Area Mapping On Foot

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Jinumon

The smallest scale for area maps seems to be about 1:5,000, wherein one inch on a map corresponds to 5,000 inches, or about 420 feet. Assuming we want a map that is accurate enough to distinguish, say, individual units in a tenement building, we'll probably want it accurate to around 10 feet. That's the modern equivalent of 42 dpi, or about 1,800 data points per square inch.

I think maps with that kind of data density are strictly a modern thing. An area map that's hand-drawn would not attempt to be that detailed: it might show the outlines of a village or town, but there would be a separate map on a larger scale to show buildings with some accuracy.