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

President’s Blog: ICA as an Organization of Organizations

The International Cartographic Association is an organization of organizations. It is built upon its members, consisting of National Members and Affiliate Members.

What are members?

National Members are those national cartographic or geographical information organisations, national mapping and cadastral institutions, or coordinating national cartographic committees who wish to represent their nation as a member in ICA. Affiliate Members are organisations, institutions or companies wishing to support the mission and activities of the International Cartographic Association.

ICA has a long list of active members, which can be found at icaci.org/national-members and icaci.org/affiliate-members. Membership comes with a lot of benefits, the most important one as being an active and driving part of the mission, aims and scope of the world of cartography! Details about this can be found on icaci.org/membership-types.

What members do

It is important for ICA that our members flourish. Only if our members are strong, ICA can be a strong global voice for cartography. As the world is changing, the role of societies, institutions and associations is changing as well. In some of our member countries the representation of the national cartographic community might be decreasing, limited or changing. I want to therefore highlight from time to time some best practices and selected successful activities some of our members are pursuing. As I had the opportunity to participate in three recent events let me describe activities of the British Cartographic Society, the German Cartographic Society and the Hellenic (Greek) Cartographic Society as examples.

British Cartographic Society

On 20. September 2023 the British Cartographic Society (BCS) celebrated 60 years during their annual conference at Cambridge, UK. BCS has developed since its foundation 1963 a wide range of activities. To name a few highlights I want to mention publications, such as The Cartographic Journal as well as the magazine “Maplines”. To give map curators a home BCS is also providing a periodical newsletter called “Cartographitti”.  BCS has also developed a variety of awards for excellence in cartography, which are presented at the annual conferences. Those awards include entries for best map, printed maps, electronic maps, thematic maps, use of Ordnance Survey Data and 3D cartography as well as the Henry Johns Award for the most outstanding article published in the Cartographic Journal. On their website BCS provides also resources for education, including free data, software links and online support sites. Also, annual conferences are organized as well as so called “Tea Time Talks”, giving the members several opportunities to stay connected. It should be mentioned as well, that BCS has always been a key member of the International Cartographic Association, providing beneath two presidents (Deny Thackwell 1964-1968, Michael Wood 1995-1999) several Vice-Presidents, Commission Chairs and Map Enthusiasts!

During the celebrations of the 60th Anniversary I had the opportunity to address the members as well as hand over one of the BCS awards for excellence in cartography as well as hand over an ICA Map Exhibition Award Winner from ICC 2023.

Former SG David Fairbairn and former VP David Forrest enjoying the festive celebrations of the 60th Anniversary of BCS

Former SG David Fairbairn and former VP David Forrest enjoying the festive celebrations of the 60th Anniversary of BCS

Georg Gartner handing over the Stanfords Award to Luke Harvey (Harvey Maps) for the Map “Wales Coast Path”

Georg Gartner handing over the Stanfords Award to Luke Harvey (Harvey Maps) for the Map “Wales Coast Path”

Georg Gartner handing over the Certificate for the 2nd place of the International Cartographic Exhibition at ICC 2023 in the category “Map on Panel” for the entry “The World – Great Discoveries”

Georg Gartner handing over the Certificate for the 2nd place of the International Cartographic Exhibition at ICC 2023 in the category “Map on Panel” for the entry “The World – Great Discoveries”

German Cartographic Society

Cover of Kartographische Nachrichten

Cover of Kartographische Nachrichten

The German Cartographic Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kartographie, DGfK) has just recently organised it‘s 71. German Cartographic Conference (Deutscher Kartographentag). The DGfK was founded already in 1950 and has since then developed several activities to promote cartography, such as thematic commissions, regional sections, educational materials, symposia (such as the legendary “Arbeitskurse Niederdollendorf” and the follow-up events called “Symposium Practical Cartography”), or the annual german cartographic conference. DGfK is also awarding outstanding scholars with the very prestigious “Mercator-Medal”. The recently offered “CartoCafé” is a regular series of online lectures and presentations and has found its audience. DGfK is also organizing once a year a “new year event”, which has become a very popular meeting point. It has to be mentioned especially, that the society is running its own journal, the “Kartographische Nachrichten”. DGfK has been always a strong member and supporter of ICA, contributing with ideas, activities and persons to all the ICA activities over decades.

Hellenic Cartographic Society

The Hellenic Cartographic Society was established 1994 in Thessaloniki. Soon the organization developed as the main forum for cartographers in Greece, organizing since 1994 sixteen cartographic conferences all over the country. The society is most successful in reaching out to all main stakeholders of cartography in Greece, including National Agencies, Academia, Practicioners as well as companies. The HCS is a very active partner of ICA, contributing regularly to the Barbara Petchenik Map Competition, supporting actively the FIG/IHO/ICA International Board of Standards of Competence for Hydrographic Surveyors and Nautical Cartogaphers, being the founder and driver of the ICA Commission on Cartographic Heritage into the Digital, which also runs its own journal called “e-perimetron”.

Current President of HCS Chrysoula Boutoura, Former President and ICA Honorary Fellow Evangelos Livieratos and ICA President Georg Gartner at the Hellenic Cartographic Conference in Athens, November 2023

Current President of HCS Chrysoula Boutoura, Former President and ICA Honorary Fellow Evangelos Livieratos and ICA President Georg Gartner at the Hellenic Cartographic Conference in Athens, November 2023

Prof Evangelos Livieratos receiving a honourable professorship of University of Western Attica during the Hellenic Cartographic Conference November 2023

Prof Evangelos Livieratos receiving a honourable professorship of University of Western Attica during the Hellenic Cartographic Conference November 2023

Programme published for “The Surveying Turn in Cartography”

From Monday 24 October till Wednesday 26 October 2022 the ICA Commission on the History of Cartography and the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin will jointly host the 9th International Symposium on the History of Cartography. The venue will be the recently renovated old main building of the Staatsbibliothek in the heart of Berlin on the boulevard Unter den Linden (subway stop) within sight of the iconic Brandenburg Gate. To explore the city and its cartographic heritage, tours of the Staatsbibliothek and the Humboldt-forum’s map collections, as well as a guided walking tour of the city are planned.

Programme

The full programme has been published and can be accessed here.

It promises to be an exciting event at a wonderful venue! Registration (55 euro) is still possible through the website: https://history.icaci.org/berlin-2022/

We hope to see many of you there!

Soetkin Vervust
Secretary ICA Commission on the History of Cartography

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Call for Papers for the 9th International Symposium on the History of Cartography

The International Cartographic Association’s Commission on the History of Cartography and the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (Berlin State Library) will jointly host the 9th International Symposium on the History of Cartography on the topic of The Surveying Turn in Cartography: Revolutionizing Maps & Charts in the 18th and 19th Centuries on 24-26 October 2022.

Theme

The joint organizers encourage contributions investigating the global “surveying turn” in cartography, hinting to the increasing professionalization and mechanization to gather base data for drawing ‘ever truer to nature’ maps, especially during, but not limited to, the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Call for Papers

The organizers invite the submission of abstracts for papers and posters. These need to reach the organisers by the 1st of June 2022. You can submit your abstract here.

Registration

Registration will open in the summer of 2022.

For more information visit the conference website: history.icaci.org/berlin-2022/

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Invitation to the 17th International Conference on Location Based Services (LBS 2022)

The ICA Commission on Location Based ServicesApplied Geoinformatics @ Augsburg University, Prof. Dr. Jukka M. Krisp and the Chair of Cartography @ TUM, Prof. Dr. Liqiu Meng, are pleased to invite you to the 17th International Conference on Location Based Services which takes place in Munich on 12. – 14. September 2022.

Call for Papers

The Call for Papers is currently open: Please consider submitting a full paper or an abstract.

  • Deadline for full paper submission: 15 May 2022
  • Deadline for abstract submission: 1 June 2022

 
More information regarding LBS 2022 can be found at lbsconference.org.

We are looking forward to welcome you in Munich!

Prof. Dr. Jukka M. Krisp
Prof. Dr. Liqiu Meng
Dr. Holger Kumke
and the LBS2022 Organizing Committee

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President’s Blog #13g: Nine prestigious ICA Awards presented at the 30th ICC

Dear ICA Colleagues,

It is a long and good tradition to also present a number of prestigious ICA Awards at every biennial International Cartographic Conferences in recognition of special contributions to the ICA and outstanding contributions to the field and science of cartography. ICA knows three kinds of awards – the Carl Mannerfelt Gold Medal (named after the founder of ICA), the Honorary Fellowship and a Diploma for outstanding services to ICA. The Executive Committee decides on the awards on the basis of a recommendation and assessment by the Committee for the Selection of Award Recipients of the ICA.

During two festive award ceremonies within the opening and closing ceremony of the 30th International Cartographic Conference, altogether nine ICA awards were presented and handed over by ICA President Tim Trainor to the recipients from six countries.

During the opening ceremony, ICA Honorary Fellows Ulrich Freitag (Germany) and Alan MacEachran (United States) received the ICA’s highest and rarely presented award, the Carl Mannerfelt Gold Medal, for their significant contributions of an original nature to the field and science of cartography.

During the closing ceremony, Georg Gartner (Austria, former ICA President), Lysandros Tsoulos (Greece) and Vladimir Tikunov (Russia) were awarded an ICA Honorary Fellowship, including a bronze medal, as cartographers of international reputation who have made a special contribution to the ICA. Read the laudatios and see pictures of the ICA award winners here.

During the closing ceremony, also four ICA Diplomas for outstanding services to ICA were given to Paola Zamperlin, Margherita Azzari, Gilberto Fumarola (all Italy, local organizers of the 30th ICC in Florence) and Manuela Schmidt (long-time ICA webmaster).

The ICA Executive Committee warmly congratulates all the award winners and thanks them for their invaluable and long service to our Association and the cartographic community!

– Thomas Schulz
Secretary General & Treasurer ICA

Apply for the 2021 intake of the Cartography Master programme

The online application for the 2021 intake of the International Joint Master Program “Cartography” between four European Universities is open until May 31, 2021.

All information about the application process can be found here.

The program particularly welcomes applications from ICA member countries or regions!

Let’s go mapping for a sustainable world.

Category: Member News

Invitation to Workshop in Munich by the ICA Commission on Atlases

As decided in Tokyo, the ICA Commission on Atlases wants to discuss the idea of a UN Sustainability Atlas, and some other relevant issues of our Commission on Atlases.

WHEN: 12. / 13. December 2019
WHERE: TU Munich

We would like to organize the workshop as follows:

1st day (2–5 pm): UN Sustainability Atlas – Kickoff Workshop

  • 17 Sustainability Goals
  • Previous work (poster, book; World Bank Atlas 2018)
  • Data (World Bank)
  • Publication form (digital, print)

2nd day (9–12 am): Atlas Definition / Atlas Cookbook / Varia

  • Atlas Definition: Criteria
  • Atlas Cookbook: Cover, layout, text, figures, references; doi/ISBN; schedule
  • Varia: CoA Meeting 2020 in Madrid

As you can see, it should be possible to arrive in the morning of the first day, join the meeting, have a beer or two in the evening, and leave Munich in the early afternoon of the following day.

If you are interested to join the workshop, please send an email to sieberr@ethz.ch until 10. November 2019.

René Sieber
Chair of the Commission on Atlases

Invitation to AGSE 2019: Digital Landscapes – Chances for Development

This year’s AGSE (Applied Geoinformatics for Society and Environment) conference will take place September 11–14, 2019, at HFT Stuttgart. It is organized by the ICA Commission on SDI and Standards, Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences and the Laboratory for interoperable, and open-source Geospatial Software, Data and Standards (HFT ICA-OSGeo-Lab).

Due to the developments in the recent years it will focus the following fields:

  • Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) and Crowdsourcing,
  • Earth Observation,
  • Geo-portals and Geodata Infrastruktures, collaborative data custodianship,
  • other related topics are welcome as well.

The conference will also celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Master Programme “Photogrammetry and Geoinformatics“. The Master of Science program started with the first batch 20 years ago, meanwhile there is a global network of about 500 alumni graduated from the program.

More information can be found on the conference website: http://applied-geoinformatics.org/

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Review of the LBS conference 2015 in Augsburg, Germany

lbs2015

The 12th International Symposium on Location-Based Services was held in Augsburg, Germany, from 16–18 September 2015. It was addressed at researchers, industry operators and students of different backgrounds (scientific, engineering and humanistic) whose work is either focused on or affined to Location Based Services (LBS). The conference featured Alexander Zipf from Heidelberg University and Xiaolin Meng from University of Nottingham as keynote speakers. An overview over the program can be found on lbs2015.tum.de. Selected papers are planned to be published in the Journal of Location Based Services.

– Jukka M. Krisp
Vice-chair of the ICA Commission on Location-Based Services

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