William Mackane
Biographic Data
| ID | 2785296 |
|---|---|
| NAME | William Mackane |
| GIVEN NAMES | William |
| FAMILY NAME | Mackane |
| SIGNATURE | MACKANE W |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Edinburgh |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6581-5989 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 11 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 7 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 11 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1993 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Estimating the density of urban trees in 1890s Leeds and Edinburgh using object detection on historical maps
We present a new end-to-end methodology for extracting symbols from historical maps and demonstrate an application of the method to extract details of the urban forests of Leeds and Edinburgh in the UK using Ordnance Survey maps from the 1890s. The methods presented allow tree symbols on 1:500 scale maps to be efficiently extracted, with our object detection model achieving an F 1 -score of 0.945. The results for each city are presented on the Na…
Describing and mapping where people experience tranquillity. An exploration based on interviews and Flickr photographs
Protecting tranquil areas is becoming an important objective for landscape planning and management. In order to identify where people experience tranquillity, we developed a hybrid approach combining field-based interviews with an analysis of social media content in the form of photographs with associated tags and coordinates from the photo-sharing website Flickr. In a case study in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park in Scotland, intervi…
Map Generalization
Map generalization is concerned with the optimal display of geographic information in map form. It involves the careful selection of data and the use of a range of abstraction techniques that seek to give emphasis to what is important, while still including sufficient contextualizing information. If geographic phenomena are stored at fine levels of detail, the goal of automated map generalization is to derive maps at coarser (smaller) scales. Tra…
Mapping the visual magnitude of popular tourist sites in Edinburgh city
There is value in being able to automatically measure and visualise the visual exposure of city sites (monuments and buildings, tourist sites) – for example, in urban planning, as an aid to automated way finding, or in augmented reality city guides. Here we present the outputs of an algorithm able to calculate visual exposure – both as an absolute measure of the façade area and in terms of a building's perceived size (its lesser importance with d…
From taxonomies to ontologies: Formalizing generalization knowledge for on-demand mapping
Automation of the cartographic design process is central to the delivery of bespoke maps via the web. In this paper, ontological modeling is used to explicitly represent and articulate the knowledge used in this decision-making process. A use case focuses on the visualization of road traffic accident data as a way of illustrating how ontologies provide a framework by which salient and contextual information can be integrated in a meaningful manne…
The Virtual Placement: An Alternative to the Traditional Work Placement in the Geographical Sciences
Work placements are a well-established part of the curricula of many geographical sciences, as are opportunities for online learning. Whilst many aspects of the learning experience for undergraduates have been given an online makeover the placement has remained a 'real' experience. This paper considers the potential value of an online placement and outlines pedagogical and technical aspects of the e-MapScholar Virtual Placement. Findings from eva…
Automated Cartography in a Bush of Ghosts
Computational Processes for Map Generalization
(1999). Computational Processes for Map Generalization. Cartography and Geographic Information Science: Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 3-6
The Development of Phenomenological Generalization Within an Object-oriented Paradigm
This paper presents a "phenomenological" framework that incorporates information relating to 1) an object's geometry, 2) its semantic properties, and 3) the inter-object relationships. It is argued that this information is required in order to devise algorithms and design strategies capable of abstracting the meaning inherent in the phenomenon being mapped. The fundamental challenge is to design generic algorithms that are powerful and flexible e…
Analysis of Urban Road Networks to Support Cartographic Generalization
When a human cartographer designs a map, the symbols represent objects in a way that attempts to convey geographic process occurring at a given scale. The skill is in abstracting patterns of process and representing them in a context at an appropriate scale. The cartographer conveys the essence of the phenomenon by capturing the essential characteristics of a feature. In order for automated cartographic systems to match this subtlety in design an…
Visual Access to Data Quality in Geographic Information Systems
Visualization encompasses the display of quantities or qualities of visible or invisible phenomena through the combined use of points, lines, a coordinate system, numbers, symbols, words, shading, color, and animation. The objectives of visualization are to provoke insights and expand comprehension of information by revealing complex relationships among data. Geographical information is visualized in the form of maps. Recent concern over the accu…
The Virtual Placement: An Alternative to the Traditional Work Placement in the Geographical Sciences
Work placements are a well-established part of the curricula of many geographical sciences, as are opportunities for online learning. Whilst many aspects of the learning experience for undergraduates have been given an online makeover the placement has remained a 'real' experience. This paper considers the potential value of an online placement and outlines pedagogical and technical aspects of the e-MapScholar Virtual Placement. Findings from eva…
Describing and mapping where people experience tranquillity. An exploration based on interviews and Flickr photographs
Protecting tranquil areas is becoming an important objective for landscape planning and management. In order to identify where people experience tranquillity, we developed a hybrid approach combining field-based interviews with an analysis of social media content in the form of photographs with associated tags and coordinates from the photo-sharing website Flickr. In a case study in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park in Scotland, intervi…
Automated Cartography in a Bush of Ghosts
Visual Access to Data Quality in Geographic Information Systems
Visualization encompasses the display of quantities or qualities of visible or invisible phenomena through the combined use of points, lines, a coordinate system, numbers, symbols, words, shading, color, and animation. The objectives of visualization are to provoke insights and expand comprehension of information by revealing complex relationships among data. Geographical information is visualized in the form of maps. Recent concern over the accu…
Analysis of Urban Road Networks to Support Cartographic Generalization
When a human cartographer designs a map, the symbols represent objects in a way that attempts to convey geographic process occurring at a given scale. The skill is in abstracting patterns of process and representing them in a context at an appropriate scale. The cartographer conveys the essence of the phenomenon by capturing the essential characteristics of a feature. In order for automated cartographic systems to match this subtlety in design an…
Computational Processes for Map Generalization
(1999). Computational Processes for Map Generalization. Cartography and Geographic Information Science: Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 3-6
The Development of Phenomenological Generalization Within an Object-oriented Paradigm
This paper presents a "phenomenological" framework that incorporates information relating to 1) an object's geometry, 2) its semantic properties, and 3) the inter-object relationships. It is argued that this information is required in order to devise algorithms and design strategies capable of abstracting the meaning inherent in the phenomenon being mapped. The fundamental challenge is to design generic algorithms that are powerful and flexible e…
Automated Cartography in a Bush of Ghosts
The Virtual Placement: An Alternative to the Traditional Work Placement in the Geographical Sciences
Work placements are a well-established part of the curricula of many geographical sciences, as are opportunities for online learning. Whilst many aspects of the learning experience for undergraduates have been given an online makeover the placement has remained a 'real' experience. This paper considers the potential value of an online placement and outlines pedagogical and technical aspects of the e-MapScholar Virtual Placement. Findings from eva…
From taxonomies to ontologies: Formalizing generalization knowledge for on-demand mapping
Automation of the cartographic design process is central to the delivery of bespoke maps via the web. In this paper, ontological modeling is used to explicitly represent and articulate the knowledge used in this decision-making process. A use case focuses on the visualization of road traffic accident data as a way of illustrating how ontologies provide a framework by which salient and contextual information can be integrated in a meaningful manne…
Mapping the visual magnitude of popular tourist sites in Edinburgh city
There is value in being able to automatically measure and visualise the visual exposure of city sites (monuments and buildings, tourist sites) – for example, in urban planning, as an aid to automated way finding, or in augmented reality city guides. Here we present the outputs of an algorithm able to calculate visual exposure – both as an absolute measure of the façade area and in terms of a building's perceived size (its lesser importance with d…
Map Generalization
Map generalization is concerned with the optimal display of geographic information in map form. It involves the careful selection of data and the use of a range of abstraction techniques that seek to give emphasis to what is important, while still including sufficient contextualizing information. If geographic phenomena are stored at fine levels of detail, the goal of automated map generalization is to derive maps at coarser (smaller) scales. Tra…
Describing and mapping where people experience tranquillity. An exploration based on interviews and Flickr photographs
Protecting tranquil areas is becoming an important objective for landscape planning and management. In order to identify where people experience tranquillity, we developed a hybrid approach combining field-based interviews with an analysis of social media content in the form of photographs with associated tags and coordinates from the photo-sharing website Flickr. In a case study in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park in Scotland, intervi…
Estimating the density of urban trees in 1890s Leeds and Edinburgh using object detection on historical maps
We present a new end-to-end methodology for extracting symbols from historical maps and demonstrate an application of the method to extract details of the urban forests of Leeds and Edinburgh in the UK using Ordnance Survey maps from the 1890s. The methods presented allow tree symbols on 1:500 scale maps to be efficiently extracted, with our object detection model achieving an F 1 -score of 0.945. The results for each city are presented on the Na…
Computer Science (9 works) · Geography (9 works) · Cartography (8 works) · Geographic Information Systems Studies (6 works) · Generalization (5 works) · Artificial Intelligence (4 works) · Cartographic generalization (4 works) · Data Management and Algorithms (4 works) · Data mining (4 works) · Engineering (4 works)