On crowded street maps type placement can be the most complex work done, having to find a way to properly and clearly place a large number of labels in a small area so they are all legible and do their job as description and symbol.

On less dense maps the problem is sometimes the abundance of freedom we have at placing or symbolizing the labels that consumes our time. Unlike most geographic features or political boundaries type has less fixed positions in the real world (and often no required fixed position). We are free to make any number of silly mistakes with our placement and style choices where in most other cases the feature itself will guide our choices. That freedom can be a real pain when all you want to do is finish the map! ;)

Very cool post. I wish I had the time and tenacity to explore maps and mapping with you.

Ed Arabas