Day 4: Web Mapping

Today we will explore web maps (aka webmaps) and web mapping (aka webmapping). Web maps are a means of dynamically and interactively visualizing geospatial data. Web maps can be hosted on the web and shared with others via a link. Today, you will learn how to create web maps in 3 different manners:

online, through platforms such as uMap and Google MyMaps;
in QGIS, using the qgis2web plugin; and
with code, powered by Leaflet.

Each of these methods of web mapping has its advantages and disadvantages which we will discuss. Moreover, while we emphasize that web mapping can be done entirely online without any coding necessary, it’s useful to have a general understanding of how a web map works. To this end, we will break down the “anatomy” of a web map in a code editor in order to observe how the various components of a web map work together. By the end of the day, you will be equipped with the fundamental knowledge and skills to begin web mapping on your own.

Morning Session 9am - 12pm

Web mapping online with uMap and Google MyMaps
Webmapping with QGIS using the qgis2web plugin

Afternoon Session 1:30pm - 4pm

The Anatomy of a Webmap
Hands on with Leaflet
Hosting your webmap online with GitHub {:target=”_blank”}

What we will make

Below are examples of webmap made with uMap, Google MyMaps, and Leaflet.

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Data

We will be working from the dhsi-workshop/Day4 folder. Inside, you will see today’s data further organized into 3 subfolders relevant to webmapping online, webmapping with Leaflet, and webmapping with QGIS respectively.

We will webmap using data on Public Art and Heritage Conservation Districts from the City of Toronto’s open data portal. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence - Toronto, meaning we can modify and adapt the data! The datasets have been reformatted to be legible to the various tools and platforms we will work with today. The QGIS project and data you’ll recognize from our reference mapping in Day 2. We’ve also included an additional dataset of community gardens from the City of Montreal open data portal.

Webmapping in DH research

Designing for discovery: using web maps in the digital humanities
The Polyrhythm Project created maps for their Corpus, Composers, and Timeline.
Don Valley Historical Map Project
Mapping Prejudice