Web cartography for world heritage cities: A survey and evaluation

Abstract

Web cartography is a potentially important means of advertising cultural World Heritage sites, defined by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as including monuments, groups of buildings, and sites “that are of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science” (http://whc.unesco.org/en/175). The brand name World Heritage City is used to promote destinations for heritage tourism, a subcategory of cultural tourism catering to tourists interested in local history and culture. An assessment of map use on websites of member cities of the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) considers UNESCO’s designation process and the impact of heritage on tourism. The designation process involves filing a report with UNESCO that details the age and general state of buildings, degree of deterioration, and whether the cultural legacy of the city warrants preservation for future generations. A review of the OWHC’s 1,224 web sites found a total of 261 maps, 99 of which were interactive. Twenty-seven percent of the tested websites did not function properly, and 141 websites did not offer English-language versions. Not surprisingly, the majority of existing interactive Web maps had been developed for European cities. Intensive use and testing of the 99 interactive maps indicates that many are not user-friendly or do not make effective use of current technology. For example, users cannot create customized maps nor can they use clickable symbols to sample the correct local pronunciation of place names. Case studies of two interactive maps explore the usability and visual effectiveness of interactive maps and inventory the availability of interactive features such as informational layers that can be turned on individually or jointly. OWHC could significantly improve its members’ Web cartography by encouraging frequent updates of Web links and offering checklists, standard templates, and technical guidance to ensure minimum standards of usability.