Editorial Preface

This Special Issue celebrates 90 years since Henry Beck's first pocket map of the London Underground network was published in 1933. By focusing on providing the information that travellers needed, Beck arrived at a cartographic solution that combined ease of use with an aesthetic connoting the ideal modern transport system – logical, clean, simple and efficient. Beck's creation has since given confidence to many millions of users in London and in several other cities worldwide through the widespread adoption of its design principles. Hence, I became convinced while writing my editorial for Issue 58 (1) in 2021 that a Special Issue would be a good way to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Beck's achievement, bringing this 60th anniversary year of the British Cartographic Society to a close.

Taking up the challenge, I would like to thank Max Roberts and his distinguished editorial panel, comprising David Forrest, Herman Haverkort, Martin Nöllenburg, Clive Richards, Thomas van Dijk and Robert Waller, for compiling an excellent and diverse collection of papers that reflect on the breadth of Beck's impact across many disciplines. The need for industrialized societies to invest in more sustainable public transport systems and develop better approaches to schematic mapping is more important now than ever. The 4th Schematic Mapping Workshop will take place at the École des ingénieurs de la Ville de Paris (EIVP) from 10th to 11th April 2025 (see www.schematicmapping.org for more information).

This year also saw the tragic passing of our editorial board member, Igor Drecki, who died in a car accident just a few days before he was due to participate in the International Cartographic Conference in Cape Town, South Africa. Igor's passion for cartography was well known (particularly in representing New Zealand to the ICA General Assembly, serving the ICA Commission on Mountain Cartography, and as Editor of ICA News), and a special session of ICC2023 was dedicated to his memory. I am sure that Igor would have joined many others in agreeing that the conference was an excellent event, and I am delighted that Serena Coetzee and Dušan Petrovič are editing a Special Issue of The Cartographic Journal to showcase some of the best research presented at ICC2023.

As Volume 60 concludes, I am grateful to all reviewers for lending us their time and expertise so generously, and for the support of James and Meghan as Associate Editors and Martin as Editorial Assistant. Many thanks are also due to Tricia Pantos and Sandy Dalgleish at Taylor & Francis for their dedication in ensuring that we return to normal publication schedules. We are all looking forward to celebrating the Journal's 60th anniversary year in 2024.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alexander J. Kent

Alexander J. Kent is a Vice President of the International Cartographic Association and Honorary Reader in Cartography and Geographic Information Science at Canterbury Christ Church University. He leads the Coastal Connections project for English Heritage and World Monuments Fund.