High-Definition (HD) Maps have become a cornerstone of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology, enabling precise localization, perception, and decision-making. Despite their increasing prominence in the automotive and geospatial industries, HD Maps remain underexplored in the field of cartography. There are many studies and publications on HD Maps, but only a few of them directly address their links with cartography. Therefore, the research presented in this article focuses on this issue, filling an existing research gap. This paper examines the origins, technical characteristics, and conceptual frameworks of HD Maps, drawing on both the established literature and conceptual reflections. The results highlight that an extension of traditional cartographic definitions needs to be considered in order to encompass the concept of HD Maps as dynamic, machine-oriented infrastructures. By placing HD Maps as an important element in the development of cartography, the authors note both the prospect of a broader application of cartographic theory and the potential contribution of cartographers to the further development of HD Maps, as well as a potential paradigm shift toward the era of “maps for machines”.

Digitalisation is reshaping how people interact with natural environments, particularly in the context of outdoor recreation. This study examines generational differences in digital skills and recreational behaviour and their implications for visitor management in urban forests. Based on an online panel survey conducted in the Vienna metropolitan area ( n = 3,121), we identified four distinct visitor profiles using Self-Organizing Maps: All-rounders (49.6%), Traditional Planners and Navigators (17.2%), Tech-Savvy Navigators (14.5%), and Balanced Adapters (18.7%). These clusters differ in both digital competence and used information sources used for planning and navigating forest visits. Significant relationships were found between generational groups and visitor profiles: older adults (Baby Boomers, Traditionalists) were featured more prominently among Traditional Planners, while younger generations (Generation Z, Millennials) were more prevalent in the Tech-Savvy group. Balanced Adapters included older individuals transitioning towards digital tool use. Further, our findings highlight that younger users reported less frequent forest visits than older cohorts. These insights underscore the need for inclusive, hybrid infrastructure and communication strategies that address varying recreational needs, including trip planning and navigation behaviours. This study contributes to forest management and nearby recreation planning by revealing a generational gap in technology use in digitally evolving societies.

There are still relatively few applications that serve the function of a traditional tactile map, allowing visually impaired individuals to explore a digital map by sliding their fingers across it. Moreover, existing technological solutions either lack a spatial learning mode or provide only limited functionality, focusing primarily on navigating to a selected destination. To address these gaps, the authors have proposed an original concept for an indoor mobile application that enables map exploration by sliding a finger across the smartphone screen, using audio spatial descriptions as the primary medium for conveying information. The spatial descriptions are hierarchical and contextual, focusing on anchoring them in space and indicating their extent of influence. The basis for data management and analysis is GIS technology. The application is designed to support spatial orientation during user interaction with the digital map. The research emphasis was on creating an effective cartographic communication message, utilizing voice-based delivery of spatial information stored in a virtual building model (within a database) and tags placed in real-world buildings. Techniques such as Text-to-Speech, TalkBack, QRCode technologies were employed to achieve this. Preliminary tests conducted with both blind and sighted people demonstrated the usefulness of the proposed concept. The proposed solution supporting people with disabilities can also be useful and attractive to all users of navigation applications and may affect the development of such applications.

Digitalization significantly impacts human-environment systems by altering how people interact with natural spaces. This extends to outdoor recreation, where digital tools increasingly serve as interfaces between visitors and site management authorities. However, to date, little attention has been given to the digital divide across generations within this application domain. Therefore, this study investigates the generational differences in digital skills and recreational behaviour and highlights its implications for visitor management in urban and suburban forest destinations. Using data from an online panel of 3,121 respondents in Vienna, we examined how digital competence influences outdoor recreation across age groups. The results highlight significant differences in technology use when planning and navigating during leisure trips between generations. Four major visitor profiles have been identified, each reflecting distinct patterns of digital tool usage and recreational preferences and corresponding with the respondents’ age. We emphasize the need for inclusive and adaptive management strategies to accommodate diverse digital behaviours and enhance urban forest experiences for all generations. Recognizing that effective management is contingent on understanding the nuances of technology utilization, our case study-based approach seeks to understand the public's demand for nature and the contribution of forest areas to recreation, through the lens of different generations.

The development and popularization of navigation applications are increasing expectations for their quality and functionality. Users need continuous navigation not only outdoors, but also indoors. In this case, however, the perception of space and movement is somewhat different than it is outside. One potential method of meeting this need may be the use of so-called geo-descriptions—multi-level textual descriptions relating to a point, line or area in a building. Currently, geo-descriptions are created manually. However, this is a rather time-consuming and complex process. Therefore, this study undertook to automate this process as much as possible. The study uses classical methods of spatial analysis from GIS systems and text generation methods based on artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, i.e., large language models (LLM). In this article, special attention will be paid to the second group of methods. As part of the first stage of the research, which was aimed at testing the proposed concept, the possibility of LLMs creating a natural description of space based on a list of features of a given place obtained by other methods (input parameters for AI), such as coordinates and categories of rooms around a given point, etc., was tested. The focus is on interior spaces and a few selected features of a particular place. In the next stages, it is planned to extend the research to spaces outside buildings. In addition, artificial intelligence can be used to provide the input parameters mentioned above.

Tourism and recreation in forest areas around large urban agglomerations are becoming increasingly important and pose major management challenges in terms of sustainability, environmental impact and balancing the needs of visitors with conservation efforts. Digital tools are critical to the planning and management of suburban forests as they improve data collection, enable efficient resource allocation and enhance the visitor experience through better navigation and information dissemination. The aim of our work was to find out whether people visiting urban and suburban forests in Warsaw consciously plan their visits to forest areas, what ICT tools they use during and after a forest visit, and whether they share their experiences related to forest recreation on social media after the visit. The research focused on urban and suburban forests in the Warsaw metropolitan area, Poland. Data on visitors’ characteristics, recreation habits and digital skills were collected in an online panel survey in November 2023 (n = 1413). The results showed that respondents most frequently visited forest areas around Warsaw 2–3 times a month and several times a year. The vast majority of respondents planned their visits directly on the day of the trip (34.96 %) and used their own knowledge and experience when planning their trip to the forest. More than half of respondents (69 %) stated that they use various types of digital tools when visiting forest areas, most commonly smartphones with GPS functionality. Most respondents stated that they had advanced (43.38 %) or at least advanced (32.06 %) knowledge of using digital tools. 39.49 % of respondents stated that they do not use the internet to share information about their forest visits. The research results presented in the sentence indicate the complexity of using digital tools in the management of outdoor recreation and tourism. On the one hand, our research clearly shows that digital tools are an integral part of modern outdoor recreation and tourism management and provide valuable insights, on the other hand, most respondents planned their visits directly on the day of departure, relying mainly on their own knowledge and experience, rather than on digital tools. This knowledge can be used to develop forest management strategies, environmental education, monitoring tourist flows and promoting responsible recreation worldwide. Further research is needed to analyse the use of digital tools in digital forest recreation.

Abstract. The article describes research experiments carried out to test the feasibility of using Jupyter technology as a tool to assist cartographers. The case study includes several examples typical of the stage of data preparation and analysis prior to the execution of the cartographic presentation itself. At the same time, the possibility of performing simple cartographic presentations useful at the stage of analysis performed by various researchers is presented in this environment. The purpose of the cases discussed is not to perform a complex and typical cartographic task but to highlight Jupyter Notebook's usefulness in cartographers' work.The authors introduce the essential features of this technology, briefly describe the experiments performed using geospatial cyberinfrastructure, and demonstrate the overall potential and limitations of the Jupyter environment. It’s most important advantages include a possibility of prototyping as part of the map development process, automation of geodata preparation processes, and facilitation of teamwork and sharing work results. The experiments confirmed the usefulness of the technology, although they also demonstrated some particular requirements and barriers in its use. Subsequent research teams can use the Jupyter notebooks that were created as part of the experiment.

Solutions designed for indoor navigation are extremely rare compared to outdoor navigation; however, the potential for development is, therefore, very high. Several pilot projects exist in airports, universities, hospitals, and shopping centres. The difficulties in development are currently mainly due to the continuing low quality of indoor positioning and lack of widespread access to high-quality building models. A strong methodological basis for how the interior and exterior of buildings can be cartographically represented in navigation applications has also not yet been developed. Therefore, an attempt was made to design a virtual environment dedicated to supporting the design of indoor navigation applications. Authors present the results of a study aimed at creating a concept of a simulation environment accompanied by the assessment and preliminary validation of its technological feasibility in terms of the method and technology used – although it does not yet constitute a target study. The result was a fully functional prototype of a virtual test environment, which was successfully used in a pilot study on the effectiveness of different types of navigation guidance. The participants’ behaviour within the desktop virtual environment was investigated and their opinions were collected through a questionnaire. This research proved the technological feasibility of the proposed concept and demonstrated the usefulness of the Unreal Engine game engine in building new tools to support the work of cartographers. The created environment will be further developed and used in indoor mapping research.

Politechniki Warszawskiej podpisali umowę na realizację przedsięwzięcia pn."Centrum Naukowych Analiz Geoprzestrzennych, Obliczeń Satelitarnych wraz z Laboratoriami Testowania/Certyfikacji Produktów Geomatycznych (CENAGIS)".Obecnie stworzone Centrum rozpoczyna zaplanowaną działalność

The aim of this paper is to present a broad perspective on applications dealing with 3D building models and indoor navigation during an emergency. This is an immense topic, which has been considerably investigated by researchers from different fields of expertise: construction, cognition, spatial information science, cartography, robotics, mathematics, engineering, etc. It is not possible to provide one, complete approach to the problem, because it largely depends on the application. However, some solutions are prevailing, and they are adopted by others. In this paper there is an attempt made to signalise specific directions and trends related to the topic. They include building model requirements, navigation network generation and representation, and 3D visualisation of models and navigation paths. These issues are important in the process of rapid model generation, which is suitable for decision support and situational awareness systems for first responders. The authors highlight issues that may be investigated by young researchers or may be considered as alternatives by more experienced ones. The paper is therefore the aim of this paper is to summarise the contemporary research conducted in various research teams, as well as to present author’s own observations and experiences.

The issue of smart cities is multifaceted. It includes humanistic, social, natural, and technical issues. It touches upon problems of philosophical, sociological, economic, political, management, and technological nature. The complexity of this issue precludes us from discussing or analysing all these aspects. Therefore, we will only focus on the role of geoinformation and ICT in managing a smart city. However, when considering the role of geoinformation technologies in the development of smart cities, we do not forget that technology is supposed to serve the inhabitants, and not vice versa, to determine their way of life or to decide where they should go for a walk or where to eat or sleep. In our opinion, it is not possible to achieve a smart city level without access to comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date information about space and tools enabling the transformation of ‘raw’ data into spatial information and knowledge. Most of the decisions made in the city have a spatial context, just as most modern information systems need access to spatial data.Today, open data are widely available (especially for large cities), which is a stimulus for developing innovative geoinformation services. The tools used today to process big data – e.g. data commonly available in social media, cloud computing – allow for obtaining useful real-time information about the needs and expectations of inhabitants, their migration within the city, or potential threats.Appropriate use of geoinformation and innovative geoinformation technologies in city management will allow to obtain highly satisfactory results and gain an advantage over cities unable to use this potential. Appropriate actions in this respect may contribute (as one of many components) to increasing the ‘intelligence’ of an urban organism.

In the face of strikingly intense technological development, there have been significant discrepancies in the understanding of the concept of the map; an understanding that is fundamental to cartography and, more broadly, GIScience. The development of electronic products based on geoinformation has caused a growing need for the systematization of basic concepts, including defining what a map is. In particular, the modification of the idea of the map may profoundly influence the future development of cartography. The comprehensive and innovative use of maps, for example, in location-based service (LBS) applications, may contribute to more in-depth analyses in this area. This article examines how the concept of how the map is used in technological or scientific literature about the latest geoinformation applications, as well as analyzing the survey results that confirm the change in social perception of the concept of the map in cartography. The article also refers to the role of the map in the process of indirect cognition and understanding of geographical space—cognition realized through maps. A social understanding of mapping concepts is evolving and covers the entire spectrum of geoinformation products. It seems that the latest geoinformation solutions, such as navigation applications and, in particular, applications supporting the movement of autonomous vehicles (e.g., self-driving cars), have had a particular impact on the concept of the map. This is confirmed by the results of a survey conducted by the authors on a group of nearly 900 respondents from a variety of countries. The vast majority of users are convinced that the contemporary understanding of the concept of the map is a long way from the classic definition of this concept. Therefore, in the opinion of the authors of this article, it is worth undertaking research that will become a starting point for a discussion about the broader definition of the map in GIScience.