Ordnance Survey (OS) remote sensing surveyors have extensive experience with aerial views of scenes and objects. Building on our previous work with this group, we investigated whether their expertise influenced performance on a same/different object recognition task involving houses. In an online study, these stimuli were shown from both familiar ground-level viewpoints and from what is for most people, unfamiliar aerial viewpoints. OS experts and novices compared achromatic, disparity-free images with aerial perspectives rotated around the clock against canonical ground-views; we measured response times (RTs) and sensitivities (d'). In two 'grounding' tasks using rotated letters, we found conventional outcomes for both groups, validating the online approach. Experiment 1 (non-matching letters) yielded ceiling-level performance with no signs of mental rotation, consistent with a feature-based recognition strategy. In Experiment 2 (mirror reversed letters), both groups showed orientation-dependent performance, but experts exhibited a speed-accuracy trade-off, responding more cautiously than novices. In the main house task (Experiment 3), we found (a) the same speed-accuracy trade-off observed in Experiment 2, (b) substantially longer RTs overall, and (c) no evidence for mental rotation in either group, mirroring Experiment 1. Contrary to our earlier findings on aerial depth perception, expertise in remote sensing did not yield a distinctive recognition strategy for the experiments here. However, experts displayed more diligent tactics in Experiments 2 and 3. We suggest that all participants in Experiment 3 engaged in cognitively challenging feature comparisons across viewpoints, presumably supported by volumetric or surface-connected prototypes of houses as the basis for feature comparisons.

Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) offers a scalable solution for automating the generation and updating of volunteered geographic information (VGI) maps—addressing the limitations of manual contributions to crowd-source mapping platforms such as OpenStreetMap (OSM). This study evaluates the accuracy of GeoAI-generated buildings specifically, using two Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) models. These are OSM-GAN—trained on OSM vector data and Google Earth imagery—and OSi-GAN—trained on authoritative “ground truth” Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) vector data and aerial orthophotos. Altogether, we assess map feature completeness, shape accuracy, and positional accuracy and conduct qualitative visual evaluations using live OSM database features and OSi map data as a benchmark. The results show that OSi-GAN achieves higher completeness (88.2%), while OSM-GAN provides more consistent shape fidelity (mean HD: 3.29 m; σ = 2.46 m) and positional accuracy (mean centroid distance: 1.02 m) compared to both OSi-GAN and the current OSM map. The OSM dataset exhibits moderate average deviation (mean HD 5.33 m) but high variability, revealing inconsistencies in crowd-source mapping. These empirical results demonstrate the potential of GeoAI to augment manual VGI mapping workflows to support timely downstream applications in urban planning, disaster response, and many other location-based services (LBSs). The findings also emphasize the need for robust Quality Assurance (QA) frameworks to address “AI slop” and ensure the reliability and consistency of GeoAI-generated data.

Residential greenspace indicators and metabolic syndrome in the UK Biobank Cohort: mediation through behavioural, environmental, social and biomarker pathways.

Childhood obesity is a complex and multifaceted public health issue. Several studies have found that children living in greener neighborhoods have a lower body mass index (BMI); however, evidence on longitudinal exposure remains limited. This study examined the relationship between Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), green space, and children's weight status using linked environmental and national health data. We derived annual EVI values from Landsat 8 satellite imagery (30 m resolution) within 300 m of a child's residence in Wales from 2008 to 2019. Mean EVI exposure was calculated for the 4 years preceding BMI measurement. We utilized 2017 Ordnance Survey Open Greenspace data to identify green spaces within 800 m of a child's residence. BMI obtained from the Child Measurement Programme for Wales (2012/13 to 2018/19) for children aged 4-5 years was used to define healthy versus overweight/obesity. We used logistic regression to evaluate associations between residential greenness, green spaces, and childhood weight status. The final cohort consisted of 200,237 children. A one-unit increase in EVI was associated with a 20% higher likelihood of being overweight or obese (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.37). For every additional green space within 800 m, the likelihood of having an unhealthy weight increased by 0.3%. Our findings suggest that EVI and access to green spaces should be interpreted with care, as they may not capture how young children interact with nearby green environments. Future work investigating the impact of greenness and greenspace on child weight status should use measures tailored to more accurately represent age-specific behaviors.

ObjectivesThis study examines the association between residential greenness, access to green space, and childhood Body Mass Index (BMI) on a national population of children in Wales. Using linked environmental and national surveillance data, we assess whether long-term exposure to greener environments is associated with children being overweight or obese. Methods BMI was calculated using height and weight records from the Child Measurement Programme for Wales (2012/13–2018/19). We used Landsat satellite imagery (30-meter resolution) to derive an annual Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) within 300m of each child's residence in Wales for 2008–2019. EVI values were averaged over four-years preceding their BMI measurement. Green space access was calculated using Ordnance Survey Open Greenspaces to create a count of green spaces within 800m of each child’s residence. Logistic regression was used to assess associations between EVI, green space, and BMI, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. ResultsThe study included 201,698 children aged 4–5 years old. After adjusting for covariates, every unit increase in EVI was associated with a 20% higher likelihood of a child being overweight or obese. For every additional green space within 800m of a child’s home, the likelihood of unhealthy weight increased by 0.3%. Findings suggest that higher EVI levels and greater green space availability do not necessarily translate into healthier BMI outcomes. ConclusionThis study explored associations between objective measures of ambient greenness, green space and BMI in a national population of children. Findings demonstrate that higher EVI was associated with greater odds of unhealthy weight, highlighting the complexity of the relationship. EVI should be interpreted carefully as it is a measure of vegetation health and may not capture how children use green environments. BMI is measured at a single time point in Wales (ages 4-5) when children are less independent and therefore these findings may not reflect greenspace’s health benefits in older childhood. Future studies should focus on objective exposures that can accurately reflect children’s interactions with their built environment.

Recent digitisation of major meteorological sources has offered valuable insights into Ireland's past climate. However, more localised historical weather data remain sparse for most of the country. A largely unexplored resource lies in the early nineteenth century Ordnance Survey (OS) statistical reports collected as a component of the first OS of Ireland. This research sets out how a team of researchers applied diverse techniques such as corpus linguistics, Geographic Information Systems, and sentiment analysis to explore the early OS weather records. Weather Journals from 15 parish “memoirs” across seven northern counties were extracted from the text, providing both qualitative observations and quantitative temperature and pressure data. The readings were analysed and visualised, and a sentiment analysis completed on the qualitative weather observations using a bespoke sentiment dictionary. This reveals inconsistencies in weather recording practices, even by the same individual across multiple parishes. These records offer unique applications, including local weather insights from the early nineteenth century, showcasing the possibilities of using a combination of data types in the study of historic weather. They also shed light on the experiences and methods of OS staff, contributing to a deeper understanding of Ireland's meteorological and survey history.

Between 2015 and 2024, 113 Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) were implemented across Greater London, with 27 subsequently removed. We investigated their impacts on road traffic injuries inside LTNs and on 'boundary roads' immediately surrounding the LTNs. We matched police-recorded injuries from STATS19 data to Ordnance Survey road links that were spatially intersected with LTNs/boundary roads. Conditional fixed-effects Poisson regression models used the number of injuries per road link per quarter of each year (January 2012 to June 2024) to test whether LTN implementation was associated with changes in injury rates. LTN implementation was associated with a 35% (95% CI 29% to 40%; p<0.001) decrease in all injuries and a 37% (95% CI 24% to 48%; p<0.001) decrease in people Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI). Injuries decreased across a range of casualty and LTN characteristics. However, there was evidence of a smaller benefit in LTNs implemented in Outer London since 2020. Following the removal of an LTN, injury numbers increased back to pre-intervention levels. On boundary roads, there was no evidence of a change in total injury numbers (estimate -2%, 95% CI -5% to +2%) or KSI injury numbers (estimate 0%, 95% CI -7% to +8%). This reflected decreased numbers of injuries on boundary roads for cyclists and motorcyclists, and no change for pedestrians and other motor vehicle users. LTNs in London reduced road traffic injuries among all road users inside the LTN areas, with no evidence of overall impact (and for cyclists and motorcyclists a benefit) on boundary roads.

Abstract Introduction Physical activity and social connectedness play an important role in healthy ageing. Access to facilities such as libraries, parks, and community centres can facilitate physical activity, social interaction, and community building. Little is known about how older adults use places for physical or social activities. This study aimed to explore the places mid-to-older adults go to, and why they choose to engage or not engage in physical and/or social activities in particular places. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with community-dwelling adults aged 55–75 years (n = 22; 65.0 ± 5.5 years) from two communities with high levels of deprivation in Scotland, Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire between September 2023 and March 2024. Taking a systems-based approach, we explored place utilisation among mid-to-older adults to support physical and social activity. Maps of participant’s local community populated from Ordnance Survey data, such as depicting parks, were used to guide the interviews. Results Participants varied according to levels of physical activity, frailty, and loneliness. Places for physical and social activities included community centres, green spaces, gyms, clubs, religious buildings, shops and places for eating and drinking. Social enablers to place utilisation included having inclusive, well-advertised activities in multi-purpose spaces like community centres to foster intergenerational connections, community cohesion, and social engagement. Physical enablers included the importance of accessibility and convenience, mobility-friendly design, and diverse transport options. Barriers to place utilisation included activities that perpetuated ageist sentiments, the rising costs of physical and social activities, and seasonal barriers such as poor weather and reduced daylight. Conclusions It is essential to provide affordable and engaging activities, as well as versatile spaces that combine recreation, learning, and social interaction to foster intergenerational and social connections for older adults. Additionally, infrastructure and transportation should prioritise accessibility, while communities should promote respect, inclusion, and active participation in society.

‘That's a powerful map’: Shared authority, public engagement, and the archives of the first Ordnance Survey of Ireland

Physical and online food outlet availability and its influence on out-of-home dietary behaviours in Great Britain: A repeated cross-sectional study.

‘A Digital Archive of Ireland’s Ordnance Survey’: Connecting Collections for Nineteenth-Century Ireland

This study uses building footprint data from the Ordnance Survey MasterMap to analyze construction and demolition activities across England from 2017 to 2023. By comparing the Topographic Object Identifiers (TOIDs) of each building between years, we identified newly constructed and demolished buildings, quantified changes, and used the bivariate color maps to visualize spatial patterns across England and within its five major cities. The study highlights the effectiveness of building footprint data in providing insights into urban changes and development trajectories, which are vital for urban planners and policymakers to understand dynamic urban processes and inform decision-making toward sustainable urban development.

Since the 1700s, global wetlands have declined by 3.4 million km2. Wetland quality loss is a key driver of freshwater pearl mussel (FPM) population decline in peaty catchments. GIS techniques were used to determine wetland cover in 1834 and 2023, in eight peaty FPM catchments in Ireland, based on historical Ordnance Survey mapping (1834) and Irish National Land Cover (NLC) mapping (2023). Historical catchment wetland change (1834–2023) ranged between a net loss of 7.03 to 29.96%. Wetland coverage in 2023 varied between 53.85 and 83.53%. In 1834, that coverage ranged from 59.72 to 89.85%. The Hydromusindex (HDi) was developed to evaluate catchment-scaled historical wetland change, which for each of the catchments studied was a net loss. This damage index was based on the ratio of the 2023 catchment wetland coverage in proportion to the 1834 baseline scenario, and the catchment proportional coverage of each wetland cover type weighted by their potential contribution towards water storage; higher HDi values indicate increased damage. The HDi values of eight studied catchments ranged from 21 to 46. The HDi can be used to assess catchment restoration design and to rank FPM catchments for restoration, under the Nature Restoration Law. Measurable targets for catchment-scaled restoration have been produced. The sum of weighted wetland scores, in contrast to predefined reference values, can be used for rapid damage evaluation. An estimated 41.06% of Ireland’s plantation forestry is located on peatlands and peat soils, thereby highlighting considerable opportunities in terms of meeting the EU Nature Restoration Law’s targets.

Amid growing public and policy concerns there is a great need for a systematic analysis of the relationship between commodity industries and social disorganization. Using data from the ONS, the UK Census, the UK Police Street-level Crime Dataset, and the POI Ordnance Survey, we analyse the association between gambling outlets as an example of a commodity industry and crime events across England and Wales and explore the possibility of a heterogeneous effect dependent upon the level of deprivation and residential stability of an area. Our findings show that gambling outlets are significantly and positively associated with different types of crime even when controlling for other businesses, the areas’ demographic and socio-economic characteristics. Small businesses provide distinctive shielding effects – in areas of high density of small business owners, there is no significant correlation between crime types and gambling density. Our results have significant policy implications.

ABSTRACT Active travel (AT) networks have only recently become a priority for urban planners in many countries, and networks of spatial data and applications that use them are also lacking. Road networks have historically been used as a proxy for pedestrian networks, yet they are a poor one as human movement is much less constrained than that of motorised vehicles. This study presents a novel approach to producing an attribute-rich network for AT, together with a semi-automated method to produce a width-attributed pavement network from topographic mapping agency data (based on a case study of Ordnance Survey (OS) MasterMap data from the UK). A shortest path network routing application using Dijkstra’s algorithm is presented to demonstrate the possibilities of AT routing incorporating increased attribution. The paper concludes by firstly proposing additional steps to further enhance the attribution of the network and finally by describing the relevant policy implications of this work.

From textbooks to takeaways: a geospatial analysis of clustering of takeaway outlets near London schools

M.S. Poluboyarov’s book “Antiquities of Penza Region in the Mirror of Toponymy” was an event-related comprehensive analysis of the names of “natural-geographical and other landscape objects of Penza region”, based “on archival sources of the 17th and 18th centuries”, on “allotment books, economic descriptions”, “Economic notes to the materials of the Ordnance Survey, cartographic sources of the 18th and 19th centuries” covering the Burtas, the Mordovian, and the Turkic toponymy of “the northern section of the former Wild Field, the Upper Sura, the southeastern part of Meschera and the Upper Trans-Khoper.” Deserving of high praise in general, allowing for subsequent reprints for learners, students, local historians and teachers of humanities, the book, of course, needs to discuss the details, to clarify individual conclusions and statements. The purpose of the study is to introduce when reading M.S. Poluboyarov’s book “Antiquities of Penza Region in the Mirror of Toponymy” some data that escaped from the author and to evaluate individual specific interpretations of the so–called burtasonyms, geographical names, mainly potamonyms left on the map of Penza Region allegedly from the Burtas, a mysterious people about whose origin and fate scientists continue to argue with fervency to this day. Materials and methods. The main source base of the research was made by historical and geographical data, inventoried by the author of the book “Antiquities of the Penza Region in the Mirror of Toponymy”, as well as historical, etymological and onomatological dictionaries, reference books, publications of predecessors. The main method of research is the historical-genetic method, which is expected to involve the historical sources and critical using the results of their consideration by their predecessors; an appeal to the data of reference books and various dictionaries. Research results. The article establishes the ambiguity of the following statement: The Burtas appellative, semantically close to the term “water, river”, is -is, on its basis 22 names developed in Penza region: the Katmis, the Koldais, the Umys, the Chipuris, the Shelemis, the Shuist (from the source of the Sura to Penza); the Kachais, the Kondrais, the Mais, the Old Koldais, the Chais ( from the upper reaches to the mouth of the river Inzy); the Katmis,the Kurmys (right tributaries of the Sura River); the Shirokois (tributary of the Issa River), the Sherkais (Muromka River basin), the Atmis, the Varezhka(!), the Sheldais (upper reaches of the Moksha River), the Atmis (tributary of the Ushinka river in the Burtas river basin), the Kermis, the Pechenvis); in Tambov region: the Big Lomovis, the Kolais. The postfix ‑-is goes back to Hungarian. viiz (in the original viz “water, river”), in which, under the influence of the Tatar language, the anlaut v- was lost, which, however, preserved in two potamonyms: the Lomovis and the Pechenvis. In fact, in part of the listed names, non-is, but-mis (the Cat-mis, the Shele-mis, the At-mis) or -mis (Kur-mis) is isolated, and the Lomovis allows for a variable division: Lomov-is (surname Lomov) and Lomo-vis (with the assumed -vis&lt;*-viis&lt;*-viis&lt;víz). In addition, the postfix -is forms not only potamonyms, but is also quite widely represented in derived anthroponyms, in particular, only in the dictionary of V.K. Magnitsky “Chuvash pagan names” more than three dozen male “pagan” names of various origins are revealed. Conclusions. The potamonyms of Penza Region inventoried by M.S. Poluboyarov on -(v) is require additional comparative historical analysis in a broader historical-linguistic and historical-ethnological context.

BackgroundArchaeological sites are increasingly threatened by climate-related hazards. In response, heritage management authorities initiated projects to document damage and plan risk assessment measures. We present a project initiated after the heavy rainfall and subsequent flood event of July 2021, which involved extensive fieldwork to document the damage to archaeological sites in the Rhineland. We use this database to characterise and assess the damage and investigate site-specific and geospatial factors to identify potential predictive parameters for site damage.ResultsDuring fieldwork, we found that the flood damaged 19% of the 538 archaeological sites surveyed. The majority of damaged sites are relatively recent, dating from the medieval or modern periods, and are associated with the use of water power. Damage was mainly caused by erosion, floating debris and washout, e.g. mortar. In a case study, we tested the option of comparing pre- and post-disaster Airborne Laser Scanning elevation data to identify damages. It showed that not only the damage detected during fieldwork was found but also additional areas of loss. In general, however, and quantified based on the entire dataset, the ordnance survey Airborne Laser Scanning data were of limited use for monitoring flood-related damage and could not replace fieldwork. Our statistical analysis of possible risk factors, including both site characteristics and geospatial parameters, using Naïve Bayes Modelling and chi-squared tests, showed that no set of parameters could consistently predict the preservation or damage of archaeological sites across all catchments. In contrast, some external geospatial factors correlated with the occurrence of damage.ConclusionsThe study highlights both the strengths and limitations of the approaches used to assess and predict the damage to the archaeological heritage in the 2021 flood zones of the Rhineland. It also demonstrates the complexity of the data and spatial processes involved, which limits generalisation but can still inform decision-making for archaeological site management and on-site protection measures in flood-prone areas. With the prospect of more frequent heavy rainfall due to climate change, the specific needs of the archaeological heritage should be integrated into broader prevention and disaster management plans.

BackgroundThe natural environment offers a plethora of health benefits and may mitigate the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2. However, they are also sites where interpersonal contact is frequent, amplifying the risk of transmission. Previous research has typically focused on green space or a measure of greenness. Greenness is often associated with fewer COVID-19 infections, whereas associations with green space are mixed. Very few studies have investigated blue spaces. To our knowledge, no studies have investigated associations between greenness, green space, and blue space with COVID-19 for a national population. Objectives &amp; ApproachWe aimed to investigate the impacts of exposure to the natural environment on the likelihood of testing positive for COVID-19 in small areas across Great Britain. We derived several measures of green space, greenness and blue space using data from Ordnance Survey and the Google Earth Engine. These measures were linked to the COVID-19 Infection Survey in a Trusted Research Environment. We used mixed-effects logistic regression to account for the multiple tests taken by each participant, adding a random effect for participant ID. We fit univariate models for each predictor and multivariate models for each environmental exposure, adjusting for sex, age, ethnicity, household occupancy, rurality, population density and deprivation. ResultsThe survey contained test results from a random and representative sample of over 500,000 participants. Approximately 11 million tests were taken by the cohort across three years. Conclusions &amp; Implications The results of this study will inform planning for the next pandemic.

Evaluating Ordnance Survey Sheets (1890s–1957) for Shoreline Change Analysis in the Maltese Islands: Identification of Differences in Cartographic Techniques and Precision