A Model for Simulating Emergent Patterns of Cities and Roads on Real-world Landscapes

Emergence of cities and road networks have characterised human activity and movement over millennia. However, this anthropogenic infrastructure does not develop in isolation, but is deeply embedded in the natural landscape, which strongly influences the resultant spatial patterns. Nevertheless, the precise impact that landscape has on the location, size and connectivity of cities is a long-standing, unresolved problem. To address this issue, we incorporate high-resolution topographic maps into a Turing-like pattern forming system, in which local reinforcement rules result in co-evolving centres of population and transport networks. Using Italy as a case study, we show that the model constrained solely by topography results in an emergent spatial pattern that is consistent with Zipf’s Law and comparable to the census data. Thus, we infer the natural landscape may play a dominant role in establishing the baseline macro-scale population pattern, that is then modified by higher-level historical, socio-economic or cultural factors.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS FOR METHODS OF BUILDING DIGITAL ELEVATION MODELS FROM TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS USING GEOINFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

The article considers the question of estimating the accuracy of interpolation methods for building digital elevation models using Soviet topographic maps. The territory of the Kursk region of the Russian Federation was used as the study area, because it is located on the Central Russian Upland and characterized by the complex structure of the vertical and horizontal dissection of the relief. Contour lines automatically obtained using a Python algorithm were used as the initial elevation data to build a digital elevation model. Digital elevation models obtained by thirteen different interpolation methods in ArcGIS and Surfer software were built and analyzed. Special attention is paid to the ANUDEM method, which allows to obtain hydrologically correct digital elevation models. Recommendations for the use of one or another method of interpolation are given. The results can be useful for professionals who use topographic maps in their work and deals with the design using digital elevation models.

The digital cartographic reconstruction of the 1897 ‘Mátra Guide’ (Hungary)

The Mátra Mts has been one of the most frequented tourist destinations since the second half of the 19th century. This area – the highest mountain range in Hungary – offers a wide variety of free-time activities, geographical and cultural values. Because of these attractions, the tourism importance of the Mátra Mts has been recognised relatively early. The first tourist association was established in 1877 by Kolos Hanák and István Széky. They published the ‘Mátra Guide’ in the same year and reissued it in 1897 with minor revisions. This publication presents the natural-cultural values and the tourism infrastructure of the surrounding area. They also describe interesting hiking routes all around the Mátra. Although the most important sights were illustrated, no cartographic representation was published. In this study we processed the content of the book: every localizable site and tourism facility were visualised applying GIS techniques. A base map of relief, watercourses, road network and settlements were edited using the 2nd military survey topographic maps of Habsburg Empire (to present former conditions), the 1933 ‘Mátra’ hiking map and hillshading (generated from SRTM). The digitized tourism elements from the book were visualised on this ‘historical hiking map’ using Leaflet. As the final online map is available to everybody, the early condition and infrastructure of tourism can be easily examined. This work contributes to the visual heritage preservation of the Mátra Mts: it may strengthen the knowledge on tourism history and digital cartographic solutions.

Updating of digital topographic maps in the new national spatial coordinate system: case Fergana valley in Uzbekistan

The classical geodetic coordinate system (CS42) in Uzbekistan uses the Krasovsky ellipsoid. The implementation of new information technologies, such as the Global Navigation Satellite System, became the basis for the development of a new national open geocentric coordinate system. This paper describes the development of a distortion grid for transforming horizontal spatial data from the local geodetic datum CS42 to a geocentric datum WGS84 for 1:100000 scale maps of the Fergana Valley in Uzbekistan. A first version of the distortion grid file has been created for transforming between CS42 and WGS84 for the whole territory of the country. The significant influence of the longitudinal drift of the region has been confirmed. The grid was used to transform topographic maps at a scale of 1:100000 for the Fergana Valley. Changing the map datum has shifted the grid of coordinate systems by 70 m in the East and 7 m in the North.

Automation of quality control of digital topographic maps at the scale 1:50 000 of the Main State Topographic Map in Ukraine

This research examines the problem of automation of quality control of digital topographic maps at the scale 1:50 000 of the Main State Topographic Map in Ukraine for the creation and maintaining the seamless topographic database for national needs, which is located on the Geoportal to ensure the development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) in Ukraine. The authors determined stages of quality control of digital topographic maps at the scale of 1:50 000 for the automation one according to ISO 19157:2013 Geographic Information – Data quality. The realized automated quality control of geodatabases of updated digital topographic maps at a scale of 1:50 000 provides high speed and quality of validation: validation of quality data elements; validation of quality metadata; validation of positional accuracy. The software package “Validate” was developed for automation quality control geodatabases of digital topographic maps at the scale of 1:50 000 using the Python programming language to verify logical consistency, compliance with the rules of topological relationships between features on the map, availability and content of metadata. The “Validate” can be used for automation quality control geodatabase for any map scale, performing setting according to the requirements of the geospatial models.

New topographic maps for the Czech Armed Forces

Geographic services of NATO member states produce standardised topographic maps for geographic support of their foreign missions. The MGCP data are used for the maps creation of the scales of 1:50,000 and 1:100,000. Topographic maps used for military training in own territory mostly remain in original form without full standardisation. NATO with support of the Defence Geospatial Information Working Group prepares a new standard for the Defence Topographic Map. The geographic service of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic has started the preparation process of the new topographic maps edition compliant with the new standard. Two prototypes of map sheets of scales of 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 were created in 2020, which serve for basic verification of map content symbolisation and applied technology. Procedures for generalization of the map content for the scale of 1:100,000 will be completed in next two years.