Printing costs had fallen, and independent travellers began to be more numerous, often looking for assurance that they would be able to find familiar brands away from home. The advent of GIS and the ability to create good quality maps on computers gave a fillip to their production in some markets in the 1990s. However, technology has decimated the numbers available on paper today: websites and downloadable apps can be produced much more cheaply than printed products, adding to pressure on marketing budgets to show measurable returns. The COVID pandemic, with a reduction of discretionary travel and financial losses in travel-related businesses, has seen some of the remaining issuers of paper locator maps cease publication. Prior to electronic maps, there were a wide range of formats, ranging from the ephemeral to good quality maps. Common formats identified in research to date include: Similar maps can also appear on various ephemeral items such as bags or restaurant place mats. Locator maps are a rarely studied cartographic product existing on the border between ephemera and mainstream maps despite their near ubiquity. The author has become aware of the variety of such maps as part of his research into the wider range of maps issued by, or for, oil companies. This paper seeks to redress this omission, showing that they are an integral part of the maps that have been available on a day-to-day basis to the public for much of the past century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of VGI and OpenGeodata in the production of topographic base maps can often lead to problems of depiction due to inferior or heterogeneous data quality (see Goodchild et. al. 2012, Heipke 2010, Hajek et. al. 2019). But not only vector data such as the OpenStreetMap database but also raster data in the form of digital elevation models (DEM) are affected. Freely available DEMs with (almost) worldwide coverage such as SRTM play a major role in the production of topographic maps as they are easily obtainable and have relatively homogeneous data quality. However, for the application of large scale maps (> 1:50,000) the low resolution of these DEMs (SRTM = approx. 30m) becomes a problem, since the accuracy is no longer sufficient for the production of scale-adequate generalized contour lines. As a solution, state-specific Open Governmental Data can be obtained. These DEMs often cover only one national territory, but in most cases provide higher resolutions. In cross-border topographic representations, different DEMs would thus have to be merged in order to seamlessly display contour lines and generated relief shading, for example. However, this process often leads to depiction problems in the transition area. The boundaries between different elevation models lead to incorrect representation of calculated contour lines. Edged contour lines occur due to different resolutions and general accuracy of the DEMs. The merging of two different contour line datasets without preparation of the base data can lead to a large manual effort. This paper describes a method to semi-automatically seamlessly merge DEMs of different sources and quality. Calculated contour lines as well as relief shading can be generated error-free in sequence. The method thus allows the use of best available quality elevation models in the production of large scale topographic maps covering border areas. The method presented in this paper is based on the further development of the process described in the article "Large Scaled Topographic Mapping and Issues in Depicting VGI and Open Data" (Hajek et. al. 2021). In this previous paper, parts of the method were presented that are used to create smooth transitions of elevation information for slopedependent generalization of contour lines. A modification of the process to generate a transition raster is also applied in this following paper. The process is mainly based on raster manipulation using tools from the open source library GDAL. The command lines required for the method are combined in a PHP script and can thus be run (partially) automated. A transition band is placed over the boundary region of the elevation models to be connected. This is calculated by a weighted average of the overlapping raster pixels based on a transition factor. Irregularities can thus be smoothed and the two DEMs are interwoven. However, when merging data sets of different resolutions, it should be noted that this leads to generally inhomogeneous representations of elements generated from the DEM. For example, contour lines based on high resolution elevation models are more accurate and give better information about the terrain than contour lines calculated from low resolution DEMs. The latter can appear "over-smoothed", especially in comparison, and there is a risk of conveying a falsely flat and smooth impression of the terrain. These disadvantages of this method must therefore be weighed against the advantages of using homogeneous global elevation models. The method is not only used when combining high-resolution with low-resolution DEMs. Even DEMs of the same or similar resolution can cause problems when merging at the boundary due to different sources. This paper also tests whether merging two "equivalent" elevation models of different origins with the indicated method can avoid visible depiction problems in the border region. "Transitional DEM Merging" is a tool for handling different qualities and/or sources of raster data which are to be expected when using Open Geodata. The method can be used for the creation of worldwide topographic web maps due to its (semi-) automatic approach. The tool thus serves to increase the depiction quality of large-scaled topographic maps based on Open Data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A moving feature is described as a rigid body whose location changes over time (Asahara et al., 2015). Fitted with sensor devices, these features often transmit information about their location, coupled with additional attributes that describe their movement characteristics in real time, through data streaming sensor networks. Examples of moving feature datasets include shipping vessels Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, GPS tracked vehicle positions, cycling tracks and many more. Deriving knowledge and understanding behavioural patterns of these moving features has been a subject of research for many years (Andrienko et al, 2013; Krueger et al, 2017; Andrienko et al, 2021; Graser et al, 2021), and several challenges have thus been identified. In this paper we focus on addressing challenges that are pertinent to deriving behavioural patterns of moving features in real time, whilst the movement trajectory is still unfolding. These challenges generally relate to; firstly, the ability to analyse and visualise high velocity observations of multiple moving features, and secondly the ability to understand patterns that evolve because of changes in location and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transit infrastructure development is a major necessity in Canada's largest city and the capital of Ontario, Toronto. As one of the busiest highways in North America and the backbone of Toronto's transportation and distribution system, provincial Highway 401, carries over 416 thousand annual average daily traffic (AADT) and plays an important role in the Ontario southern road network (You et al., 2017). With economic development and ongoing urbanization, the increasing regional population brings up traffic congestion in the system, especially during peak hours. The existing transportation condition has proved a bottleneck under the ongoing globalization & increasing population in the city. To mitigate the congestion, this paper proposed a new bypass route plan on Highway 401 by combining the least cost path analysis (LCPA) and multiple-criteria evaluation (MCE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile telecommunications devices have made their way into the hands of most of the world's population in the almost fifty years since the world's first mass-produced mobile phone was put on the market by Motorola in 1973 (Farley 2005, Radicati 2021). Like other information sources, maps have also benefited from and been re-envisioned for internetconnected mobile devices. We can now use maps to support our everyday activities in ways that were unimaginable with paper maps - for example, providing real-time updates and design that adapts when their use context changes. However, these new use contexts also often generate additional cognitive load, by presenting distractions in noisy and highly dynamic environments. This increased cognitive load is exacerbated by the design constraints posed by the characteristics that make mobile devices portable (e.g., small screens). To mitigate this increased cognitive load from mobile map use cases, there are at least two options: reduce the cognitive load by externalizing cognition and/or distribute cognition among other actors (machines or people). While some foundational work exists (e.g., Reichenbacher 2004, Meng et al. 2005, Thrash et al. 2019), there are many dimensions of how people use mobile maps and how we can best design such maps that are un- or under-explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One major challenge in creating indoor maps involves defining their levels of detail or LODs. While a consensus has emerged that indoor maps have at least two types of LODs, semantic and geometric, questions remain regarding their nature, their partitioning, and their relationships with each other as well as with other forms of LOD. Since semantics deals with the meanings of things, semantic LODs (SLODs) deal with the definition, classification, and partitioning of mapped entities. Unlike geometric LODs that are amenable to automation, SLODs have a more qualitative nature that defies automation and requires the careful application of human judgment. This paper proposes a framework for organizing semantic LODs by first classifying them based on the tangibility of mapped entities (i.e., intangible open spaces versus tangible physical features comprised of building structures and equipment and furnishings) and then partitioning each class based on the idea of permanence, defined here as an entity's tendency to remain stationary over time. A cartographic process for integrating SLODs with geometric and appearance LODs is also introduced along with several examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study to demonstrates the capability of scanning imaging absorption spectrometer for atmospheric cartography (SCIAMACHY) in measuring solar occultation in monitoring greenhouse gas measurements. It uses time series stratospheric methane (CH4) profiles which cover from 2003 to 2012. It reveals that the SCIAMACHY CH4 profile solar occultation is showing a strong seasonal cycle attributed to variations in both time and space.

The article presents a study which examines the improvements in the Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Cartography (SCIAMACHY) Polarisation Measurement Device (PMD) Identification of Clouds and Ice (SPICI) method. It is inferred that SCIAMACHY PMDs provide higher spatial resolution compared to other spectrometers. Improvements in the SPICI method are highlighted which include correction to the SCIAMACHY PMD degradation and a snow over vegetation detection.

During the pandemic summer of 2020, I co-lead a “walkshop” called “A Sense of Impending Doom: a strata-walk for turbulent times.” Organized by the Commission for Art and Cartography (ArtCarto) in partnership with my artist collective Hamilton Perambulatory Unit (HPU), this event was originally supposed to take place during the Drifting Bodies/Fluent Spaces International Conference on Walking Arts in Portugal, but like much else, ended up on Zoom. Wherever they were around the world, participants joined our “Zoom of Doom” to go on a synchronous walk around their rooms, tuning in to their layers of everyday emotions to create personal hand-drawn lockdown maps. COVID-19 had shut down most of the world. Australia was on fire. When ArtCarto Vice-Chair Joanna Gardiner in Melbourne suggested the workshop we were planning (along with HPU co-founder Donna Akrey and Vice-Chair Sharon Hayashi) be themed IMPENDING DOOM, it seemed perfect. Inspired in part by Xavier de Maistre’s tongue-in-cheek travelogue Voyage Around My Room (1794) and the idea of paying close attention to one's everyday surroundings with the eye of a traveller, we devised a series of prompts designed to tune one’s body into one’s emotional landscape. The participants began by collectively joining their pieces of paper, establishing everyone in the virtual space, and creating a tabula rasa. Participants were then prompted to write down their fears, anxieties, as well as a source of comfort during these times. In order to situate themselves in space, participants were then asked to make a small hole in their paper. This established their specific location in their environment, locating their here and now, and their sense of beingness. Using the hole as a framing device, participants followed a few exercises that required them to capture and document their body in space and their relationship to the things in their environment. Next, they looked through the framing device to capture their vista, their horizon line, the view from their location. For the last framing exercise, participants were invited to take a picture of the sky through their window or above their heads, whether day or night. Using the hole as a marker, participants went on a walk in their space and mapped their trajectory, tuning in to their emotions, anxieties, comforts, dreams, sensations. They used their body as a sensing instrument and emotionally mapped the space around them, indoor, outdoor, or in their mind. The final prompt had the group take their 2D maps of emotional and sensorial strata and turn them into 3D emotional sculptures – through folding, scrunching, cutting, crunching – to represent their emotional connection to the place that they were in. This cathartic exercise represented the act of mapping their way out of impending doom. As the final exercise of the walkshop, the participants flattened their sculptures and reconnected with the original paper they started with, now turned into emotional and sensorial map-sculptures. The group, individually located in places all over the world, were able to connect and sense each other, through this analog, physical, and cathartic exercise in the virtual space of Zoom. This short presentation will outline our methodology of mapping our rooms, its relationship to the larger theories of performance, participatory and relational art, and how practices such as these can translate into more spatial awareness of the hybrid spaces where we spend most of our time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the publication of ICA 1959-1984: The first twenty-five years of the International Cartographic Association compiled by Ferdinand J. Ormeling Sr, there is no publication nor resource that systematically records the history of our Association. This paper attempts to fill this gap by providing the results of the work undertaken by the ICA Working Group on the History of ICA. By necessity, but also because of the difficulties in finding the necessary documents and records, this is only a brief account covering the next forty years since 1984, the concluding year of Ormeling’s classic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decades, the process of explaining life-threatening natural hazards to the public has become a major public issue from the point of view of effective prevention policies. The avalanche risk and the communication methods aimed at its forecasting and prevention constitute the focus of this paper. Among the strategies for an effective communication of environmental risks, cartography plays a pivotal role. It has proved to be essential not only for communication purposes, but also for the planning of prompt and efficient preventive interventions; in so doing, it contributes to the reduction of avalanche-caused damages and deaths. The paper investigates prevention and forecasting activities of the Meteomont Service of the Alpine Troops Command (COMTA) of Bolzano (capital city of the province of South Tyrol - North Italy), resulting in the daily publication of avalanche bulletins (Bollettini valanghe), which also include hazard maps. Specifically, the phases that contribute to the production of the avalanche bulletin and the embedded avalanche risk maps will be firstly examined; secondly, such maps will be analysed in order to assess their communicative potential for the purpose of a correct interpretation aimed at the effective prevention of snow-related risks in mountain areas. Possible improvement will be proposed on the basis of the experience of several avalanche warning services worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The representation of the areas in which some of the most significant events of the First World War took place has produced a wide range of materials, such as cartography, aerial and terrestrial photos, textual descriptions and field surveys. In addition, war events were also represented through three-dimensional models. Topographic maps and models constitute composite figurations, which are rich in informative data useful for the preservation of the memory of places and for increasing the knowledge of cultural heritage. Hence, these sources need to be studied, described, interpreted and used for future enhancement. The focus of this paper are archival materials from the collections kept at the Italian War History Museum of Rovereto (Museo Storico Italiano della Guerra), in the Trentino-Alto Adige region. Firstly, we will investigate the cartographic fond in order to assess the composition and origin of its materials. Secondly, we will present the Museum's collection of Early-Twentieth Century models. Such precious heritage is not yet part of an exhibition, and is kept in the Museum's warehouses. The paper constitutes the occasion to present the initial results of a still ongoing project by the Geo-Cartographic Centre for Study and Documentation (GeCo) of the University of Trento on the study and analysis of two archival complexes preserved in the abovementioned Museum. In particular, the paper focuses on the heuristic value of such representational devices, which enable an analysis of the different methods and languages through which space is planned and designed, emphasizing the complementarity between different types of visualization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research purpose aims to explore the spatiotemporal aspects of social media data with Twitter data by using topic modelling techniques. The spatiotemporal limits are restricted in two areas of the Republic of Korea: Seoul and Jeju Island. This paper searches the semantics and geographical place characteristics of the Twitter data, and the semantics and place characteristics are regarded as topics in the topic modelling. This paper also discusses the temporal intensity over different spatial areas and visualizes the spatiotemporal patterns with GIS techniques. As Twitter mobility message contains a user's interests and behavioural patterns in the geo-tagged data corresponding to its location, it is possible to explore geographical locality and the user's mobility over space by using textual ontological techniques such as topic modelling. Therefore, this paper attempts keywords searching and textural classification to classify the shared spatial activity patterns of the Twitter users. Consequently, two main analysis themes are explored: the tourist activity patterns attracting the visitors in Jeju over time and temporal periodicity for shopping and meal preference in Seoul, respectively. In conclusion, this research represents a potential of the social network data that enables to fill the gap of spatiotemporal patterns of human beings over the online and mobile environment. Furthermore, our study confirms social data analysis techniques as an alternative geographical data source that can complement and replace the roles of spatial data, which could not be analysed in the conventional offline data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The atlas, as a typical product of thematic cartography, is characterized by cohesive approaches in the procedures of atlas compilation. One of the results of these cohesive approaches is the uniform setting of colour scales in choropleth maps. The paper aims to evaluate the quality of colour scales in choropleth maps in an atlas from the point of view of systematic visualization, using the example of the electronic version of the Landscape Atlas of the Czech Republic. A total of 56 sequential and 6 divergent colour scales were selected from the Atlas. Seven hypotheses related to colours were formulated and then tested. The paper assumes that the colour scales in the atlas are not uniformly constructed. The authors hypothesise the approach by which the creators of the atlas chose these colours. In the CIELAB colour model, the colour distances between the colours of the intervals were measured, calculated, statistically evaluated and graphically expressed. The colour scales were also evaluated against the background of the map sheets. The results revealed the nature of the approach of the authors of the Atlas when compiling colour scales of choropleth maps. The aim of the paper was also to define the criteria for evaluating the quality of colour scales and to formulate recommendations for the compilation of colour scales. These recommendations should help map makers to create high-quality atlas maps and users to get more accurate and faster information from maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile maps are an integral part of our daily routines, serving a variety of purposes in different environments. Designing maps for different use situations is essential for a user-centered and context-aware approach. Previous research has explored map use context and context-aware mobile maps from interdisciplinary perspectives. This paper aims to consolidate and unify existing research on context in cartography and related fields, identify current challenges, and propose ways to advance context-awareness for designing mobile maps. We present a map use context taxonomy that provides an overview of context elements, possible context-sensing methods, and corresponding application fields. We invite the cartographic community to expand on our proposed context taxonomy and explore the extensive field of context acquisition methods, applications, and related literature for advancing research on map use context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the convergence of cartography and robotic mapping, addressing key challenges and opportunities that arise as machines increasingly serve as both mapmakers and map users. The author investigates three critical questions: (1) how to best represent geographical data and maps for machines, (2) what dynamic information about our environment should be made readily available to machines, and (3) which ethical, religious, and cultural norms should be considered for autonomous entities. By addressing these questions, the author aims to facilitate the development of geospatial data representation, management, and analysis for autonomous systems, while ensuring harmonious coexistence with humans. In the scope of this paper, author tries to propose an approach to bridge the gap between traditional cartography and the emerging needs of machines as user and makers by building common ground through cross-disciplinary collaboration, joint research groups, and the development of common standards and frameworks. In this proposal, particularly by using design thinking approach, an event-mapping principle, as an approach that represents spatial information as events, is highlighted as a promising common framework for integrating static and dynamic spatial information. Since, event-based mapping and models can improve the representation of geographical data for machines, enabling them to better understand the environment and make informed decisions in complex and dynamic contexts. This convergence will ultimately transform the way we think about maps and geographical information systems in the age of machines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal activities in the landscape (e.g. illegal waste dumping) may pose significant environmental and social risks in different areas, such as human health, economy, aesthetics, etc. Their identification and spatial localization are a basic prerequisite for solving potential problems; therefore, it is important to look for methodological procedures for monitoring these phenomena, including their cartographic visualizations. The number of satellite-based remotely sensed datasets available for land cover (LC) change identification has increased markedly since the launch of the first Landsat satellite in 1972. Many change detection techniques have been developed and applied during this period to assess LC changes. Several books and review papers have summarized and compared the various detection techniques (Giri 2012, Goga et al. 2019). In general, human impact on landscape causes categorical changes in its use: change of one type of landscape to another, e. g. arable land to built-up area. As such changes may influence the condition of the landscape, it is important to determine where and to what extent they take place. Legal changes in landscape involve planning and recording in the Land Register, agricultural, forestry or water economic plans. However, the landscape is ever more frequently attacked by illegal human interventions, and their tracking may be difficult because of remoteness, difficult access, etc. Nowadays, various methods of LC change identification are applied. The most progressive ones combine remotely sensed data (optical and radar) with data from environmental databases, thematic maps and field survey. This approach is also suitable for the identification of LC changes caused by illegal human activities. The solutions offered by this paper are based on the application of the above-quoted approach. They will document the possibilities of identifying three types of illegal human activities in the landscape: (i) illegal dumps (near roads and urban structures); (ii) illegally ploughed protected meadows (especially in cases of contact of protected meadows with agricultural land); (iii) illegal clear-cuts of non-forest tree vegetation in the agricultural landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Football play is a dynamic process within a compact spatio-temporal framework. Such a dynamic process is hard to be visualized using static maps. Comparing to the raw video recordings, the animations can track the movement of the players to a bidimensional plane. 2D-plane football pitch map can better present the players’ position. Therefore, an increasing number of football analysts are opting for animation method to assist the review of the game course and prepare the tactics for the next game (Fernández & Bornn, 2018). Several papers exploit the idea of generating GIS-enhanced approaches in football analysis and visual analytics. The control area of the player can be modelled using Voronoi diagram, while a larger proportion of the dominant region indicates better chances to win (Kim, 2004 & Fujimura, 2005). Duarte et al. (2013) analysed the performance of football teams based on general statistical indicators of the team's convex hull. Andrienko et al. (2017) designed a novel interactive visual tool to quantify defensive pressure in football. Integrating football animation together with the GIS toolset can result in an advanced and intuitive medium that allows users to quickly perceive and understand the depicted phenomena (Farahani et al., 2020). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atlases combine maps and other visual materials according to a predefined structure to reach specific objectives. Together the structure and objective provide the atlas narrative. The appearance of an atlas and its context affects how it can tell a story. The atlas can be printed on paper, or published online as an interactive atlas. Both have certain means to convey the story to the user. This often includes options to find locations, and to show and compare patterns. To explain patterns the maps can be accompanied by diagrams, text or images and – in the case of interactive atlases – by videos. Some online atlases even include links to related external resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cartographic generalization is a problem, which poses interesting challenges to automation. Whereas plenty of algorithms have been developed for the different sub-problems of generalization (e.g. simplification, displacement, aggregation), there are still cases, which are not generalized adequately or in a satisfactory way. The main problem is the interplay between different operators. In those cases the benchmark is the human operator, who is able to design an aesthetic and correct representation of the physical reality.Deep Learning methods have shown tremendous success for interpretation problems for which algorithmic methods have deficits. A prominent example is the classification and interpretation of images, where deep learning approaches outperform the traditional computer vision methods. In both domains – computer vision and cartography – humans are able to produce a solution; a prerequisite for this is, that there is the possibility to generate many training examples for the different cases. Thus, the idea in this paper is to employ Deep Learning for cartographic generalizations tasks, especially for the task of building generalization. An advantage of this task is the fact that many training data sets are available from given map series. The approach is a first attempt using an existing network.In the paper, the details of the implementation will be reported, together with an in depth analysis of the results. An outlook on future work will be given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is understood that all human beings need information, including spatial (geospatial) information. It has to be noted that spatial and geospatial information helps people to enrich the knowledge about certain regions. In general, the knowledge is very significant for strengthening orientation ability, which, in turn, affects the level of intelligence. It is believed that the better a person can recognize geographical information the cleverer s/he is. Being able to have the spatial knowledge helps humans to fulfil their basic needs and find solutions to various problems. Present research uses Geographical Information System (GIS) to create paper maps, which can be transferred onto a touch display where the user can choose different keys and settings (such as colour, measurement, etc.) to represent different forms of data. The study aims to examine the effectiveness of digital interactive cartographical novel solutions in improving text and space memorization among visually impaired Kurdish students. The study's purpose draws from the knowledge that Kurdistan learners and other demographic groups lack an effective multimodal communication map suited to contemporary society's demands. The research seeks to fill the gap by presenting a strategy for developing interactive tactile maps for the target group to solve the growing problem of visual impairment in Kurdistan. Technologies associated with tactile maps are reviewed and the application of interactive tactile maps for populations, in addition to those who are visually impaired, is also considered. The obtained results are very useful for blind and low sighted users to communicate information through the assistive technologies on the map due to finding the geographical location easily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borderknots is a drawing-performances project that I began in 2013 and through which I "graphically connect" borders of different nature with the help of a rudimentary drawing machine I developed: Inside a wooden box, a tracer produced a line on a paper sheet according to the movements, the accelerations, the vibrations, the shocks which it undergoes. Worn straight from the body or fixed to the door-luggage of a bicycle (Fig. 1), the instrument works as a seismograph recording graphically my journey, including the consequences of meeting the route, a harshness on the ground, a muscular fatigue or a fall. The routes so traveled and fixed on paper are always bound to the crossing of an obstacle or a frontier, real and concrete, political or symbolic, a limiting border physical or invisible, in charge, harmless. At the same time every paper of the project being carved of simple forms linked to the performance to come (in the obstacle to be exceeded), the pen meets then an obstacle in the irregular surface of the sheet of paper itself, too. The way it reacts response to the constraints that impede the flow of movement and reorient impulses of the Borderknots-performances and the border-behaviour in general. The drawing is the capture of an effort, a cartography of a more or less difficult and risky crossing. In its cash demonstration - cross 101 times a barrier (Borderknots - Crossing urban barriers, 2013); cross 28 times the French-German border as fast as possible (Borderknots - Europe round trip, 2013 / Fig. 2); or the relation between the unlimitedness of the obstacle and the simplicity of the obtained drawing (Borderknots - Crossing the Alps 1 and 2, 2014)- this effort sometimes lends to laughter: a certain irony participates unmistakably in the project. The political dimension takes however a more dominant aspect, particularly with the performances consisting in a penetrating into the representations of various countries present in the same city (consulates of Strasbourg / embassies in Brussels, 2013 / Fig. 3). The application of the stamp of every country straight on the drawing being made, is not only a proof of my path, but also outcomes of the negotiations (often difficult) begun in every stage with the various hierarchical authorities of the administrations around the artistic project. The maps thus produced and authenticated by seals, are at first glance abstract, but definitively very official drawings: like generalized visas for freedom of movement. Instead of a borderline, the title "Borderknots" propose making knots. It is to be said a tie, a link, but also a scrawl difficult to undo and representative of the complexity of certain limits. The lines marked by these machines during performances are in this way maps of the experiences of territories: straying, hesitating, starting over, jumping straight, crossing, turning backwards. From the performance of crossings of the consulates at Strasbourg, August 26th, 2013. Seals of Consulates General of Belgium, Russia, Germany, Gr. D de Luxembourg, Japan, Kingdom of Morocco, the United States of America, Romania, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Republic of Austria. Seals of Consulates of the Principality of Monaco, Peru, Poland, the Kingdom of Denmark, Consulate (H) of Chile, Serbia, Latvia. Photos: Jean-Louis Hess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hungarian presenters gave several papers on this project at cartographic conferences and published articles on the state of the work in the past decade. The project undertaken by the Department of Cartography and Geoinformatics at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) serves the saving of cultural heritage, namely a globe, a significant work of art. The project is named after its maker, Perczel. The work, which lasted for more than ten years with interruptions, was crowned by the birth of three imposing artistic copies of the globe. This part of the project completed in half a year was organized by the Archiflex Studio and led by Zsuzsanna Lente, restorer artist. The first copy decorates the office of the Hungarian prime minister in the former Carmelite cloister in the Buda Castle. The second copy is placed in the National Széchényi Library, where the original globe is kept. The third copy went to the University Library of ELTE. The physical embodiment of the globe makes it a real public property: Perczel's globe is a work of art that represents great scientific and cultural values.The present paper reviews shortly the manuscript globe made by Perczel in 1862, and presents the stages of the digital re-creation and restoration of the globe map carried out at the Department of Cartography and Geoinformatics at ELTE, which led to its physical reconstruction, the birth of its artistic copies. Finally, some cartographic "juicy bits" follow: the representation of non-existent "ghost" islands on the globe and some interesting graphical solutions that are unusual today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arctic, a not yet explored region in the 15th-17th centuries, however it is present in European map-makers' historical maps of the Renaissance era (approximately 1450-1650). The Polar Regions were the last ones to be explored and therefore was an open space for the cartographic imagination to thrive (Wheeler 2009; Mulvaney 2001; Lewis Jones 2017). This paper discusses the preliminary findings of the author's archival research on the depiction and classification of uncertainty in the Arctic via a selection of ten European Renaissance maps. In maps, especially the historical ones, the uncertainty is the product of lack of data (Jurado, Ludvigson, and Ng 2015; Bammer and Smithson 2008; Monmonier 2006; Bradley and Drechsler 2014; Kinkeldey, MacEachren, and Schiewe 2014; MacEachren 1992); today, uncertainty may occur due to poor measurements (measurement uncertainty), perspective (translational uncertainty), temporality (temporal uncertainty), and complexity (structural uncertainty) (Rowe 1994), even if there is a massive amount of data for remote and challenging access areas such as the Arctic (Couclelis 2003). Uncertainty, is a privative term, that means it is defined by the lack of something else, certainty in this case. So, what is certainty? Deriving from the Latin word certus, certainty is a synonym of sureness and certitude, describing facts or truths unquestionably established. Uncertainty can appear in any form and field in geography, from analysing and explaining spatial phenomena to geographic definitions and planning and risk management (Fusco et al. 2017; Monmonier 2006; Brown 2004; Zhang 2019). Moreover, uncertainty might be caused by ignorance (Bammer and Smithson 2008). That ignorance is depicted in Renaissance maps by the creation and illustration of imaginary lands, and mythical beasts and the fading or aggregated coastlines. Based on a review of the literature of Renaissance Cartography, it is concluded that there are three main categories of cartographic elements showing uncertainty: (1) fading or schematic coastlines, (2) beasts and mythical creatures presence, and (3) imaginary places (Van Duzer 2013; Wintle 1999; Woodward 2007). Even if the spatial representations of the whole earth in the studied period were called "Cosmographies" and of regions "Chorographies", for the sake of practicality and general understanding is used "Cartography" is used in this paper (Woodward 2007). The cartographic timeline starts with Fra Mauro's map of the world in 1450. The high Arctic is placed at the bottom of the map, including the North Pole. The timeline finishes with the Collage of World maps and Geographical Diagrams by Giuseppe Rosaccio in 1610. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last few years, the technical and scientific advances in the Geomatics research field have led to the validation of new mapping and surveying strategies, without neglecting already consolidated practices. The use of remote sensing data for damage assessment in post-disaster scenarios underlined, in several contexts and situations, the importance of the Geomatics applied techniques for disaster management operations, and nowadays their reliability and suitability in environmental emergencies is globally recognized. In this paper, the authors present their experiences in the framework of the 2016 earthquake in Central Italy and the 2019 Cyclone Idai in Mozambique. Thanks to the use of image-based survey techniques as the main acquisition methods (UAV photogrammetry), damage assessment analysis has been carried out to assess and map the damages that occurred in Pescara del Tronto village, using DEEP (Digital Engine for Emergency Photo-analysis) a deep learning tool for automatic building footprint segmentation and building damage classification, functional to the rapid production of cartography to be used in emergency response operations. The performed analyses have been presented, and the strengths and weaknesses of the employed methods and techniques have been outlined. In conclusion and based on the authors' experience, some operational suggestions and best practices are provided and future research perspectives within the same research topic are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article introduces collaborative comic creation (CCC) as a methodological tool. The central question it addresses is how marginalised imaginations of futures can be made visible in the context of the planned Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) in Kenya. The question assumes that infrastructure projects such as the LAPSSET corridor inscribe not only particular ways of moving into a landscape but also one specific temporality that marginalises other future-making practices. The paper participates in the ongoing debate about how imagined futures and future-making practices can be appreciated and analysed methodologically. It thus contributes to the literature on geographies of the future by drawing together conceptual insights from anthropology, infrastructure studies, and critical cartography. Based on these different approaches, the paper proposes to regard future-making practices not only in relation to contentious timelines but also in terms of lines made by moving and drawing on landscapes and surfaces. Using a review of existing social foresight methods as a basis, we describe the practical implementation of CCC. Subsequently, the analysis of one collaboratively produced comic illustrates how the method can help to visualise ambivalent and uncertain imaginations of different futures that oppose the unitary vision of modernity produced by dominant infrastructural visions of a single future. We conclude by reflecting on possible ways of developing the method further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated generalization, rooted from conventional cartography, has become an increasing concern in both geographic information system (GIS) and mapping fields. All geographic phenomenon and the processes are bound to the scale, as it is impossible for human being to observe the Earth and the processes in it without decreasing its scale. To get optimal results, cartographers and map-making agencies develop set of rules and constraints, however these rules are under consideration and topic for many researches up until recent days. Reducing map generating time and giving objectivity is possible by developing automated map generalization algorithms (McMaster and Shea, 1988). Modification of the scale traditionally is a manual process, which requires knowledge of the expert cartographer, and it depends on the experience of the user, which makes the process very subjective as every user may generate different map with same requirements. However, automating generalization based on the cartographic rules and constrains can give consistent result. Also, developing automated system for map generation is the demand of this rapid changing world. The research that we have conveyed considers only generalization of the roads, as it is one of the indispensable parts of a map. Dehradun city, Uttarakhand state of India was selected as a study area. The study carried out comparative study of the generalization software sets, operations and algorithms available currently, also considers advantages and drawbacks of the existing software used worldwide. Research concludes with the development of road network generalization tool and with the final generalized road map of the study area, which explores the use of open source python programming language and attempts to compare different road network generalization algorithms. Thus, the paper discusses the alternative solutions for automated generalization of linear objects using GIS-technologies. Research made on automated of road network generalization, which is summarized in this paper, was conducted in IIRS, Dehradun, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the policy environments of two acts in South Africa, the South African Spatial Data Infrastructure Act (Act 54 of 2003) (SDI Act) and the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (Act 2 of 2000), which promote accessibility, transparency, and collaboration for accessing public information. These policies are important for ensuring accountability and good governance. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (section 32) and PAIA provide the legal framework for every citizen to exercise their constitutional right to access any information held by a public entity. This legislation is in line with the international move towards open data and freedom of information (FOI) (Nkwe & Ngoepe, 2021; Coetzee et al., 2020). The SDI Act enables access to geospatial data created by public bodies, promoting the sharing of geospatial data across different sectors and levels of government in South Africa. However, despite the benefits of these policies, implementation constraints are present, such as limited institutional capacity, lack of political will, and insufficient resources. A cohesive policy environment is essential to enable public organisations to address these constraints. Governance frameworks and institutional capacity are crucial to support the implementation and oversight of these policies. To this end, the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UNGGIM) has created the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF), which aims to align existing policies with SDI development and encourage contribution to national geospatial information ecosystems. The UNGGIM-IGIF includes a legal and policy strategic pathway that focuses on implementation and accountability (IGIF, 2020). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there is a long history of mapping health issues, this paper focuses specifically on the development of audiences for public health maps in the United States (Koch, 2006). As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has shown, maps of public health events have become essential tools for the public and policymakers alike in navigating the pandemic (Dong et al., 2020). The development of these maps, literally overnight in February and March 2020, are the culmination of a century’s worth of changing conceptions about the role of maps in American society. I trace the genealogy of these “instantaneous” public health maps back to 1920s Chicago, and desires by social scientists, reformers, and government officials to better control public health issues (Steadman, 1930). This innovative work developed in Chicago was then rolled out across the United States in the 1930s and 1940s through New Deal-era makework programs and other government initiatives, leading to some of the first standardized statistics about public health conditions in the 1950s (May, 1950). This work formed the basis of the emerging fields of medical geography and statistical public health, but during 1976 with outbreaks of the then-novel Legionaries’ disease and swine flu, maps were largely reduced to minor roles. It was only with the emergence of HIV/AIDS and the beginning of desktop GIS computing in the 1980s that public health mapping reemerged as a potential area of focus, one that largely informed mainstream academic cartography research and pioneered the development of interactive maps well into the 2010s (Gould, 1989; MacEachren et al., 2008). By examining how cartographic display technologies, public attitudes towards maps, new visualization techniques, and innovative data collection methodologies allowed the nature of public health maps to change, the paper argues that American cartographers generated an audience of map viewers over the decades that sought specific types of knowledge that public health maps were never intended to provide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maps have traditionally been conceptualized and studied as visual representations. In the past few years, however, scholars from different disciplines have started to approach cartographic imaginations from new perspectives. The purpose of the paper is to explore artifacts as creations of a cartographic visionary imagination. Artifacts are conceptualized as mnemonic tools activated through different types of personal encounters that are at once visual and tactile. Here experience melds with memory to transcend the physical division and apportionment of time and space. Through this process, human experience is linked to places of encounter and origin, to cities and roads, to traces of journey and wander. The context of the study is the United Arab Emirate (UAE) an elective monarchy formed from a federation of seven emirates, consisting of Abu Dhabi (the capital), Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain located at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula and shares borders with Oman and Saudi Arabia. The purpose of the study is to compare and contextualize several artifacts from the UAE in terms of their biographic and cultural sense. The artifacts include the Dallah, a traditional Arabic coffee pot that is commonly used in the UAE and other Gulf countries. It is typically made of brass or copper and has a distinctive shape with a long spout and a curved handle. The Dallah is used for preparing and serving Arabic coffee, which is an integral part of the Emirati culture and hospitality. It is often considered as a symbol of generosity, warmth, and traditional values in the UAE. The Khanjar is a traditional curved dagger that is considered a symbol of male elegance and power in the UAE. It has a distinctive design with a curved blade, a wooden handle, and a sheath decorated with silver or gold embellishments. The Khanjar is often worn as part of the national dress during special occasions and ceremonies and is regarded as an important cultural artifact that represents the heritage and identity of the UAE. Al Sadu is a traditional weaving technique used by the Bedouin tribes of the UAE. It involves weaving intricate geometric patterns using wool threads on a simple horizontal loom. Al Sadu weavings are often used to create decorative items such as rugs, cushions, and tent coverings, and are considered important artifacts that represent the nomadic lifestyle and heritage of the UAE. Lastly, calligraphy is a revered art form in the UAE and holds great cultural significance. Islamic calligraphy, particularly the Arabic script, is often used to adorn buildings, mosques, and other cultural landmarks in the UAE. Examples of calligraphic artifacts in the UAE include beautifully crafted Qur'anic manuscripts, inscriptions on buildings and monuments, and decorative pieces with calligraphic motifs. Calligraphy is considered a significant art form that reflects the country's deep-rooted connection to Islam and its artistic heritage. The findings demonstrate that the artifacts tie individuals to deeply rooted biographical and cultural elements that are foundational in Emirati society. These include hospitality, social bonding, respect for elders, art and craftsmanship, heritage, protection, status, connection to nature, Islamic tradition, aesthetic beauty, language, and knowledge. Through this interaction a specific identity is associated with the Bedouin culture of the UAE. Focusing on the encounter between artifacts and their owners, the paper calls for a re-conceptualization of the ways cartographic imaginations are constructed to include artifacts as mnemonic tools that meld with time and space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mapping of trees plays an important role in modern urban spatial data management, as many benefits and applications inherit from this detailed up-to-date data sources. Timely and accurate acquisition of information on the condition of urban trees serves as a tool for decision makers to better appreciate urban ecosystems and their numerous values which are critical to building up strategies for sustainable development. The conventional techniques used for extracting trees include ground surveying and interpretation of the aerial photography. However, these techniques are associated with some constraints, such as labour intensive field work and a lot of financial requirement which can be overcome by means of integrated LiDAR and digital image datasets. Compared to predominant studies on trees extraction mainly in purely forested areas, this study concentrates on urban areas, which have a high structural complexity with a multitude of different objects. This paper presented a workflow about semi-automated approach for extracting urban trees from integrated processing of airborne based LiDAR point cloud and multispectral digital image datasets over Istanbul city of Turkey. The paper reveals that the integrated datasets is a suitable technology and viable source of information for urban trees management. As a conclusion, therefore, the extracted information provides a snapshot about location, composition and extent of trees in the study area useful to city planners and other decision makers in order to understand how much canopy cover exists, identify new planting, removal, or reforestation opportunities and what locations have the greatest need or potential to maximize benefits of return on investment. It can also help track trends or changes to the urban trees over time and inform future management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature has long addressed the map-reading tasks under a map-use context (Olson, 1976; Board, 1978; Van Elzakker, 2004). These researchers have used verbs for describing map-use actions, such as "search, locate, delimit, and identify." In the 1990s, GIS applications became popular, generating differences in map use research. Accordingly, Nyerges (1991) proposed considering the differences in map presentation in map use research under a computer-based perspective. Later, van Elzakker (2004) defined geographic tasks individuals usually perform while doing map-reading within a computer-based geographical exploration context. He defined geographic tasks similar to the map-reading tasks presented by Board (1978) around three decades earlier. However, a significant difference between these two approaches is the technological contexts they developed their research. While Board (1978) discussed map-reading tasks under a more traditional paper-based map use context, van Elzakker (2004) contributed to a computer-based map use context. We understand that the map-reading process under a crowdsourcing environment may also be different from a computer-based map. Although many users do not have any cartographic training, they produce geoinformation in crowdsourcing platforms. As a result, users are sharing, generating, trusting, and commenting on geoinformation. Furthermore, individuals collaborating with VGI platforms have several kinds of motivation. Those different motivations lead to a different set of tasks they accomplish within these platforms. However, the main difference between the traditional map use and the crowdsourcing map use context is the possibility of individuals without education in cartography generate geoinformation. Therefore, this paper addresses the question: What map-reading tasks do people perform on a crowdsourcing platform while using and generating geoinformation? Our research hypothesis is: If the crowdsourcing platform is used as a static reference map, there are no changes in map-reading tasks such as those associated with the traditional map use approach. However, if considered the technological developments, there are new map-reading tasks associated with (1) the technology itself and (2) the crowdsourcing map use context. Then, we considered that the map-reading tasks proposed by Board (1978) might be different due to the technological context we live in today. We carried out two experiments. We accomplished the first experiment in a semi-controlled assisted environment (illumination, noises, equipment, contact with other people). The second experiment was online. We used the OpenStreetMap (OSM) as the crowdsourcing platform for operating the tasks in both experiments. For both experiments, the tasks are to create and disseminate geoinformation such as those we do on reference maps. This paper describes the first experiment, which had eight (8) participants. The subjects were students from a Brazilian university enrolled with activities from two fields of knowledge: four (4) participants with education in Cartography and GIS and four (4) with education in Bioprocess and Biotechnology. The individuals frequently used maps for various purposes (navigation, exploration, and self-positioning) through smartphones, computers, and paper maps. Five (5) participants have already produced maps, at least once. We defined the experts' group by combining education in Cartography and GIS, expertise in producing maps, and research developed on Cartography and GIS. All participants were declared Portuguese native speakers or had Portuguese language proficiency certification. The test was designed and applied for Portuguese speakers because it is essential to avoid any semantic misunderstanding. At the beginning of the test, we presented a scenario embedded in the crowdsourcing map context. The scenario consisted of a general situation of creating geoinformation about a place with where they are familiar. We invited the subjects to generate geoinformation within the OSM to present to some friends where they would give a party. We have read the following text to present the scenario: You will give a party to some friends. While inviting these friends, you have to present how to get to your chosen party venue. It would be best if you consider they have never been there before. We then asked the participants to answer what kind of product they usually use to solve this problem. The result showed that the participants preferred to use maps when handling a situation proposed in the scenario. Few individuals have chosen to indicate the address by naming the street and describing where the party would occur. Most of them prefer to use some technological device for disseminating the party address. Even those who preferred to send the party address using texts commented that this action would occur through mobile devices, such as WhatsApp or Facebook messenger. Those participants whose preference was to use maps demonstrated the same inclination for disseminating the geoinformation using technological devices and the internet. Later, we asked the participants to write down a list that may represent the sequence of actions they should take to generate the map, and we reminded them to consider generating paper maps. This task required more attention than the first question of the test, and the individuals mentioned they were concerned about figuring out how to make a map. As a result, the participants have produced 29 distinct categories of actions to generate a paper map (Table 1). For the third question, we have presented to the participants the OSM. Then, we asked them to list the sequence of actions they considered to generate the map by imagining using the OSM. Once again, they were not allowed to handle any device, and they should accomplish this task just by imagining the process. Along with some structural components, such as locating someplace, the participants have provided a detailed process slightly different from the previous task. The individuals produced 29 categories of actions, as we can see in Table 1. However, some of them are different from the first list. To highlight what is different, we have indicated New in the third column title. Finally, the individuals described the map production process after handling the OSM. We organized the results of the third task sequence in the fourth and fifth columns of the table. Besides giving us a mean for validating the results we achieved in the second task of the experiment, the individuals cited even more new map use tasks listed in the fifth column in Table 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]