diff --git a/src/util/urlHelpers.js b/src/util/urlHelpers.js
index 405abdf5..f5f68528 100644
--- a/src/util/urlHelpers.js
+++ b/src/util/urlHelpers.js
@@ -1,4 +1,166 @@
-/* eslint-disable import/prefer-default-export */
+import queryString from 'query-string';
+import { types } from './sdkLoader';
 
-export const createSlug = (str) =>
-encodeURIComponent(str.toLowerCase().split(' ').join('-'))
+const { LatLng, LatLngBounds } = types;
+
+export const createSlug = str => encodeURIComponent(str.toLowerCase().split(' ').join('-'));
+
+/**
+ * Parse float from a string
+ *
+ * @param {String} str - string to parse
+ *
+ * @return {Number|null} number parsed from the string, null if not a number
+ */
+export const parseFloatNum = str => {
+  const num = window.parseFloat(str);
+  return window.isNaN(num) ? null : num;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Encode a location to use in a URL
+ *
+ * @param {LatLng} location - location instance to encode
+ *
+ * @return {String} location coordinates separated by a comma
+ */
+export const encodeLatLng = location => `${location.lat},${location.lng}`;
+
+/**
+ * Decode a location from a string
+ *
+ * @param {String} str - string encoded with `encodeLatLng`
+ *
+ * @return {LatLng|null} location instance, null if could not parse
+ */
+export const decodeLatLng = str => {
+  const parts = str.split(',');
+  if (parts.length !== 2) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  const lat = parseFloatNum(parts[0]);
+  const lng = parseFloatNum(parts[1]);
+  if (lat === null || lng === null) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return new LatLng(lat, lng);
+};
+
+/**
+ * Encode a location bounds to use in a URL
+ *
+ * @param {LatLngBounds} bounds - bounds instance to encode
+ *
+ * @return {String} bounds coordinates separated by a comma
+ */
+export const encodeLatLngBounds = bounds => `${encodeLatLng(bounds.ne)},${encodeLatLng(bounds.sw)}`;
+
+/**
+ * Decode a location bounds from a string
+ *
+ * @param {String} str - string encoded with `encodeLatLngBounds`
+ *
+ * @return {LatLngBounds|null} location bounds instance, null if could not parse
+ */
+export const decodeLatLngBounds = str => {
+  const parts = str.split(',');
+  if (parts.length !== 4) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  const ne = decodeLatLng(`${parts[0]},${parts[1]}`);
+  const sw = decodeLatLng(`${parts[2]},${parts[3]}`);
+  if (ne === null || sw === null) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return new LatLngBounds(ne, sw);
+};
+
+// Serialise SDK types in given object values into strings
+const serialiseSdkTypes = obj =>
+  Object.keys(obj).reduce(
+    (result, key) => {
+      const val = obj[key];
+      /* eslint-disable no-param-reassign */
+      if (val instanceof LatLngBounds) {
+        result[key] = encodeLatLngBounds(val);
+      } else if (val instanceof LatLng) {
+        result[key] = encodeLatLng(val);
+      } else {
+        result[key] = val;
+      }
+      /* eslint-enable no-param-reassign */
+      return result;
+    },
+    {}
+  );
+
+/**
+ * Serialise given object into a string that can be used in a
+ * URL. Encode SDK types into a format that can be parsed with `parse`
+ * defined below.
+ *
+ * @param {Object} params - object with strings/numbers/booleans or
+ * SDK types as values
+ *
+ * @return {String} query string with sorted keys and serialised
+ * values, `undefined` and `null` values are removed
+ */
+export const stringify = params => {
+  const serialised = serialiseSdkTypes(params);
+  const cleaned = Object.keys(serialised).reduce(
+    (result, key) => {
+      const val = serialised[key];
+      /* eslint-disable no-param-reassign */
+      if (val !== null) {
+        result[key] = val;
+      }
+      /* eslint-enable no-param-reassign */
+      return result;
+    },
+    {}
+  );
+  return queryString.stringify(cleaned);
+};
+
+/**
+ * Parse a URL search query. Converts numeric values into numbers,
+ * 'true' and 'false' as booleans, and serialised LatLng and
+ * LatLngBounds into respective instances based on given options.
+ *
+ * @param {String} search - query string to parse, optionally with a
+ * leading '?' or '#' character
+ *
+ * @param {Object} options - Options for parsing:
+ *
+ * - latlng {Array<String} keys to parse as LatLng instances, null if
+ *   not able to parse
+ * - latlngBounds {Array<String} keys to parse as LatLngBounds
+ *   instances, null if not able to parse
+ *
+ * @return {Object} key/value pairs parsed from the given String
+ */
+export const parse = (search, options = {}) => {
+  const { latlng = [], latlngBounds = [] } = options;
+  const params = queryString.parse(search);
+  return Object.keys(params).reduce(
+    (result, key) => {
+      const val = params[key];
+      /* eslint-disable no-param-reassign */
+      if (latlng.includes(key)) {
+        result[key] = decodeLatLng(val);
+      } else if (latlngBounds.includes(key)) {
+        result[key] = decodeLatLngBounds(val);
+      } else if (val === 'true') {
+        result[key] = true;
+      } else if (val === 'false') {
+        result[key] = false;
+      } else {
+        const num = parseFloatNum(val);
+        result[key] = num === null ? val : num;
+      }
+      /* eslint-enable no-param-reassign */
+      return result;
+    },
+    {}
+  );
+};
diff --git a/src/util/urlHelpers.test.js b/src/util/urlHelpers.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..be439437
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/urlHelpers.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+import { types } from './sdkLoader';
+import {
+  parseFloatNum,
+  encodeLatLng,
+  decodeLatLng,
+  encodeLatLngBounds,
+  decodeLatLngBounds,
+  stringify,
+  parse,
+} from './urlHelpers';
+
+const { LatLng, LatLngBounds } = types;
+
+const SPACE = encodeURIComponent(' ');
+const COMMA = encodeURIComponent(',');
+
+describe('urlHelpers', () => {
+  describe('parseFloatNum()', () => {
+    it('handles empty value', () => {
+      expect(parseFloatNum('')).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it('handles non-numeric value', () => {
+      expect(parseFloatNum('abc')).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it('handles int value with surrounding whitespace', () => {
+      expect(parseFloatNum(' 123 \t')).toEqual(123);
+    });
+
+    it('handles float value', () => {
+      expect(parseFloatNum('123.01')).toBeCloseTo(123.01, 2);
+    });
+
+    it('handles trailing chars', () => {
+      expect(parseFloatNum('123abc')).toEqual(123);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('LatLng serialisation', () => {
+    it('encodes and decodes', () => {
+      const location = new LatLng(40, 60);
+      expect(decodeLatLng(encodeLatLng(location))).toEqual(location);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('LatLngBounds serialisation', () => {
+    it('encodes and decodes', () => {
+      const bounds = new LatLngBounds(new LatLng(50, 70), new LatLng(30, 50));
+      expect(decodeLatLngBounds(encodeLatLngBounds(bounds))).toEqual(bounds);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('stringify()', () => {
+    it('handles empty params', () => {
+      expect(stringify({})).toEqual('');
+    });
+
+    it('sorts params', () => {
+      const params = { b: 'B', c: 'C', a: 'A' };
+      expect(stringify(params)).toEqual('a=A&b=B&c=C');
+    });
+
+    it('encodes values', () => {
+      const params = {
+        space: 'A and b',
+        num: 123,
+        bool: true,
+        undef: undefined,
+        nil: null,
+      };
+      expect(stringify(params)).toEqual(`bool=true&num=123&space=A${SPACE}and${SPACE}b`);
+    });
+
+    it('encodes SDK types', () => {
+      const params = {
+        origin: new LatLng(40, 60),
+        bounds: new LatLngBounds(new LatLng(50, 70), new LatLng(30, 50)),
+      };
+      const origin = `40${COMMA}60`;
+      const bounds = `50${COMMA}70${COMMA}30${COMMA}50`;
+      expect(stringify(params)).toEqual(`bounds=${bounds}&origin=${origin}`);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('parse()', () => {
+    it('handles empty string', () => {
+      expect(parse('')).toEqual({});
+    });
+
+    it('handles question mark', () => {
+      expect(parse('?')).toEqual({});
+    });
+
+    it('decodes values', () => {
+      const search = `bool1=true&bool2=false&num1=123&num2=-1.01&space=A${SPACE}and${SPACE}b`;
+      expect(parse(search)).toEqual({
+        space: 'A and b',
+        num1: 123,
+        num2: -1.01,
+        bool2: false,
+        bool1: true,
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('decodes SDK types', () => {
+      const origin = `40${COMMA}60`;
+      const bounds = `50${COMMA}70${COMMA}30${COMMA}50`;
+      const search = `bounds=${bounds}&origin=${origin}&invalid=a,10&badBounds=true`;
+      const options = {
+        latlng: ['origin', 'invalid'],
+        latlngBounds: ['bounds', 'badBounds'],
+      };
+      expect(parse(search, options)).toEqual({
+        origin: new LatLng(40, 60),
+        invalid: null,
+        bounds: new LatLngBounds(new LatLng(50, 70), new LatLng(30, 50)),
+        badBounds: null,
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});