Welcome to the International Cartographic Association
Welcome to the website of the International Cartographic AssociationGet to know the new ICA Executive Committee for the term 2023-2027Get to know the ICA Commissions for the term 2023-2027
Welcome to the website of the International Cartographic Association
Get to know the new ICA Executive Committee for the term 2023-2027
Get to know the ICA Commissions for the term 2023-2027

eCARTO News May 2026

eCARTO News captures the latest cartographic news and developments from around the world. If you have any general cartography items of interest then please email them to David Fraser, editor of eCARTO News.

Gathering

Industry News

  • What’s coming to Google Earth in 2026 – mapsplatform.google.com
  • Taylor Geospatial claims world-first global map – spatialsource.com.au
  • Trimble Technology Enables First Centimeter-Accurate 3D Model of Disappearing Puncak Jaya Glaciers – geoweeknews.com
  • Esri Releases Ninth Edition of Map Use: Map Reading and Design, the Definitive Guide to Cartographic Design – .businesswire.com
  • Seamap Antarctica Launches New Marine Data Portal – miragenews.com

Mapping Applications

  • MBSJ sinkhole mapping delayed by soil research – thestar.com.my
  • Scientists map migratory bird brain – ucl.ac.uk
  • Measles tracker: Follow cases, outbreaks and vaccination rates across the U.S. – nbcnews.com
  • Isro, Atree partner to map grasslands improve land use planning – timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Education & Training

French academic urban social atlases

Map & Atlases

Opinion

  • Togo’s fight against centuries-old map revives debate over African representation – rfi.fr
  • Map Making is in the Hands of Big Tech. – .theswaddle.com
  • The geospatial profession in 2026 – gim-international.com
  • How AI is transforming cartographic design in 2026 – onestopmap.com
  • Generative AI in Map-Making – arxiv.org

Imagery & Cartography

Country Specific

  • Kosovo – britannica.com
  • Kyrgyzstan adopts law on geodesy, cartography and spatial data – akipress.com
  • Turning cultural cartography into connection in Peru – .unesco.org

Research & Developments

  • Mapping pesticide mixtures to cancer risk at the country scale with spatial exposomics – nature.com
  • Scientists Create First-Ever ‘Smell Map’ – hms.harvard.edu
  • Stanford center revives historic maps with digital tools – /news.stanford.edu
  • Seamap Antarctica’s fresh view of a frozen land – spatialsource.com.au

Publications

  • Dynamic Point Symbols in Earthquake Mapping: Visualization Research in Space and Time – researchgate.net

Related

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the weblink authors are their own and do not represent the official position of the ICA. The links are assembled for information and education purposes only.

eCARTO News April 2026

eCARTO News captures the latest cartographic news and developments from around the world. If you have any general cartography items of interest then please email them to David Fraser, editor of eCARTO News.

Gathering

  • Carto-Cymru Symposiwm Mapiau Cymru 2026: Mapio Byd o Newid – Carto-Cymru

Publications

  • World Geography and the Sino-Western Translation of Knowledge, 1580-1842 – cambridge.org
  • The Lure of Mapping the Far Side of the Moon – amazon.ca
  • Modern Web Cartography – link.springer
  • Monstruos Marinos en Mapas Medievales y Renacentistas – urosario.edu.co
  • IMIA Newsletter – imiamaps.org

Industry News

The Environment

  • Working together, Indigenous peoples & researchers describe new Amazonian palm – news.mongabay.com
  • Tree crop mapping of South America reveals links to deforestation and conservation – arxiv.org
  • Mapping South America and Beyond with Fields of The World V2 – satellite-image-deep-learning.com

Mapping Applications

History

  • Exploring Early Techniques in Computer Cartography – blogs.loc.gov
  • Women have been mapping the world for centuries, and now they’re speaking up for the people left out of those maps – phys.org

Online Atlas

  • Conflicts in Eastern Europe from Multiple Perspectives – leibniz-ifl.de

Maps – Examples from Canada

  • Biinaagami Giant Floor Map: A storytelling tool created by Canadian Geographic – gogeomatics.ca
  • Colour-coded, user-friendly maps for 230 destinations – newswire.cal
  • Winnipegger creates interactive map to connect gardeners around the city – ctvnews.ca

Opinion

Out of This World

Country Specific

  • Prepare your data for the National Spatial Reference System modernization of 2022 in the U.S. – esri.com
  • Land Use Services debuts technology‑driven tool for AB 98 feedback – main.sbcounty.gov
  • ICLR launches new, ‘democratized’ platform for Canadian natural hazard data – canadianunderwriter.ca

Research & Developments

Cartographers

  • UN Mapper of the Month – maps.un.org
  • Map for UN Maps – maps.un.org
  • GIS Team Crowned Champions of 2026 National Geomatics Competition – sfu.ca

Related

 

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the weblink authors are their own and do not represent the official position of the ICA. The links are assembled for information and education purposes only.

International Journal of Cartography – Issue 12.2, 2026 ICC2025 Special Issue published on-line

Cover International Journal of CartographyThe International Journal of Cartography, Issue 12.2, 2026 has been published online. Contents of the issue are provided below.

Contents

  • Editorial – O Canada by William Cartwright and Anne Ruas
  • Empirical evaluation of encoding multi-temporal quantitative data using spatial unit sizes by Jochen Schiewe
  • Methods of 3D geovisualization of thematic data in the context of graphic variables by Jakub Zejdlik & Vít Vozenilek
  • The Settlement-Mesozone Geo-Frame: an evolving spatial data framework facilitating data integration in support of South Africa’s development planning by Kathryn A. Arnold, Johan Maritz & Gerbrand G. Mans
  • Summarizing classed region maps with a disk choreme by Steven van den Broek, Wouter Meulemans, Andreas Reimer & Bettina Speckmann
  • Never the twain shall meet? An intellectual history of participatory mapping by Ayla De Grandpre & Jon Corbett
  • Addressing the issue of data quality symbology in marine cartography by Christos Kastrisios & Colin Ware
  • Semantic segmentation of time-series of historical maps by learning from only one map by Yunshuang Yuan, Frank Thiemann, Thorsten Dahms & Monika Sester
  • kaleidomap: an artistic map expression collaging multiple maps by Atsuhiro Yamaguchi, Katsutoshi Amano, Sumire Hamatsu, Juliette Yuzumi Iida & Hidenori Watanave
  • The good map – a benchmark generalized multi-scale map by Azelle Courtial, Bérénice Le Mao & Guillaume Touya
  • Envisioning generative artificial intelligence in cartography: mapmaking, map use, and ethics by Yuhao Kang & Chenglong WangLarge-format map of the Tloskov estate by Jiří Drozda, Filip Paulus & Šárka Steinová
  • MAPS IN HISTORY: Vancouver: from sawmill to big city in just 50 years by Imre Josef Demhardt

As always, we welcome contributions!

Bill Cartwright and Anne Ruas
Editors, International Journal of Cartography

Category: General News

Invitation to the 20th International Conference on Location Based Services (LBS 2026)

LBS 2026 LogoThe ICA Commission on Location Based Services and Southeast University are pleased to invite you to the 20th International Conference on Location Based Services (LBS 2026), which will take place in Nanjing, China on 11–13 November 2026.

Built on the success of previous conferences in this series, LBS 2026 aims to offer a common ground to colleagues from various disciplines and practice where they can meet, interact and exchange knowledge, experience, plans and ideas on how LBS can and could be improved and on how it will influence both science and society.

Call for Papers

The Call for papers is currently open. We call for full papers, work in progress, late breaking work and published-article track. High-quality full paper submissions are intended to be published in the Journal of Location Based Services or other SCI journals. Accepted work-in-progress submissions will be published in the online proceedings of the conference (with a DOI).

We are also pleased to announce two awards at LBS 2026: one Best paper award, and one work in progress award. Meanwhile, at least two travel grants of 500 Euros will be available for young researchers whose submissions are accepted. More details will follow.

Important Dates

  • Full paper submission: 10 June 2026
  • Notification of Full paper acceptance: 30 July 2026
  • Work in progress submission: 1 July 2026
  • Notification of Work in progress acceptance: 15 August 2026
  • Late breaking work submission: 1 September 2026
  • Notification of Late breaking work acceptance: 22 September 2026
  • Published-article track submission: 1 September 2026
  • Notification of Published-article track acceptance: 22 September 2026
  • Early registration ends, author registration deadline: 15 October 2026
  • Conference: 11–13 November 2026

Topics

We invite contributions in the following areas (but not limited to):

  • Geospatial Artificial intelligence (GeoAI) and LBS
    • Geography/GIScience-guided AI
    • Explainable GeoAI
    • GeoAI-enabled LBS
  • Context modelling and context-awareness
    • Smart environments and ambient spatial intelligence
    • Indoor spatial data modelling and mapping
    • Place modelling and understanding
    • Context modelling, personalisation, and context-aware adaptation
  • Mobile user interface and interaction
    • Visualisation techniques for LBS
    • Mobile human-computer interaction
    • Augmented reality and mixed reality
  • User studies and evaluation
    • Evaluation methodologies for LBS
    • User experiences of LBS
    • Mobile spatial cognition
  • Acquisition, management, and analytics of location big data
    • Crowdsourcing and internet of things
    • Spatial data science and big data analytics
    • Computational mobility and activity analytics
    • Descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics
  • Ubiquitous Positioning Technologies
    • Outdoor and indoor positioning
    • Multi-sensor system and sensor fusion
    • Future navigation to support LBS
  • Social and behavioural implications of LBS
    • Location privacy
    • Legal, ethical, and business aspects of LBS
    • Biases in location data analytics and GeoAI
  • Innovative LBS and applications
    • Intelligent navigation systems
    • Smart cities and sustainable mobility
    • Autonomous and connected vehicles
    • Public health
    • Location based social networks and games
    • Digital humanities

Welcome proposals to new sessions not covered in previous ones

More information regarding LBS 2026 can be found at https://lbs2026.lbsconference.org

Teaching the History of Cartography – New Opportunities and Challenges

The ICA Working Group on the History of Cartography warmly invites you to participate in its pre-conference workshop, Teaching the History of Cartography – New Opportunities and Challenges, held in Prague, Czechia on 6 July 2026 (Monday), 2:00–4:00 pm, in cooperation with ICHC 2026. Participation is free of charge, but registration is required.

eCARTO News March 2026

eCARTO News captures the latest cartographic news and developments from around the world. If you have any general cartography items of interest then please email them to David Fraser, editor of eCARTO News.

Gatherings

Publications

Industry News

  • Ordnance Survey: Latest data release from Ordnance Survey delivers Britain’s most detailed digital map ever – wired-gov.net
  • TomTom GO Navigation App Emerges as Leading Mobile Mapping Solution in 2026 – ad-hoc-news.de

The Environment

  • How mapping a water-guzzling invasive weed could help refill the Great Salt Lake – sltrib.com
  • Mapping global avian influenza risk patterns through waterbird activity entropy – nature.com
  • Mapping and predicting groundwater accumulations using remote sensing and aeromagnetic data: a case study from Bahariya Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt – nature.com
  • Value of hyperspectral data for wall to wall wetland vegetation mapping in heterogeneous landscapes – nature.com
  • Mapping mismanaged plastic waste in Indonesia: subdistrict-level analysis through material flow from sources to the environment – nature.com

Mapping Applications

  • Mapping physical access to essential services – giscience.github.io
  • Safety mapping for Iowa schools continues, but districts must now foot the bill – wqad.com
  • Expedia upgrades Flight Deals with an interactive map – travelmole.com
  • Whittier enlists robots to help city workers map sidewalk conditions – cbsnews.com
  • Explore Cruises Faster With Cruisebound’s New Map Search Feature – travelandtourworld
  • I’m walking here! A new model maps foot traffic in New York City – news.mit.edu

Nautical

  • Woolpert to Support USACE I-ATLAS Coastal Mapping and Nautical Charting Efforts – prnewswire
  • Greenroom inks global ocean mapping deal – businessnews.com.au
  • How Ocean Maps Have Shaped Science, Politics And Climate Debate – miragenews.com

Historical

  • A Glimpse into Georgian London: Rocque’s Masterpiece Reimagined – indonesiakini.id

Research & Developments

  • NASA made a jaw-dropping map of Earth’s seafloor from space, using an ingenious technique – skyatnightmagazine.com
  • Delivery Robots Have a Mapping Problem – au.pcmag.com

Cartographers

  • ‘I just love doing it’: Meet the B.C. man winning international awards for his maps – cbc.ca
  • Participatory mapping: A game-changer for community empowerment in southern Cameroon’s hunting zones – forestsnews.org
  • The Mapmakers: Traversing the country to make maps – abc.net.au
  • Shuswap marine search and rescue maps the way to faster response times on rail trail – saobserver.net
  • Map Making is in the Hands of Big-tech – theswaddle.com

Related

  • A map is better than a thousand words – heigit.org
  • Datapath FX4 brings video mapping to Salamanca cathedral – avinteractive.com
  • Map shows how big Iran is compared with the 50 US states – aljazeera.com

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the weblink authors are their own and do not represent the official position of the ICA. The links are assembled for information and education purposes only.

EuroCarto 2026

EuroCarto2026 LogoThe International Cartographic Association invites you to take part in European Cartographic Conference 2026. Let’s transform cartography together!

Contribute your research, practical work, and experiences in cartography to the international community at EuroCarto 2026, taking place 9–11 September 2026 in Brno, Czechia.

Registration is currently open. Secure your place at EuroCarto 2026 and join us in Brno.

Call for Papers

Accepted abstracts for EuroCarto2026 will be published in a special issue of the Abstracts of the International Cartographic Association Series. Selected abstracts will be invited to a full paper submission for a special issue of selected cartographic journals.

Call for Workshop

Pre-conference workshops will take place on 8 September 2026. If you are interested in facilitating a pre-conference workshop, please contact us via info@eurocarto.org by 31 March 2026.

Important Dates
Early-bird registration: May 15, 2026
Abstract submissions (oral & posters): April 1, 2026
Pre-Conference Workshop submissions: April 1, 2026
Regular registration: August 9, 2026 or when 250 participants are reached (whichever comes first)

We look forward to seeing you in Brno and transforming cartography together!
Zdeněk Stachoň and the organizing team.

Category: General News

eCARTO News February 2026

eCARTO News captures the latest cartographic news and developments from around the world. If you have any general cartography items of interest then please email them to David Fraser, editor of eCARTO News.

Featured

Publications

  • Advances in Geovisualization Evaluation: Methods and Applications – Springer Nature Link
  • A look beneath the surface of ocean mapping – Spatial Source
  • How Ocean Maps Have Shaped Science, Politics And Climate Debate – Mirage News

Industry News

  • Google Maps navigation gets a powerful boost with Gemini – blog.google

The Environment

  • Hummingbirds fly north. When will they return to Michigan? – freep.com
  • Grasslands Conservation Council of BC monitoring, mapping important ecosystem – castanetkamloops.net
  • Hybrid spatiotemporal modeling of nutrient cycling in wetland ecosystems using advanced mapping techniques and machine learning approaches – nature.com
  • Consensus land-cover mapping improves grassland classification in European mountain landscapes – nature.com
  • The magnetic cartography of sea turtles – nature

Mapping Applications

  • Capital projects system‑wide highlighted with new interactive map – news.wsu.edu
  • Arlington 2026 Yamaha animated track map – supercrosslive.com
  • Catbalogan City, Philippines: How Scientific Cave Mapping is Revolutionizing Sustainable Ecotourism in Samar – travelandtourworld.com
  • Interactive crime map created in Ashe county – spectrumlocalnews.com

History

  • Explore the Medieval Maps of the Ryukyu Kingdom Online – medievalists.net

Research & Developments

  • Scientists Just Produced the Best Map of Antarctica’s Sub-glacial Landscape, and It’s Good News for Climate Change – zmescience.com
  • A 10 m global “built-up” map for 2026 from Sentinel-1/-2 time-series – mdpi.com
  • Satellite mapping of every building’s function in urban China reveals deep built environment disparities – nature.com
  • Mapping tipping risks from Antarctic ice basins under global warming – nature.com
  • Integrating geospatial intelligence and machine learning for flood susceptibility mapping – nature.com
  • Mapping the marine distribution of eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus) in the Northeast Pacific using environmental DNA – nature.com
  • An integrated approach of hybrid ensemble machinelearning-based efficient seismic slope fragilityassessment and GIS mapping – nature.com
  • Enhancing digital mapping of soil organic carbon through spatial modeling and validation – nature.com
  • Integrated GIS and AHP framework for groundwater potential mapping in a Himalayan foothill district of Northeast India – nature.com

Cartographers

  • PHD student built the first-ever 3D map of Uranus’s upper atmosphere – thebrighterside.news
  • Mapping the magnetic field of the Milky Way – ucalgary.ca

Collections

  • Museum of Lands, Mapping and Surveying – qld.gov.au

Opinion

  • This AI tech creates a 3D map of sports fields in real-time, enabling you to put a virtual camera anywhere. Surely I’m not the only creative who’s worried? – digitalcameraworld
  • Damien Saunder outlines the tall and short of cartography – abc.net.au

Nautical

  • Brazil achieves a milestone in digital nautical cartography with the production of its first S-101 ENC – hydro-international.com

Related

 

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the weblink authors are their own and do not represent the official position of the ICA. The links are assembled for information and education purposes only.

Announcing ICC 2027 in Warsaw: A Global Gathering for the Future of Cartography

The International Cartographic Conference (ICC) returns in 2027 with an exciting edition set in one of Europe’s most vibrant academic and cultural capitals. Scholars, professionals, technologists, and students from around the world are invited to gather in Warsaw, Poland, for a week of innovation, collaboration, and inspiration in the evolving world of cartography and geospatial science.

Key Facts at a Glance

  • Conference dates: 18–23 July 2027
  • Pre-conference workshops: 17 July 2027
  • Location: Campuses of the University of Warsaw and Warsaw University of Technology at the historic city centre of Warsaw
  • Website: www.icc2027.org
  • Fees: Expected to be comparable to previous ICC events, with expanded support opportunities for participants
  • Conference Directors:
    • Izabela Golebiowska (University of Warsaw)
    • Dariusz Gotlib (Warsaw University of Technology)

Izabela GolebiowskaDariusz Gotlib

Expanding the Scientific Horizon

ICC conferences have long been the premier forum for presenting advances in cartography, and ICC 2027 will continue that tradition while broadening its scientific scope. Alongside established cartographic themes, the programme will highlight the discipline’s increasing integration with data science and technology. A Technical Exhibition featuring major technology and IT companies will further showcase how innovation is reshaping mapping and spatial analysis.

New Opportunities for Early-Career Scientists

Building on lessons from previous ICC gatherings, the 2027 conference introduces new initiatives designed especially for emerging scholars. A standout feature is a series of training courses in Big Data Cartography, held during the conference and open to all participants but tailored primarily to early-career researchers. These hands-on learning opportunities aim to equip the next generation of cartographers with advanced analytical and visualization skills.

Accessibility and Inclusion at the Forefront

ICC 2027 is committed to ensuring that every participant can fully engage in the conference experience. Planned accessibility measures include:

  • Barrier-free conference spaces
  • Quiet rooms for rest and reflection
  • Accessibility features integrated into the conference app
  • A dedicated accessibility contact in the registration process
  • Additional assistance services as needed

This emphasis reflects a growing recognition across the ICC community that scientific exchange thrives when participation is truly open to all.

Envisioning the Future of Cartography

One of the most anticipated programme highlights will be a major debate on the future of cartography, bringing together distinguished experts and the broader ICC community. Designed as an interactive forum, the session will explore emerging technologies, methodological shifts, and the discipline’s role in addressing global challenges.

Beyond the Conference Hall

ICC meetings have always balanced intellectual exchange with cultural exploration, and Warsaw offers an exceptional setting. Participants can look forward to:

  • Post-conference excursions across Poland, combining sightseeing with visits to universities and cartography centres beyond the capital.
  • A musical tribute to Frédéric Chopin, including an opening concert and a thematic excursion following the composer’s traces through Poland.
  • A renowned culinary scene, with Warsaw recently listed among the world’s top cities for vegans (The Guardian, January 2026), alongside its strong showing in international tourism rankings.

Why ICC 2027 Matters

Past ICC conferences have consistently served as milestones for the global cartographic community—launching collaborations, presenting breakthrough research, and setting new directions for the field. ICC 2027 builds on this legacy while responding to the rapidly changing landscape of geospatial science. With its expanded scientific focus, inclusive design, and strong support for emerging researchers, the Warsaw conference promises to be both forward-looking and community-driven.

Save the dates – 18—23 July 2027 – and prepare to join the world’s cartographers in Warsaw for a conference that maps the future of the discipline.