Map Venice in 2D

Venice, Italy, built on a series of islands separated by canals, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. In this tutorial, you'll create a map of this unique city in ArcGIS Pro. First, you'll add data showing the city's structures, canals, and famous landmarks. Then, you'll symbolize the data appropriately and edit it to add some missing landmarks. This tutorial is an introduction to many basic 2D mapping concepts in ArcGIS Pro.

This tutorial was last tested on January 24, 2024, using ArcGIS Pro 3.2. If you're using a different version of ArcGIS Pro, you may encounter different functionality and results.

Requirements

• ArcGIS Pro (see options for software access)

Create a map

First, you'll create a map using ArcGIS Pro. Then, you'll search online for Venice data and add it to the map. To familiarize yourself with the data, you'll explore it with navigation tools and bookmarks.

Create a project

Before you make your map, you'll create a project in ArcGIS Pro. A project contains maps, databases, toolboxes, styles, and other folders that may be useful when making your map.

1. Start ArcGIS Pro. If prompted, sign in using your licensed ArcGIS organizational account.

   Note:

   If you don't have access to ArcGIS Pro or an ArcGIS organizational account, see options for software access.

   When you open ArcGIS Pro, you're given the option to create a new project or open an existing one. If you've created a project before, you'll see a list of recent projects.

2. Under New Project, click Map.

   

   The Map template creates a blank 2D map with your project by default. It's possible to add a map to any project no matter which template was used to create it, but this template will help you get started more quickly.

3. In the New Project window, for Name, type Venice.

   You can also set the location where your project is saved.

4. Optionally, for Location, choose the location where you want your project to be saved.

   Note:

   You can use the default location. If you do, make sure to keep note of the location so you can find the project later.

   

5. Click OK.

   The project is created. It contains a default map showing the World Topographic Map basemap.

   

Add data

To map Venice, you need data. You can add data in many ways, but in this tutorial, you'll search ArcGIS Online and add a layer package. A layer package can bundle multiple data layers into one file, allowing you to add a lot of data at once.

1. On the ribbon at the top of the page, click the Map tab. In the Layer group, click Add Data.

   

   The Add Data window appears. You can search for data in your project's folder (Project), online (Portal), and your computer (Computer).

   Note:

   If you're using ArcGIS Enterprise, download and unzip Venice_Data.zip to the project folder you created with the project. Browse to Venice_Data and add the Venice_Feature_Layers_2 item. For portal security, Enterprise doesn't allow users to search for items stored in ArcGIS Online. Data must be hosted in your licensing portal, ArcGIS Living Atlas, or locally.

2. In the Add Data window, under Portal, click ArcGIS Online.

   

3. In the search box, type Venice_Feature_Layers owner:Learn_ArcGIS and press Enter.

   

   Tip:

   Adding owner: to a search allows you to search for data owned by a specific account.

4. In the search results, double-click the Venice_Feature_Layers layer package.

   The layer package's layers are added to the map. The map zooms to Venice, Italy.

   

   The small green points are famous landmarks, the red lines are canals, and the turquoise polygons are structures.

Navigate the map

Next, you'll navigate the map and create bookmarks to quickly return to key areas.

1. On the Map tab, in the Navigate group, click the Fixed Zoom Out button.

   

   The map zooms out a fixed distance.

   Tip:

   You can also zoom by positioning the pointer in the map window and using your mouse's scroll wheel.

2. If necessary, continue to zoom out until you see the entire city.

   

   Venice is almost completely covered in structures. The basemap depicts the few areas of natural terrain in light green, although these areas are difficult to see due to the symbology of the structures. For now, you'll continue exploring.

3. On the Map tab, in the Navigate group, confirm the Explore button is selected.

   

4. Click and drag the map to pan across the bridge to the northwest.

   

   The bridge connects Venice to mainland Italy. Venice is in the Laguna Veneta, part of the Gulf of Venice in the Adriatic Sea. The Adriatic Sea's long, narrow shape amplifies water movement and contributes to Venice's high tides.

5. Pan back to Venice.

   Next, you'll create bookmarks to quickly navigate to points of interest.

6. On the Map tab, in the Navigate group, click the Bookmarks button and choose New Bookmark.

   

7. In the Create Bookmark window, for Name, type Venice. Click OK.
8. Zoom to the open area in the south-central part of the city, pictured below:

   

   Tip:

   To zoom to a specific extent, press and hold the Shift key and draw a box around the area on the map.

   This is the Piazza San Marco, Venice's main public square. It is one of Venice's most visited places.

9. Create a bookmark named Piazza San Marco.
10. Click the Bookmarks button and click the Venice bookmark.

    You return to the full extent of the city.

    Where might be another significant location to bookmark? Unless you've visited Venice before, you probably have no idea. Fortunately, the Landmarks layer shows significant locations.

11. Click any of the small green circles on the map to open its pop-up.

    

    Every feature has a pop-up. By default, a pop-up displays the attribute data of the selected feature. The above example includes the feature's name and a description of its significance.

12. Click some of the nine landmarks to learn about the data and the challenges that flooding poses to the city.

    Tip:

    The current symbology of the landmarks makes them blend into the structures. If you have trouble finding them, you can turn off the Structures layer by unchecking the box next to the layer name in the Contents pane.

13. Zoom to two or three points that interest you and create a bookmark for each.

    You can revisit these bookmarks when you analyze how flooding affects the city in a later tutorial.

14. Return to the Venice bookmark and close any open pop-ups. On the Quick Access Toolbar, click the Save button.

    

You've started a project in ArcGIS Pro, added data to a map, and explored the data. However, there's still more you can do with the data to make a useful and appealing map.

Symbolize layers

When you explored the data, it was difficult to distinguish some of the features because of the way they were symbolized. You'll symbolize your map more appropriately.

Symbolize the structures

First, you'll give the turquoise structures a more appropriate color.

1. In the Contents pane, under Structures, click the turquoise rectangle symbol.

   

   The Symbology pane appears, displaying the Gallery.

2. In the Symbology pane search box, type Sienna and press Enter. Choose the Sienna symbol.

   Note:

   Alternatively, you can choose any medium dark brown color.

   

   The symbology for the Structures layer updates from turquoise to brown.

   

Symbolize the canals

The canals are currently symbolized as dark red. Canals are water bodies, so representing them with a blue color would make more sense.

1. In the Contents pane, under Canals, click the red line symbol.
2. In the Symbology pane, click Properties.

   

3. For Color, click the symbol and choose Yogo Blue.

   

   Tip:

   Point to a color to see its name.

   This color will represent the canals without blending into the topographic basemap. However, the canals are thin and difficult to see in some places.

4. For Line Width, type 1.5 and press Enter.

   

5. At the bottom of the Symbology pane, click Apply.

   The Canals layer is more visible and better represents a waterway.

   

Symbolize the landmarks

The Landmarks layer represents important locations, so you'll create a custom symbol to draw attention to them.

1. In the Contents pane, under Landmarks, click the green point symbol.
2. In the Symbology pane, click Gallery. In the text box, type Push Pin and press Enter.

   The search returns several results.

3. Under ArcGIS 2D, double-click the largest Push Pin 2 symbol.

   

   The symbol updates on the map. You'll customize the default style to make it even more eye-catching.

4. In the Symbology pane, click Properties. Click the Layers button.

   

5. Under Appearance, for Shape fill symbol, choose Solid fill with outline (0.5 pt).

   

6. For Color, choose Dark Amethyst.

   

   A purple color will stand out against the brown structures. For the outline, a slightly darker shade will work.

7. For Outline color, choose Ultramarine.

   

8. Click Apply.

   

   The purple push pins stand out much more clearly than the green dots.

9. Close the Symbology pane. Save the project.

You've symbolized the layers. Previously, the map was symbolized in an unappealing and unclear way. Now, it's much more clear.

Edit features

The Landmarks layer is missing a few important landmarks in Venice, such as the Piazza San Marco you explored previously. Data may not always be perfect. That's okay; you'll edit the layer to add the missing places.

Edit the landmarks

First, you'll add a landmark feature at the Piazza San Marco.

1. Navigate to the Piazza San Marco bookmark.
2. On the ribbon, click the Edit tab. In the Features group, click the Create button.

   

   The Create Features pane appears. It displays the layers available for editing.

3. In the Create Features pane, click the Landmarks symbol.

   

   You can now add landmarks to the map.

4. Click the center of the Piazza San Marco to add a point.

   

   The new point is automatically selected, highlighting it in blue.

   Tip:

   If you don't like where you placed your point, you can delete it. Make sure the point is selected, and on the Edit tab, in the Features group, click the Delete button.

5. Navigate to the Venice bookmark.

   Next, you'll add a landmark to another important place in Venice: the Rialto Bridge.

6. Using your mouse wheel button, zoom in to the bridge that crosses the canal in the center of Venice.

   Tip:

   If you need to pan the map while creating features, hold C to temporarily allow panning.

   

   This is the Rialto Bridge, the oldest bridge in Venice.

7. Add a point to the bridge.

   

   Note:

   When you add a point, the pointer may snap to other feature layers. Snapping is an editing feature that makes it easier to place features next to each other. To turn off snapping, on the Edit tab, click the Snapping button (or temporarily suspend snapping by holding the spacebar while editing).

8. Navigate to the Venice bookmark.

   You'll add one more landmark at a location that serves an important function to Venice: the island of San Michele.

9. Zoom to the island just north of Venice.

   

10. Add a point near the center of the island.

    

    San Michele is the resting place of many of Venice's dead (but not always the final resting place—space is at a premium, and sometimes bodies need to be moved). Although not as famous as Piazza San Marco or the Rialto Bridge, it's still a significant landmark.

11. Return to the Venice bookmark and close the Create Features pane.

    When you close the pane, you will no longer add new features when you click the map. You'll save the edits you made.

12. On the ribbon, click the Edit tab. In the Manage Edits group, click the Save button.

    

13. In the Save Edits window, click Yes.

    Note:

    The Save button on the Edit tab saves any changes made to the selected layer in the Contents pane. It does not save the project. To save your entire project, click the Save button on the Quick Access Toolbar.

Edit attribute data

You've added three new features to the Landmarks layer. However, those features have no attributes to explain what they are or why they're important.

1. In the Contents pane, right-click Landmarks and choose Attribute Table.

   

2. Examine the fields in the attribute table.

   

   The Landmarks layer has four fields. ObjectID and Shape are set by the software, but the Name and Description fields are user-specified. The three points you added have Null values for those fields. The last point you added is selected both on the map and in the attribute table.

   Note:

   If you deleted a point during the editing process, your points may have different ObjectID values. Even though the IDs are different, it will not affect the tutorial.

3. In the row of the first point you added, double-click the Null value in the Name field to start editing. Type Piazza San Marco and press Enter.

   

4. Edit the Name attribute of the second point you added to Ponte di Rialto.
5. Edit the Name attribute of the last point to Isola di San Michele.

   The Description field includes a paragraph explaining the landmark's significance. Since these can be long, you'll paste them instead of typing.

6. Highlight and copy the following text:

   As Venice's main public square, the Piazza San Marco is one of the most visited places in the city, with some of its most famous landmarks. Popular attractions include St. Mark's Basilica, the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, and the Doge's Palace. The piazza is one of the lowest-lying areas of Venice and frequently floods when waters rise.

7. Double-click the Description field of the Piazza San Marco feature to start editing. Press Ctrl+V to paste the description from the previous step and press Enter.
8. Give the Ponte di Rialto feature the following description:

   The Ponte di Rialto, or Rialto Bridge, is the oldest of the four bridges that span Venice's Grand Canal. Historically, it provided an important connection to the main financial center of the city, the Rialto market. During acqua alta (high water) conditions, the majority of the elevated bridge remains dry, but surrounding areas require wooden footbridges to allow pedestrians safe travel.

9. Give the Isola di San Michele feature the following description:

   San Michele has served as Venice's cemetery since the early 19th century and holds the graves of Igor Stravinsky and Ezra Pound. Although the Cappella Emiliana chapel on the edge of the island is protected from flooding by metal barriers, it remains in danger of damage from particularly high flood water.

10. Confirm that all points have names and descriptions.

    

11. Close the attribute table.
12. On the Edit tab, in the Manage Edits group, click the Save button and save all edits.
13. In the Selection group, click Clear.

    

    The last feature you added is no longer selected.

14. On the Quick Access Toolbar, click Save.

    Your 2D map of Venice is complete.

    

In this tutorial, you created a 2D map of Venice, Italy. First, you created an ArcGIS Pro project. Then, you searched for and added data showing Venice's structures, canals, and landmarks. You symbolized the layers, then edited the landmarks to add a few notable missing locations.

The basic workflows you followed during this tutorial can be applied to almost any mapmaking project in ArcGIS Pro. You should try creating a map of an area of interest to you using what you learned in this tutorial.

You can find more tutorials in the tutorial gallery.

Acknowledgements

• The Structures, Canals, and Landmarks layers were acquired from Comune di Venezia - Portale dei servizi. The data is shared under the Italian Open Data License 2.0 (IODL-2.0), which allows for free copying and distributing of the data, as well as the creation of derivative works.
• Topographic map sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, Intermap, METI, OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community