The Summer Games are Returning to Los Angeles

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About the map

After 44 years, the Summer Games will be returning to Los Angeles. While we wait for the next Summer Games in 2028, this map journeys through time visualising the home cities of the last 11 Summer Games from 1984-2024. Back in 1984, history was made with the first ever women's marathon, Carl Lewis's numerous victories and synchronised swimming being introduced for the first time. Looking ahead to Los Angeles, they will be welcoming five new sports including Baseball, Lacrosse, Cricket, Squash and Flag Football. But the modern Summer Games haven't just been on a historical journey but a geographical one too, travelling to 11 different host cities.

Why it works

With the Summer Games returning to Los Angeles after 44 years, this static map visualises its geographical journey. Making use of multiple symbology techniques and drawing order, the map balances the visual hierarchy of a significant amount of overlapping data.

Looking beneath the data, stripping the basemap back to basics adds emphasis to the data and the golden colour ramp reinforces the theme of this map.

Important Steps

  • 1.

    Digitise point data of each host city dating 1984-2024 from The Olympic Studies Centre.

  • 2.

    Use the Generate Origin-Destination Links tool in the Analysis toolbox to connect each host city point. Specify ‘Geodesic’ line type to create curved features.

  • 3.

    Use the Buffer tool to convert the lines into polygon features. Symbolise with a golden colour ramp and set up varying symbology based on hosting year to determine the width of the feature outline.

  • 4.

    Symbolise each host city with their flag using picture markers and upload individual PNGs. Duplicate the point layer to create a semi-transparent shadow behind each host city to emphasise the points.

  • 5.

    Using the Vector Tile Style Editor, simplify the Dark Gray Canvas basemap by removing the reference layer and darkening land and sea elements.

  • 6.

    Design the format of your map before diving straight into a layout in ArcGIS Pro. Design a legend in PowerPoint and bring it into your layout as an image.

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Requirements

  • Data and software

    The Olympic Studies Centre holds historical archives dating back to the first modern international Olympic Games of 1896. These records were used to create digital points for the host cities using ArcGIS Pro.

  • Analysis

    The focus of this map is on its cartography and visual hierarchy. Minimal analysis was used to create this map.

  • Time

    Creating the data took very little time. Most time was spent on the cartography and design of the layout.

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Tips and tricks

  • olympic-host-cities-tip-1

    Visual hierarchy of data

    In the advanced symbology settings, you can specify feature drawing order to layer the most recent years on top.

  • olympic-host-cities-tip-2

    Multi-symbology

    Both colour and width of the lines are symbolised over time to emphasise the story.

  • olympic-host-cities-tip-3

    Get creative

    Don’t be afraid to create your own map elements to bring into ArcGIS Pro. To get the legend we wanted for this map it was quicker to draw it using PowerPoint and bring it into the layout as an image.

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Links & Resources

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Claudia Hodgson

Map Author

Claudia Hodgson (she/her)

Claudia is a Customer Success Consultant at Esri UK. Away from her desk, she has a keen interest in travelling, photography and being outdoors.

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