![Sample our Engineering & Technology journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5933/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Engineering-Tech.jpg"})
Abstract
Many users of online interactive maps have substantial problems interacting with these maps. The main goal of this paper is to explore the issues related to the interaction with GIS-based interactive online maps. An example is taken from a Public Participation Geographic Information System (PPGIS) created for the inhabitants in Wilhelmsburg, a city district of Hamburg, Germany. The application was developed within a European project and tested in two phases: first with the inhabitants of Wilhelmsburg and second with a group of students of urban planning with some basic GIS skills. In this article, we present the results of testing with both groups and discuss open research and practical issues related to the interaction with online interactive maps. We conclude the article with a list of relevant research topics which address this interaction and the consequences the design of online maps can have on the ability of the user to use them efficiently.