A thousand ways online to put London on the map

"Everyone and their dog is creating maps online now," says Oliver O'Brien, a researcher and software developer at the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA) at University College London.

"The London Datastore has made a huge difference, as there is so much data to work with. It's really impressive."

Many maps are also beautiful, almost art pieces as well as imparting useful information. For instance, there is the London Surname map, an example of digital typography at its best.

Created by UCL student James Cheshire in conjunction with O'Brien, it's a fascinating look at the diversity of London, as well as showing just how many Smiths there are.

Overall 2,379 surnames are included, taken from the 2001 Electoral Roll, and all are shown in different sizes depending on their frequency.
"Obviously to get these maps noticed they need to look like more than just a Google map - we're all used to seeing those with pins in," said O'Brien.

"The more different from a standard map you can make it, the more likely people will notice it. We take quite a lot of time thinking about how we can create a map that looks great. It's becoming almost an art form to create something that will get picked up and has the wow factor - although that's not necessarily the same kind of map that will help you find your way around."

One of the biggest online successes has been O'Brien's map of London's cycle hire scheme, showing the popularity of routes by a series of expanding or contracting circles.

"The cycle scheme map is simple, and only took a few hours to build - the key was deciding what not to show on it.

"Less is more - you want to show only the relevant data so it shouts out, such as the dot map which shows Cycle Hire routes and popularity."

The maps have even spread into the art world - the British Library recently held an exhibition of the best, including hand-drawn examples.

"There has been a real surge in hand-drawn maps, and I think it's a reaction to the homogenous google maps you see all over the place. Google maps inevitably show a lot of other data, so by drawing one yourself you have total control," says O'Brien, who is currently developing a tool to let people create their own online maps of London.

"We want to let people create a map easily, and choose their sources - for instance, you can take Twitter feeds, see what people in east London are talking about, and show that on a map."