Automated polygon schematization for thematic maps

Schematization is a powerful means of communication. Therefore, it is widely applied in cartographic practice. Despite their frequent use, schematized maps, particularly in the context of thematic mapping, are usually still drawn by hand: a slow and tedious process. This is mainly due to the lack of accessible tools facilitating automated polygon schematization. And yet numerous algorithmic approaches to generate schematized maps have been published over the last two decades. None of these algorithms have been implemented into an accessible working cartographic service. This research focuses on prototyping such a service demonstrating that the proposed web-based schematization tool is feasible. Computational time constraints and the tool’s robustness remain an issue.