Assessing maps for social topic representation: a qualitative content analysis of maps for sustainable mobility

Cartographic representations are increasingly used to communicate sustainable mobility topics. Various formats of maps, such as static maps, mobile maps, map-based dashboards, story maps, and 3D map scenes, are created to illustrate mobility planning, traffic status, emissions, and travel behaviors. These maps are rich in cross-disciplinary information, target to diverse audiences, adopt various design technologies, and enable knowledge exchange among stakeholders of sustainable mobility. This paper examines how maps are used as communication tools for traffic and infrastructure to support decision-making and engage people to actively adapt their behavior towards green mobility. In this study, we (1) identified 48 maps that actively communicate sustainable mobility topics, (2) proposed a rigorous approach to assess maps that are created for communicating sustainable mobility topics, and (3) derived design recommendations for map makers to achieve more effective and efficient communication.