Since the dawn of interactive webmaps in the mid-1990s, map developers have cycled through many generations of technologies. From the early days of vanilla JS with native DOM and server-side tile rendering, to the modern days of Virtual DOM-based frameworks with WebGL and vector tiles, each generation of technology has utilized the cutting-edge to build the best possible map applications.

Just like the evolution from candles to gas lamps to electric bulbs, each iteration of map technology has brought an overall improvement in functionality while it matures and stabilizes over time. And while the current paradigm of React + ${Map Library} works pretty well, what if we could do it better?

In pursuit of elegant, highly functional, “chef’s kiss” interactive web maps, this talk presents a pattern of building applications with vanilla MapLibre, Svelte, and PMTiles, and compares the approach to the ways of old. Using the interactive Auckland map integrated into the FOSS4G conference website as an example, it gives heaps of practical advice for developers new and old.