Geospatial big data and cartography: research challenges and opportunities for making maps that matter

TLDR

Geospatial big data introduce new technical, methodological, and artistic challenges and opportunities for cartographers, while emerging computational paradigms accompany their rise and the discipline must also prioritize interdisciplinary work grounded in problems vital to humanity and sustainability. The article presents a new cartographic research agenda focused on making maps that matter using geospatial big data. The agenda was formulated through position papers and a collaborative workshop that established consensus on key topics. This agenda outlines long‑term challenges requiring significant attention and short‑term opportunities that could be addressed in more concentrated studies.

Abstract

Geospatial big data present a new set of challenges and opportunities for cartographic researchers in technical, methodological and artistic realms. New computational and technical paradigms for cartography are accompanying the rise of geospatial big data. Additionally, the art and science of cartography needs to focus its contemporary efforts on work that connects to outside disciplines and is grounded in problems that are important to humankind and its sustainability. Following the development of position papers and a collaborative workshop to craft consensus around key topics, this article presents a new cartographic research agenda focused on making maps that matter using geospatial big data. This agenda provides both long-term challenges that require significant attention and short-term opportunities that we believe could be addressed in more concentrated studies.