21/11/2024-27/11/2024
OpenStreetMap data downloadable with tags either in English or translated into French [1] | Implemented by SeverinGeo for Les Libres Geographes | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors)
Breaking news
- ResultMaps will be going under maintenance on December 3, 2024.
Community
- Enock4seth urged mappers in Accra, Ghana, to stop relying solely on outdated Bing imagery for OpenStreetMap updates, highlighting Esri World Imagery as more recent and better aligned.
- The data quality of the recent Foursquare 104M point of interest dataset release has garnered mixed reviews, with several concerns raised, including potential Apache 2.0 incompatibility with OSM’s ODbL, transient entries, such as ships and planes from a decade of travel logs, tourists recording activities in their native languages, complaints about traffic jams, instances of trolling and profanity, and numerous POIs inaccurately placed miles from their true locations.
- Simon Willison highlighted OpenStreetMap’s ‘share’ feature, which generates iframe HTML for embedding maps. Parameters include bounding boxes, markers, and layers like Mapnik, CycleMap, and HOT, making it easy to integrate maps into web pages using simple configurations.
- More SotM 2024 videos have been uploaded recently – check them out!
- Pieter Vander Vennet highlighted a collaborative ecosystem of OpenStreetMap tools, as shown in Paul Dassori’s screenshot from Valdivia, Chile. The iD editor displays orange dots representing locations with images available via Panoramax, a federated system integrating Panoramax.xyz, Panoramax MapComplete, and contributions from MapComplete users like Awo, showcasing a rich dataset of geolocated photos.
OpenStreetMap Foundation
- Arnalie Vicario reflected on the launch of the OSMF-LCCWG Sub-committee for Affiliation Models, which aims to propose ways to include informal and thematic user groups in OSMF affiliation. Highlights included a successful volunteers’ meet up, co-leads’ planning session, and clear goals for improving inclusion. The next volunteers’ meet up is set for Saturday 14 December.
- After 18 years on Ubuntu, OpenStreetMap has migrated its infrastructure to Debian 12 (Bookworm), enhancing performance and stability. This transition, driven by improved package management and performance fixes for I/O-bound systems, included upgrading core services including Ruby on Rails for openstreetmap.org. The team praised Debian’s community and maintainers for their responsiveness and support.
Events
- The first Panoramax monthly online meeting took place on Monday 25 November, gathering contributors to discuss updates, community insights, and plans for the federated geospatial image platform. Highlights included feature development, collaboration opportunities, and goals for expanding usage. Watch the screencast or review the minutes. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 17 December.
- The State of the Map Kerala 2024 conference took place on 16 and 17 November at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Pookode, Wayanad, Kerala, India. The event brought together over 150 mappers from across India for a vibrant annual gathering focused on learning, sharing, and collaboration in the mapping community.
Education
- Anne-Karoline Distel demonstrated how to use OpenCamera to capture street-level imagery as open data and upload it to Panoramax. The video is also available on PeerTube.
- IVIDES.org held
► a workshop on collaborative mapping using OpenStreetMap and web mapping with uMap, led by Dr Raquel Dezidério Souto. This session continues the 17 training sessions given by the Institute for mapper groups of Brazil, Central America, and Africa countries this year. The presentation was given in Portuguese and the training material is publicly available.
►
Maps
- WasteFreeMap is a global, crowdsourced map of recycling collection points, combining OpenStreetMap data with user contributions such as photos, reviews, and schedules. The platform highlights ► permanent and temporary recycling locations worldwide, aiming to improve transparency and participation in sustainable waste management.
- Tired of dimmed maps on OSM.org? Fix it with a simple uBlock Origin filter; add this rule to brighten up your map:
openstreetmap.org##img.leaflet-tile:style(filter: brightness(1) !important)Also, this fix is also available as a Violentmonkey script here.
►OSM in action
- City Planner Plays reviewed City Bus Manager, a game that lets you build and manage a bus company anywhere in the world, using real-world maps based on OpenStreetMap data. Plan routes, optimise schedules, and grow your business while overcoming unique challenges in different cities.
- Ubahnverleih has investigated the OpenStreetMap data used in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and concluded, after extensive flying, building height comparisons, and Overpass API queries, that the dataset likely corresponds to the planet file from 26 August 2024.
Open Data
- [1] Séverin Ménard has introduced an ETL service within the Free Francophone Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI), allowing users in 28 Francophone Southern countries to access OpenStreetMap data with tags either in English or translated into French. This innovation bridges the language barrier in geospatial data utilisation, particularly benefiting non-English-speaking regions, and is supported by minute-level updates for real-time accuracy. In the Les Libres Géographes‘ blog, he explained / the background, the technical approach and how to get the data.
/ 
the background, the technical approach and how to get the data.Software
- Martin Raifer reflected on his State of the Map 2024 talk about improving the iD editor. Key points included addressing data complexity, supporting map maintenance with features such as the last checked date tagging, and making lifecycle mapping more intuitive. Collaborative efforts, such as Mattia’s on lifecycle tagging, were highlighted alongside plans for the upcoming iD version 2.31 release. Future community chats are scheduled for Wednesday 4 December and Wednesday 8 January.
Programming
- The GeoDesk team has released a lightweight, open-source OpenStreetMap toolkit for C++, designed for efficient in-process queries with minimal hardware requirements. It converts OSM pbf files into compact databases (the full planet is under 100 GB), supports advanced geospatial queries and operations, and offers compatibility with GEOS for additional functionality. Future plans include a C API for broader language integration.
- The osm-to-3dprint tool allows users to export OpenStreetMap data, convert it to STL format, and prepare it for 3D printing. Designed for easy customisation and optimised for larger area exports, it ensures models are print-ready with minimal file size and no non-manifold edges. The Python-based tool supports height adjustments and efficient processing, making it ideal for creating city models.
Did you know that …
- … OpenMapChest provides weekly updated Garmin maps using OpenStreetMap data? You can also build your own Garmin maps from an OSM extract by following this guide.
- … OpenHistoricalMap is now available as a map layer in Gramps Web, a collaborative web application for building family trees? This integration provides genealogical researchers with dynamic historical maps to explore family history and geopolitical changes over time.
OSM in the media
- Pieter Vander Vennet led two surveillance camera mapping walks, in Ghent, Belgium, using MapComplete, drawing press coverage from local TV, newspapers, and VTM, highlighting OpenStreetMap volunteers’ efforts to map cameras for better transparency in urban spaces.
Other “geo” things
- Daniel Estévez announced that there is a new feature for Maia SDR (Software Defined Radio) to integrate geolocation into the SigMF metadata using the HTML5 geolocation API to gather location data from mobile devices. The opt-in feature allows users to include or clear their location at any time, with details available in a linked GitHub pull request.
- The NH Stone Wall Mapper application provides an interactive ArcGIS map viewer, from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, that allows users to explore environmental data, including water resources, air quality, and land management for planning and analysis purposes.
- OpenCulture presented all 42 maps from Jules Verne’s Extraordinary Voyages, highlighting their blend of real and fictional geography. Often created under Verne’s supervision, these engravings reflected his passion for cartography and storytelling, fusing science and imagination in one of the most iconic series of 19th-century literature.
- Jan Adriaenssens reviewed the web app ‘Allmaps Here’, which lets users view their location on georeferenced historical maps, offering a unique way to explore cities including Antwerp and Brussels through centuries-old cartography. Created by Bert Spaan, the app combines old maps with modern geolocation, enabling discoveries about urban history and geography.
Upcoming Events
| Where | What | Online | When | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ঢাকা | State of the Map Asia  | 2024-11-29 – 2024-11-30 |  | |
| Chambéry | Mapathon débutant saison 24/25 CartONG | 2024-12-02 |  | |
| Salzburg | OSM Treffen Salzburg | 2024-12-03 |  | |
| Missing Maps London: (Online) Mapathon [eng] | 2024-12-03 | |||
| Stuttgart | Stuttgarter OpenStreetMap-Treffen | 2024-12-04 |  | |
| iD Community Chat | 2024-12-04 | |||
| OSM Indoor Meetup | 2024-12-04 | |||
| LCCWG Monthly Meeting | 2024-12-05 | |||
| Montrouge | Réunion des contributeurs de Montrouge et du Sud de Paris | 2024-12-05 | | |
| OSMF Engineering Working Group meeting | 2024-12-06 | |||
| København | OSMmapperCPH | 2024-12-08 |  | |
| 中正區 | OpenStreetMap x Wikidata Taipei #71 | 2024-12-09 |  | |
| San Jose | South Bay Map Night | ✓ | 2024-12-11 |  |
| Salt Lake City | OSM Utah Monthly Map Night | 2024-12-12 | | |
| Lorain County | OpenStreetMap Midwest Meetup | ✓ | 2024-12-12 | |
| Žilina | Missing Maps mapathon Žilina #15 | 2024-12-12 |  | |
| München | Münchner OSM-Treffen | 2024-12-12 | | |
| Bochum | Bochumer OSM Treffen | 2024-12-12 | | |
| LCCWG SubCommittee – OSMF Affiliation Models Volunteers Meetup | 2024-12-14 |
Note:
If you like to see your event here, please put it into the OSM calendar. Only data which is there, will appear in weeklyOSM.
This weeklyOSM was produced by MarcoR, Raquel Dezidério Souto, SeverinGeo, Strubbl, TheSwavu, YoViajo, barefootstache, derFred, mcliquid.
We welcome link suggestions for the next issue via this form and look forward to your contributions.