Mapping a Local Budget Plan: Why and How?

Abstract

This study investigates the decision criteria of local decision makers (citizens, city councilors and employees of a local authority) within the process of establishing a local budget plan and the factors influencing effective map use within this process. For mapping the local budget plan, the expenditures of the city first had to be georeferenced. A methodical framework was necessary in order to define their spatial impact. Then, the data was presented to the local decision makers by combining different map types (choropleth maps, proportional dot symbol maps, pie chart maps, band signature maps), different data complexity, and variations of legend content (numerical and verbal). The study consists of two empirical parts. An online survey among the local decision makers was conducted in order to get information about their decision criteria and their spatial knowledge. Then, an eye-tracking study was used to compare their gaze behavior within different map and legend types in order to give recommendations for future map use. It was found that spatial thinking plays an important role, but spatial knowledge could be improved. Respondents have shown big interest in using maps in the process of establishing a local budget plan. The gaze parameters show that the respondents’ interest, their emotional addiction to the map topic, influences the average fixation duration more than the complexity of the map content.