HISTORY OF THE COMMISSION

ICA Commission on Map Projections Operational Plan 2011–2015

Proposal by Miljenko Lapaine, Chair, and supplemented by E. Lynn Usery, Vice-Chair.

This is a dynamic document that will be changed and upgraded continuously taking into account the Commission on Map Projections (CMP) Terms of Reference and developments in the field.

Operational Plan 2011–2015, ver01 of February 1, 2012

1) This Operational Plan has to acknowledge the Terms of Reference approved by the General Assembly and will be used to set achievable targets for the CMP for a four year period.

The CMP web site has been organised (http://ica-proj.kartografija.hr) and will be maintained by Marina Rajaković of the Croatian Cartographic Society.

2) Promote and foster research on map projections, coordinate systems, transformations and conversions, and disseminate the outcomes at all CMP meetings.

Expected result: an enhanced set of online bibliographic tools and web links on map projections, coordinate systems, transformations and conversions until the ICC in Rio de Janeiro 2015.

3) Sessions and meetings shall be organised to stimulate a debate on all aspects of map projections with the aim of collecting and publishing the research results. Proposed places and dates for CMP meetings:

  • Albena, Bulgaria, June 18-22, 2012. CMP session as a part of the 4th International Conference on Cartography and GIS.
  • Columbus, Ohio, USA, September 16-18, 2012, AutoCarto 2012, ICA special session on map projections.
  • Vienna, Austria, November 19–23, 2012. "The influence of SOA on Map Production and GeoBusiness" organized by ICA Commission on Map Production and GeoBusiness.
  • Dresden, Germany, August 25–30, 2013, ICA ICC.
  • USA, place and date in 2014 to be determined. AutoCarto 2014, ICA special session on map projections; workshop on map projections.
  • Croatia, place and date in 2014 have to be defined.
  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2015, ICA ICC.

Expected result: a collection of papers on case studies in map projections.

4) CMP has to promote the proper use of map projections at all levels of education.

First task: Prepare a publication on map projection choice. First report in Albena, June 2012, final report and manuscript ready for print in Vienna, November 2012.

Second task: Prepare a textbook on map projections as it will be requested by ICA WG for the International Map Year scheduled for 2015.

5) CMP has to study terminology on map projections and prepare a multilingual dictionary for this area of cartography.

Expected result: the dictionary on map projections, coordinate systems, transformations and conversions. Reports on all CMP meetings. Final report in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2015, ICA ICC.

6) CMP shall provide consultative support in relation to map projections when required.

7) CMP has to work to reach the general aims conceived in the ICA Statutes taking into account the recommendations of the ICA Executive Committee:

a. An introductory meeting has been organised immediately after the 15th General Assembly in Paris, 2011.

Done.

b. CMP shall assist the Local Organising Committee of ICCs to manage the Programme for each ICC, primarily in the review of submissions. CMP will arrange and promote a half-day 'business meeting' of the Commission at each ICC to meet, to reflect on recent and future activities, and to promote itself to any and all conference participants.

M. Lapaine, Chair CMP and E.L. Usery, Vice-Chair CMP, accepted to be a members of the Scientific Committee of the ICA ICC in Dresden, 2013.

c. CMP has to arrange and promote the Commission activities in the periods between ICCs. See No 3. CMP has to write and inform the Executive Liaison of the Commission activities. CMP has to ensure that as much information as possible about the activities of the Commission be preserved on paper (stamped with an ICA logo), and sent to the Secretary-General for archiving purposes.

The first report has been submitted to Prof. Paulo Menezes the ICA Executive Liaison. He forwarded the report to Prof. Laszlo Zentai, the ICA Secretary-General.

d. CMP has to submit statements and a bi-annual report on activities to the Executive Committee liaison person, with a copy to the editor of ICA News to ensure widespread dissemination. To present summary reports of the Commission work during the four-year term of office in advance of each General Assembly, and respond to questions from delegates.

First report about the CMP activities was sent to the ICA News.

e. CMP has to coordinate activities with other ICA Commissions, with Commissions of other international organisations, affiliate members of ICA; and all national and regional mapping agencies, whenever possible.

First steps in that direction are organising the ICA CMP meetings in Albena 2012 and in Vienna 2012. Furthermore, the collaboration with the State Geodetic Administration in Croatia is under development.

f. CMP shall provide experts for workshops in developing countries when requested and devote part of ICA's efforts to the strengthening of cartographic communities in developing countries by disseminating cartographic knowledge in situ.

This activity can be coordinated and supported by the new ICA Working Group on Technology Outreach.

Miljenko Lapaine

E. Lynn Usery

Prof. Dr. Miljenko Lapaine – Chairman of the ICA Commission on Map Projections

Prof. Dr. Miljenko Lapaine was elected the Chairman of the Commission on Map Projections of the International Cartographic Association. The election was confirmed at the 15th General Assembly of the International Cartographic Association in Paris, July 3-8, 2011. Prof. Dr. Miljenko Lapaine is going to be the Chairman of the Commission for four years, until 2015. The election is an acknowledgement to Prof. Lapaine for scientific work and work in the international cartographic community. Croatia has actively participated in the work of the International Cartographic Association since 1995, when it became its full member. However, it is the first time that one of the Association's commissions' chairmans is from Croatia.

The Commission gratefully acknowledges the late Dr. Christoph Brandenberger of the Institute of Cartography within the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at Zurich. He recognized the need for this commission and organized the effort to establish it.

You can download Charter of the Commission and Commission Report 2007-2011.