Cartographic implications of Vector Tile technology

Abstract

The Web has changed the way maps and geographical information are designed, produced and delivered as web maps by cartographers (Cartwright, Gartner, Meng, & Peterson, 2010). Most maps available on the Web today are based on well-established raster transmission methods. However, rapid technological innovation in web mapping is driving the need to utilize fast rendering tiles. Vector Tiles seem to be an emerging solution (Antoniou, Morley, & Haklay, 2009). Therefore, the goal of this thesis was to investigate the new opportunities and challenges that Vector Tiles offer for Web Cartographers. Several existing Vector Tile tools and technological solutions/workflows on how to implement Vector Tiles in Web Mapping were inventoried. Afterwards, two different workflows were assessed in terms of cartographic strengths & weaknesses. The aim was to investigate the cartographic potential of Vector Tile technology and solutions. The challenges of the thesis were to give an overview of the current state of Vector tile technology and to fill the knowledge gap between computer sciences and cartography by combining practical research regarding the emerging Vector Tile technology with cartographic theory.