What are map consultations?

Map consultations allow residents to share ideas, feedback, and data directly on a map, making community input more precise and visual.

They’re especially valuable for urban planning and mobility teams, who need to understand how people use and experience spaces.

The platform supports two map consultation methods:

Ideation on a Map – participants publicly pin and discuss ideas.
Map‑based Survey Toolbox – admins collect structured inputs via pins, lines, or polygons inside surveys.

By default, these methods use the platform’s built‑in OpenStreetMap‑based maps.

ESRI Integration is an optional paid add‑on that replaces the default basemap and allows richer GIS layers and data to be displayed. If you want to enable ESRI, contact your government success manager to discuss this feature.

Ideation on a map

Allows participants to drop pins and add comments on a shared, public map.

Key Features:

Interactive pinning: Mark locations for projects, improvements, or issues.
Detailed comments: Add context to each pin.
Open discussion: See other pins and collaborate in real time.
Geographical context: Identify trends and hotspots visually.

How to style and configure maps for input collection

Base map styling
- Default: simple OpenStreetMap “Basic” style.
- Contact support to change the base map via MapTiler (affects all projects).
- To style maps per project, use the ESRI add‑on.
Add map layers (GeoJSON)
- Upload GeoJSON files (points, lines, polygons).
- Give each layer a name & optional tooltip.
- Style by color and icon (applies to all features in the layer).
- Tip: create separate GeoJSON files for features you want styled differently.
Adjust map settings
- Center the map: Add latitude/longitude (decimal format).
- Set zoom level: Choose 0 (zoomed out) to 17 (street‑level).
- Save position directly from map view.
Convert or create files if needed
- Convert shapefiles or other formats → GeoJSON (e.g. mapshaper, geojson.io).
- Create your own GeoJSONs from scratch using tools like Geoman.

Map-based survey toolbox

Adds structured geospatial data collection to surveys.

Key Capabilities:

Pin‑in‑map questions: Participants mark exact points; integrated heat map shows clusters.
Line/polygon drawing: Outline routes, boundaries, or areas of interest.
Map layout pages: Embed maps as context for survey questions.
Reporting: View aggregated results or individual responses; export as GeoJSON for external GIS tools.

Benefits of map consultations

Precise data collection: Inputs tied to exact locations.
Better visualization: Trends and hotspots become clear.
Flexible results viewing: View results on one map or user‑by‑user; export for external GIS work.
Supports better planning: Helps teams make informed, data‑driven urban planning decisions.

ESRI integration

The ESRI add‑on allows admins to integrate ArcGIS maps into projects for richer data and visualization.

What ESRI adds

Replace the default OpenStreetMap style with custom ESRI maps.
Add Feature Layers and Web Maps to display detailed spatial data.
Use ESRI maps in both Collect Input & Feedback (map view) and map‑based survey questions.

Feature Layers vs. Web Maps

ESRI Feature Layer – A single data layer (e.g., zoning, parks). Multiple layers can be added on the same map.
ESRI Web Map – A fully configured ArcGIS map (base map + layers). Only one can be used per map.

Note: Once ESRI is enabled on a map, GeoJSON imports are disabled — you can’t mix ESRI and non‑ESRI elements.

How to enable ESRI

Purchase the ESRI add‑on by contacting your government success manager.
Go to Tools → Enable ESRI.
Paste your ESRI API key (get it from ESRI documentation) and Save key.

How to add ESRI maps

Feature Layer: In back office map config, click Import ESRI Feature Layer → paste the Feature Layer URL from ArcGIS → Import.
Web Map: Click Import ESRI Web Map → paste the Web Map ID from ArcGIS → Import.

Legend for Feature Layers is auto‑generated but can be toggled off.