Mapping Itineraries and Routes

Maps are an easy way to support local businesses and attract visitors to your community. They show people at a glance how to find what they’re looking for, and route maps suggest ways to help them explore – particularly some spots that may be off the beaten path.

Route Maps

The City of Kitchener’s website lists quite a few walking tours – for heritage districts, public art, a river walk, and more. The Kitchener Public Library, in collaboration with Archaeological Research Associates, created a very popular Indigenous Bike Tour a few years ago, exploring sites of Indigenous history in downtown Kitchener.

One of the first maps I created was this map of Boston for a class project. It highlights two suggested walking routes: the Freedom Trail and the Black History Trail. It also included a legend listing the points of interest with their grid locations. 

Boston map with suggested walking routes

Wayfinding Maps

These maps are found in tourist areas, trailheads, or shopping districts, have “you are here” and show the neighbourhood and often some suggested routes. My recent blog post shows examples of wayfinding maps with routes, and a recent active transportation newsletter talked about incorporating wayfinding maps into an urban planning strategy.

There is a lot of cross-over between active transportation and tourism mapping, as they both help to create more livable cities and help people explore.

Itinerary Maps

You’ll see these in visitor guides and on tourism websites, with suggestions on how best to spend time if you have 1 day or 3 days in a city, for example. And then there is the CAA/AAA TripTik, which I always use on a road trip!

Contact Me

I’ve read about whisky trails, gin trails, chocolate and apple pie trails, and more. Hm, maybe the food and drink trails are the most popular! If you’d like to talk about mapping routes and itineraries for your community, contact me for a free, no-obligation consultation. 

Please follow and share on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.

Subscribe to get the next newsletter delivered to your email inbox.