> I’m helping an HLF project develop plans for a website presenting historical data, much of which is geo-related. Can anyone can suggest good
> recent examples of maps used creatively to present data of various types?
>
> Desirable features include turn on and off-able layers, zooming, presentation of metadata from specific points or areas, etc.
>
> The idea is that users will be able to browse via maps, or categories, or AV types, and so on. They will also be asked to contribute more data,
> starting from a map point/area, or from elsewhere in the site.
>
> Any nice recent or upcoming examples?
Here at the Department of Geography, Cambridge, I've recently developed this map for our population unit (CAMPOP):
Populations Past: Atlas of Victorian and Edwardian Population:
https://www.populationspast.org/
Its features include browseable maps, switchable layers, time period changing, metadata for each areas, a side-by-side mode for comparing datasets, etc.
Code is open source, at:
https://github.com/campop
Data is processed by uploading a shapefile for each year, and the website automatically converts that into the database backend from which the map data is then loaded.
You might also be interested in this (beta) site which covers the same concepts of switchable layers and filtering on a per-layer basis:
https://bikedata.cyclestreets.net/
> Also points to beware of [or indeed to be aware of!] ?
I would say:
- If you are programming it yourself (rather than using a closed/hosted ArcGIS-type solution), ensure you develop an API separately to the map interface, and have the map interface consume that API. This gives maximum flexibility and ensures the principle that data is reusable.
- APIs emitting geographical data should pretty-much always be GeoJSON output.
- If you are new to creating maps using open technologies, then this talk and walked-through examples may be of interest:
https://github.com/mvl22/openwebmapping
Martin
Department of Geography, and Scott Polar Research Institute
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