Optimising road selection for small-scale maps using decision tree-based models

Reducing the complexity of a road network is necessary after scale change so that the legibility of the map can be maintained. However, deciding about whether to show a particular road section on the map is a very complex process. This process, called selection, constitutes the first operation in the cartographic generalization process. As the first step in the sequence of generalization operations including road simplification, smoothing and displacement, it is a prerequisite to effective road network generalization (Liu et al. 2010).