Geospatial

Makecade Map Portal

High-resolution UK open data visualizers powered by MapLibre GL JS and cloud-optimized PMTiles. Stream complex geospatial boundaries directly to your browser with zero server rendering.

Architectural Overview

Makecade Map Portal bridges the gap between complex governmental spatial data releases and public civic understanding. Historically, UK census records, indices of deprivation, and school performance tables have been locked inside colossal multi-gigabyte shapefiles, static PDF reports, or cumbersome legacy GIS portals.

Our geospatial architecture converts official datasets into cloud-optimized vector tile pyramids (PMTiles). By pairing HTTP byte-range queries with client-side WebGL GPU rendering, users can seamlessly zoom and pan across all 33,755 Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in England at 60 FPS, with zero geographic latency and zero server-side logging of user queries.

Engineered For Performance

Geospatial Innovation & Infrastructure

Serverless PMTiles Vector Streaming

Single-file tile archives hosted on edge storage eliminate slow spatial database queries and provide instant geographic rendering.

Full Hardware-Accelerated WebGL Rendering

MapLibre GL JS renders vector geometries, dynamic choropleth shading, and interactive boundaries directly on your device GPU.

Open Government Licence (OGL v3.0) Compliance

All source datasets are rigorously cross-referenced against authoritative UK statutory sources with full provenance disclosures.

Granular Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA) Resolution

Examine socio-economic indicators, school catchments, and local authority balance sheets at neighborhood-level precision.

Catalog & Capabilities

Available Geospatial Applications

Explore individual applications within Makecade Map Portal. Each utility operates independently with complete local state isolation. You can launch individual applications directly or access the platform hub:

Open DataMapLibre GL JS + PMTiles + OGL v3.0 Data

English Indices of Deprivation (IoD 2025)

Interactive decile choropleth map across all 33,755 English LSOAs covering income, health, education, and crime.

Official UK governmental deprivation index mapped at neighborhood resolution with domain filtering.

  • Domain-specific decile heatmaps
  • LSOA code & postcode lookup
  • Comparative statistical overlays
EducationDfE Database + Spatial Catchment Modeler

UK Schools, Catchment & 2026 Ofsted Explorer

Primary, secondary, and special schools mapped with 2026 inspection reports and estimated admission catchments.

Comprehensive guide for parents and educators exploring school performance, demographics, and admissions.

  • Historical inspection grade tracking
  • Admission polygon modeling
  • Pupil-to-teacher ratio statistics
Public FinanceCIPFA Datasets + Outturn Balance Sheets

CouncilWatch: UK Local Authority Fiscal Health

Insolvency risk indicators, usable reserves, and debt obligations for every English local council.

Independent civic monitoring dashboard tracking Section 114 risks and municipal financial reserves.

  • Municipal Insolvency Risk Score (MIRS)
  • Long-term borrowing debt metrics
  • Social care expenditure pressure index
PhotographyAstronomy Engine + Digital Elevation Models

FindFrame: Scene Search & Celestial Alignment

Precision shot planner calculating sun and moon azimuth alignment with architectural landmarks.

Geospatial ephemeris visualizer helping photographers align celestial bodies with physical terrain.

  • High-precision ephemeris algorithms
  • Terrain elevation occlusion modeling
  • Golden hour & blue hour azimuth vectors

Documentation & Methodology

Technical Insights & Methodology

Understanding the English Indices of Deprivation (IoD 2025)

The English Indices of Deprivation, published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), represents the official measure of relative deprivation for small geographic areas across England. The index subdivides the country into 33,755 Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs), each containing approximately 1,500 residents or 650 households.

Rather than relying solely on raw household income, the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) synthesizes 39 separate indicators organized into seven distinct domains: Income Deprivation, Employment Deprivation, Education, Skills and Training, Health Deprivation and Disability, Crime, Barriers to Housing and Services, and Living Environment. Our visualizer lets researchers, policymakers, and residents inspect deciles and ranks across individual domains to understand neighborhood-specific challenges.

Municipal Financial Resilience & The CouncilWatch Metric

In recent years, an unprecedented number of English local authorities have issued Section 114 notices—effectively declaring municipal bankruptcy due to severe funding shortfalls, inflationary pressures on statutory social care, and volatile commercial property investments. CouncilWatch demystifies local government finance by compiling published Revenue Outturn (RO) balance sheets and Section 25 budget reports into clear financial health indicators.

The Municipal Insolvency Risk Score (MIRS) measures an authority’s unallocated general fund reserves against its net annual revenue expenditure, highlighting councils at imminent risk of financial insolvency. This tool equips journalists, taxpayers, and civic researchers with transparent, verifiable fiscal intelligence.

Support & Details

Frequently Asked Questions: Makecade Map Portal

Our pipelines ingest new statutory releases as soon as official data publishers publish them. Ofsted school inspection ratings and catchment models update quarterly, while economic indices refresh according to the national census and MHCLG statistical release calendars.