Usefulness of OSM and BDOT10k Data for Developing Tactile Maps of Historic Parks

Abstract

A map, being a scaled-down image of a fragment of the Earth, reflects the actual relationships between objects in a way that allows for comprehensive exploration of large areas. In particular, a map is an ideal tool for exploring the layout of historic parks, as it shows their character according to their style. Depending on the style of the parks, their maps will differ in terms of the appropriate selection of the scope of content and the system of cartographic signs. Nowadays, distribution maps of parks for the visually impaired are increasingly popular. Depending on the purpose of a map, it is essential to obtain the relevant spatial data before creating it. Spatial data are also important to convey knowledge about the form of the given park and its function, elements, small garden architecture, plant compositions, and garden arrangements. The purpose of this study is to assess the usefulness of OSM (OpenStreetMap) and BDOT10k (the Topographic Objects Database) data for the development of tactile maps of historic parks, with five garden styles. Data features, such as accessibility of spatial objects and descriptive attributes, including names that allow identification of the object type or completeness of object occurrence, were taken into consideration. The assessment was conducted for three levels of map detail and separately for each garden style. The results showed that almost half of the tactile maps’ content items could be taken from BDOT10k or OSM. The Data Usefulness Index (DUI) confirmed a slight advantage of BDOT10k, taking almost the same values as OSM (0.49:0.48 at the first level of map detail and 0.40:0.38 at the second level of map detail). Complementing information on park objects obtained from OSM and BDOT10k data with data from orthophotomaps or field measurements makes it possible to develop maps that convey information about the composition of a park as a whole and about the cultural assets that blind or visually impaired people have not yet been able to fully experience in a direct way.