Interactive Mapping for Online Community Services

Southwark Council is overhauling its online mapping features in two key areas. The first is to provide a dedicated one-stop-shop interactive mapping service that enables citizens to activate overlays on top of a detailed map of the borough - for example, clicking on ‘Controlled parking zones' instantly highlights the relevant areas on the map. Other overlay options include ‘Schools', ‘Recycling Sites', ‘Planning Applications' and ‘Conservation Areas'. Citizens are also able to: search for locations; browse mapping, aerial photography and historical mapping; and quickly display nearby services.

The second key area for Southwark is its plans to make location and mapping functionality widely available throughout the website - for instance, the council plans to enable citizens to launch spatial searches and address look-ups from multiple service pages throughout the council website. The Rich Internet Application (RIA) controls that Stratus Connect supports via Stratus RIA Controls will enable individual web page managers to incorporate mapping and spatial search functionality wherever it's needed.

Stratus Connect replaces the PlanAccess solution that the Council was previously using for public access to geographic-based information, in recognition that user expectations of interactive mapping have changed enormously over the past few years. Stratus Connect enables the type of uncluttered interface and simple zoom and pan functionality that users are accustomed to from web tools such as Bing Maps and Google Maps - but importantly, Stratus Connect delivers a number of advantages over mapping services available online.