The Era of the Voxel Map Has Arrived

It seems astonishing to me now that only a fortnight has passed since I climbed to the roof of Maps Mania Tower and proclaimed to the world that the Age of the Pixel Map had begun. And yet here I stand before you today, bearing the sad news of its demise and announcing, with no little ceremony, that The Era of the Voxel Map Has Arrived.

Two weeks ago, I observed that "One notable limitation shared by most of these pixelated maps is their single, fixed perspective." My proposed solution was to create a pixel map offering four distinct viewpoints: North, South, East and West.

But I should have known that this limitation would ultimately prove to be the pixel map's fatal flaw. A pixel represents a two-dimensional square on a flat image. It was therefore perhaps inevitable that it would eventually fall to a successor born into a world of depth and volume. A voxel is essentially a pixel in three dimensions: a tiny cube occupying space rather than a square on a flat surface. Rather than being confined to a single viewpoint (or even four, as I had previously proposed), voxel maps can be rotated freely, allowing you to inspect the landscape from any angle.

The pixel map is dead. Long live the voxel map!

Warsaw in Voxels demonstrates the considerable advantages of this new cartographic order. Created by Piotr Migdał, this interactive, browser-based 3D map of central Warsaw combines OpenStreetMap data with a Minecraft and MagicaVoxel-inspired aesthetic. Built using Three.js, it transforms the Polish capital into a wonderfully detailed voxel landscape.

Essentially, what we have here is a real-world map borrowing techniques from the world of computer games. Alongside changing weather and daylight effects, the map features animated cars and pedestrians moving through the streets. You can even click on these animated figures to automatically switch to a first-person perspective, following their journey through the city as they move around its streets.