Glossary of Terms

A comprehensive dictionary of key concepts in leisure walking systems and geospatial technology.

This glossary provides definitions for key terms and concepts used throughout the Leisure Walking Systems Working Group's documentation. It is intended to serve as a reference for researchers, developers, designers, and anyone interested in the technical and theoretical foundations of walking systems.

Jump to section: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W

A
A/B Testing
A research method where two variants of a system (A and B) are compared to determine which one performs better against a specific metric.
Accessibility
The design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities or specific access needs. In walking systems, this includes features for wheelchair users, visually impaired individuals, and others.
Accuracy
A measure of how close a measurement is to the true value. In geospatial contexts, it refers to the degree to which location data corresponds to the real-world position.
Affordance
A property of an object or environment that indicates how it can be used. For example, a pavement affords walking.
API (Application Programming Interface)
A set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate with each other.
Augmented Reality (AR)
An interactive experience where computer-generated information is overlaid onto the real world.
B
Basemap
A background map layer that provides geographical context, such as satellite imagery, street maps, or terrain.
Beacon
A small, low-energy Bluetooth device used for indoor positioning and proximity-based notifications.
Bidirectional Search
A route-finding algorithm that searches simultaneously from the start and end points to find a path more efficiently.
Buffering
A GIS operation that creates a zone around a geographic feature at a specified distance.
C
Caching
Storing data locally to reduce the need to fetch it from a remote source, improving performance and reducing latency.
Cartography
The science and art of map-making.
Cognitive Mapping
The mental process of acquiring, storing, and recalling information about spatial environments.
Collaborative Filtering
A recommendation system technique that makes predictions about a user's interests by collecting preferences from many users.
Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A distributed network of servers that delivers web content to users based on their geographic location, improving speed and reliability.
Coordinate Reference System (CRS)
A framework used to define the position of points in space. Examples include WGS84 and British National Grid.
Crowdsourcing
Obtaining information or input for a task by enlisting the services of a large number of people, typically via the internet.
D
Data Model
An abstract model that organises elements of data and standardises how they relate to one another and to the properties of real-world entities.
Data Pipeline
A series of data processing steps where the output of one step is the input of the next, used for ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) operations.
Dead Reckoning
A method of estimating a current position based on a previously determined position, speed, and course over elapsed time.
Differential Privacy
A system for publicly sharing information about a dataset by describing the patterns of groups within the dataset while withholding information about individuals.
Digital Twin
A virtual model of a physical object or system, used for simulation and analysis.
Dijkstra's Algorithm
An algorithm for finding the shortest paths between nodes in a graph, which may represent, for example, road networks.
E
Elevation
The height of a geographic location above a fixed reference point, usually mean sea level.
ETL (Extract, Transform, Load)
A data integration process that combines data from multiple sources into a single, consistent data store.
Event-Driven Architecture
A software architecture paradigm promoting the production, detection, consumption of, and reaction to events.
Experience Sampling Method (ESM)
A research methodology that asks participants to report on their thoughts, feelings, and environment on multiple occasions over time.
F
FAIR Principles
A set of guiding principles for scientific data management and stewardship, ensuring data is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.
Federated Learning
A machine learning technique that trains an algorithm across multiple decentralised devices or servers holding local data samples, without exchanging them.
Folksonomy
A classification system created by users through the process of social tagging.
G
Geocoding
The process of converting addresses into geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude).
Geofencing
A virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area. A geofence can trigger an action when a device enters or leaves the area.
GeoJSON
An open standard format for representing simple geographic features, along with their non-spatial attributes.
Geospatial
Relating to data that has a geographic component, meaning it is associated with a specific location on Earth.
GIS (Geographic Information System)
A system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyse, manage, and present all types of geographical data.
GPS (Global Positioning System)
A satellite-based navigation system providing location and time information in all weather conditions, anywhere on or near the Earth.
Graph Database
A database that uses graph structures for semantic queries with nodes, edges, and properties to represent and store data.
H
H3
A hexagonal hierarchical geospatial indexing system developed by Uber. It partitions the Earth into hexagonal cells at different resolutions, useful for aggregating and analysing spatial data.
Haptic Feedback
The use of touch sensation in a user interface, such as vibrations, to provide information to the user.
Heuristic Evaluation
A usability inspection method that helps to identify usability problems in a user interface design.
Humanistic Geography
A branch of geography that focuses on the subjective human experience of place, space, and environment.
I
IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit)
An electronic device that measures and reports a body's specific force, angular rate, and sometimes orientation, using accelerometers and gyroscopes.
Inclusive Design
The practice of designing products and services to be accessible to and usable by as many people as reasonably possible without the need for special adaptation.
Interoperability
The ability of different information systems, devices and applications to access, exchange, integrate and cooperatively use data in a coordinated manner.
ISO 19115
An international standard for geographic information metadata, defining the schema for describing geographic information and services.
J
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)
A lightweight data-interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write and easy for machines to parse and generate.
K
KML (Keyhole Markup Language)
An XML-based file format for representing geographic data in an Earth browser such as Google Earth.
L
Landmark
A recognisable natural or artificial feature used for navigation; a key component in human spatial cognition.
Layered Architecture
A software architecture pattern that organises components into horizontal layers, such as presentation, application, and data layers.
Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging)
A remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth.
Longitudinal Study
A research design that involves repeated observations of the same variables over long periods of time.
M
Machine Learning
The scientific study of algorithms and statistical models that computer systems use to perform a specific task without using explicit instructions, relying on patterns and inference instead.
Metadata
Data that provides information about other data. For example, metadata for a photograph may include the date it was taken and the camera settings.
Microservices Architecture
An architectural style that structures an application as a collection of loosely coupled, independently deployable services.
Mixed-Methods Research
A research approach that combines both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Multi-Criteria Route Optimisation
The process of finding a route that balances multiple objectives, such as shortest distance, lowest elevation gain, and highest scenic value.
N
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
A field of artificial intelligence that enables computers to understand, interpret, and manipulate human language.
NDCG (Normalized Discounted Cumulative Gain)
A measure of ranking quality used in information retrieval to evaluate the effectiveness of a recommendation or search result list.
Network Analysis
A set of GIS operations used to analyse networks, such as road networks, to find shortest paths or service areas.
O
Ontology
A formal, explicit specification of a shared conceptualisation. In information science, it is a way of representing knowledge and relationships between concepts.
Open Data
Data that can be freely used, re-used and redistributed by anyone - subject only, at most, to the requirement to attribute and sharealike.
OpenStreetMap (OSM)
A collaborative project to create a free, editable map of the world.
Optimisation
The process of making something (such as a design, system, or decision) as fully perfect, functional, or effective as possible.
P
Participatory Design
An approach to design that attempts to actively involve all stakeholders (e.g., employees, partners, customers, citizens, end users) in the design process.
Pedestrian Dead Reckoning (PDR)
A technique for estimating a pedestrian's location by tracking their steps and heading using sensors like accelerometers and gyroscopes.
Phenomenology
A philosophical approach that focuses on the study of subjective, lived experience.
Place
A location imbued with human meaning, memory, and social significance, distinct from the abstract, geometric concept of space.
Point of Interest (POI)
A specific point location that someone may find useful or interesting.
PostGIS
A spatial database extender for PostgreSQL object-relational database. It adds support for geographic objects allowing location queries to be run in SQL.
Precision
A measure of a model's performance that quantifies the proportion of positive identifications that were actually correct.
Progressive Web App (PWA)
A type of application software delivered through the web, built using common web technologies including HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
Q
Qualitative Data
Data that is descriptive and conceptual, collected through methods such as interviews, observations, and focus groups.
Quantitative Data
Data that can be counted, measured, and expressed using numbers.
R
Raster Data
A type of spatial data that consists of a matrix of cells (or pixels) organised into rows and columns where each cell contains a value representing information.
Recall
A measure of a model's performance that quantifies the proportion of actual positives that were identified correctly.
Recommendation System
A subclass of information filtering system that seeks to predict the "rating" or "preference" a user would give to an item.
REST (Representational State Transfer)
An architectural style for designing networked applications, often used for creating web APIs.
Reverse Geocoding
The process of converting geographic coordinates into a human-readable address.
S
Schema
The structure or organisation of a database or data model.
Semantic Annotation
The process of adding metadata to data to describe its meaning, making it more understandable to machines.
Sense of Place
The subjective and emotional attachment people have to a location.
Serendipity
In recommendation systems, the quality of providing recommendations that are surprising yet relevant and useful to the user.
Spatial Cognition
How people acquire and use knowledge about their spatial environment to navigate it.
Spatial Indexing
A data structure that allows for efficient querying of spatial data, such as finding all points within a certain distance of another point.
SQL (Structured Query Language)
A standard language for storing, manipulating and retrieving data in databases.
T
Taxonomy
A hierarchical classification of entities of interest.
Temporal Data
Data that represents a state in time, such as the opening hours of a shop or historical weather patterns.
Think-Aloud Protocol
A usability testing method where participants verbalise their thoughts as they interact with a system, providing insights into their mental processes and reasoning.
Topology
In GIS, the spatial relationships between adjacent or connected features, such as how roads connect at intersections.
Topophilia
Coined by Yi-Fu Tuan, it refers to the love of or emotional connection to a place.
U
UI (User Interface)
The point of human-computer interaction and communication in a device.
Usability
The ease of use and learnability of a human-made object such as a tool or device.
User-Centred Design (UCD)
A design philosophy that places the user's needs, wants, and limitations at the centre of the design process.
UX (User Experience)
A person's perceptions and responses that result from the use or anticipated use of a product, system or service.
V
Vector Data
A type of spatial data that represents geographic features as points, lines, and polygons.
Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI)
Geographic information generated voluntarily by individuals, often through crowdsourcing projects like OpenStreetMap.
W
Wayfinding
The cognitive processes involved in navigating through an environment.
Web Mercator
A widely used projection for web mapping, notable for its preservation of shape and angles but significant distortion of area at high latitudes.
WGS84 (World Geodetic System 1984)
A standard for use in cartography, geodesy, and satellite navigation including GPS.