Orienteering maps are one of the map products where the symbol set is standardized, no national deviations
are allowed. Orienteering has developed a new form of competition which was originally held in parks or urban areas.
This competition form is a very short and fast event where good media coverage is possible.
The use of parks and urban areas has a significant advantage: it brings the sport into the midst of people and offers
opportunities for increasing public and media awareness of orienteering.
The international specification for traditional orienteering maps contains symbols for man-made features. However, the
symbol set needed revision and extension in order to provide a clear and unambiguous interpretation of urban terrain
required for fair competition in sprint orienteering. There are a number of reasons why the mapping of urban areas
needs a modified approach compared to that used for the depiction of the 'classic' forested terrain
