OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap is a collaborative project to create a free editable geographic database of the world. The project was founded in 2004 by Steve Coast in the United Kingdom, inspired by the success of Wikipedia and the restrictions on use of Ordnance Survey data. The data is collected by volunteers through ground surveys, GPS devices, aerial photography, and other free sources, and is released under the Open Database License. It is used by individuals, companies, and governments for a vast array of applications, from navigation and cartography to humanitarian aid and data analysis.

History

The project was launched in August 2004 by Steve Coast, then a student at University College London. The initial focus was on mapping the United Kingdom, where copyright restrictions on the Ordnance Survey motivated the creation of a free alternative. Early growth was fueled by the mapping party phenomenon, where volunteers gathered to survey areas. Key milestones include the 2006 founding of the OpenStreetMap Foundation in England and Wales, the 2008 Haiti earthquake which demonstrated its utility for humanitarian response, and the 2010 switch from the Creative Commons license to the Open Database License. Major corporate contributions began around 2010, with companies like Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft integrating or donating data.

Data collection and production

Data is primarily collected by a global community of volunteers using diverse methods. These include direct ground surveys with GPS receivers, digitizing from aerial imagery provided by partners like Microsoft (through its Bing Maps platform) and Maxar Technologies, and importing from publicly available government sources such as the United States Census Bureau's TIGER data. The humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team organizes focused mapping efforts for disaster response and development projects. The raw data is edited and maintained using software like the iD editor, JOSM, and Vespucci, and changes are tracked via the Apache Subversion-inspired versioning system.

Data structure and distribution

The foundational data model consists of three core elements: nodes (points), ways (linear features and area boundaries), and relations (to group other elements). Geographic features are tagged with key-value pairs (e.g., `highway=residential`, `name=Main Street`). The primary data dump, the Planet.osm, is published weekly. Data is served via the Overpass API for querying and the Mapnik tile rendering engine for creating map images. Major distributors and hosts include Geofabrik and the OpenStreetMap Foundation's own servers.

Uses and applications

Applications are vast and cross-sector. In navigation, it powers routing engines for GraphHopper, OSRM, and the Maps.me application. Major technology firms like Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft use it in various services. It is critical for humanitarian aid, with organizations like the American Red Cross and the United Nations using it for crisis mapping. Wikipedia and Wikimedia Foundation projects integrate it via the Kartographer extension. Governments, including those of France and the Netherlands, use it for official purposes. The data is also fundamental for academic research in fields like urban planning and epidemiology.

Community and organization

The project is stewarded by the OpenStreetMap Foundation, a non-profit registered in England and Wales. Local chapters, such as OpenStreetMap United States and OpenStreetMap France, support regional communities. Global and regional conferences like State of the Map are key gathering points. The community operates on a consensus-driven model, with policies debated on mailing lists and the OpenStreetMap Wiki. Dispute resolution is managed by the Data Working Group. Corporate involvement is significant, with engineers from companies like AWS and Grab contributing actively alongside individual mappers.

Comparison to proprietary map data

Unlike proprietary datasets from Google Maps, HERE Technologies, or TomTom, the data is freely available for use, modification, and distribution under an open license, which avoids licensing fees and legal restrictions. While commercial providers may have more consistent coverage in some regions due to professional survey teams and fleets like Google Street View, it often excels in detail and timeliness in areas with active communities, such as major European cities. The open model allows for rapid updates during events like the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, but can lead to variable quality. Its crowdsourcing approach is philosophically aligned with projects like Wikipedia and stands in contrast to the closed data silos of corporations.

Category:OpenStreetMap Category:Geographic data and information Category:Open content