Cite/Attribute as: Houtman L, and R.E. Roth. 2021. Mapping for a Sustainable World: QGIS technical supplement. The University of Wisconsin Cartography Lab. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5585647
These tutorials pair with the open-source book Mapping for a Sustainable World. The book teaches principles of cartography through the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Mapping for a Sustainable World was developed as a collaboration between the United Nations and the International Cartographic Association with the University of Wisconsin Cartography Lab supporting creation of the book layout and all maps and graphics through National Science Foundation CAREER Grant #1555267.
All tutorials demonstrate map design using the open access mapping software QGIS. Thus, the objective of these tutorials is to enhance the cartographic design thinking described in Mapping for a Sustainable World with technical map software training, putting concepts into practice.
The tutorials were developed by Lily Houtman and Robert E. Roth of the University Wisconsin Cartography Lab under NSF #1555267 and are freely available for personal or classroom/workshop use following a CC BY-NC license.
There are three sets of tutorials that follow the technical design and implementation of a choropleth, proportional symbol, and nominal map from Mapping for a Sustainable World. The tutorials are meant to be created sequentially and use a number 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, etc., to indicate the sequence.
The tutorials are meant to enhance but not replicate information from Mapping for a Sustainable World. Keywords from Mapping for a Sustainable World use bold and italics and are followed with the definition from the glossary offset with a reference to the relevant book section (Note: Mapping for a Sustainable World uses British English).
Tutorial 1 - Choropleth Map
- 1.1 - Overview and Project Planning
- 1.2 - Downloading QGIS
- 1.3 - Downloading Location and Attribute Data
- 1.4 - Cleaning Attribute Data
- 1.5 - Creating a Project and Setting the Projection
- 1.6 - Adding and Joining Attribute Data
- 1.7 - Editing the Attribute Table
- 1.8 - Classifying Attribute Data
- 1.9 - Visual Accenting
- 1.10 - Labeling and Leader Lines
- 1.11 - Adding Elements to Layout View
- 1.12 - Exporting the Map
- 1.13 - Advanced Layout Styling
Tutorial 2 - Proportional Symbol Map
- 2.1 - Overview and Setup
- 2.2 - Projecting Map and Adding Data
- 2.3 - Extracting European Countries and Centroids
- 2.4 - Setting Proportional Symbols
- 2.5 - Adjusting Style
- 2.6 - Creating the Legend
- 2.7 - Advanced Layout Styling
Tutorial 3 - Nominal
Tutorial 4 - Future Directions