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).
💡 create separate GeoJSON files for features you want styled differently.
⚠️ Make sure your GeoJSON uses the correct coordinate system (WGS 84 / EPSG:4326, longitude–latitude order). Using another CRS may cause your features to appear in the wrong location.
Convert or create GeoJSON files if needed
Convert shapefiles or other formats → GeoJSON (e.g. mapshaper, geojson.io).
Create your own GeoJSONs from scratch using tools like Geoman or directly in https://geojson.io/.
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.
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
Aggregated Map View
All responses to mapping questions are automatically displayed on a map.
For Drop pin questions, you can enable the Heat Map toggle to quickly see where most respondents placed their pins.
Viewing individual responses
To explore individual responses and link them to other survey answers:
Open the AI Analysis Interface by clicking Show AI Insight next to any Short Answer or Long Answer question.
If you don’t see this option, it means the feature isn’t included in your current plan.
⚠️ You must include at least one Short Answer or Long Answer question in your survey to access the AI Analysis Interface.
Inside the AI Analysis Interface
In this view, you’ll find:
Users (green): individual respondents
Mapping answers (blue): their map-based inputs
ESRI Shapefile uploads (red): simplified outlines of uploaded geographic data
You can filter responses based on answers to other survey questions, allowing you to focus on specific groups of participants.
ℹ️ The ESRI Shapefile visualisation in the AI interface shows simplified shapes for clarity. To explore detailed geographic data (including colours and textures), open the shapefile in an external mapping tool such as Mapshaper.
Advanced Analysis
The AI Analysis Interface is not designed for deep geographic filtering or pattern discovery.
For more advanced geospatial analysis (e.g. filtering, combining, or comparing areas), export the shapefiles by pressing Expore as GeoJson in the top right corner of the Aggregated Map View in the survey results tab and use third-party tools like Mapshaper or your preferred GIS software.
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.
ℹ️ 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.
Using ESRI in surveys
When adding a mapping question in a survey, click Configure Map to add ESRI layers or a Web Map to the question’s map.
Troubleshooting: “On‑Click” conflicts
Both ESRI and the platform have “click” features (e.g., clicking a shape to show info). If both try to respond at once, it can cause:
Wrong info showing, pop‑ups failing, or map freezing.
Solution: Disable ESRI’s “on‑click” features and let the platform handle clicks for a smoother user experience.