11/09/2025-17/09/2025
Development of the number of members eligible to vote in board elections (blue dashed), the number of votes (blue) and the relative participation as a percentage (red) in OSMF board elections [1] | © Imagico.de
Mapping
- Comments are requested on these proposals:
role=request_stopto mark stops as request stops along route relations.beauty=*to indicate a hair salon’s specialisation in women, men, or mixed clientele.votive=*andvotive_offering=*to more accurately record votive sites and the type of objects sacrificed.
Mapping campaigns
- Saarpfalz-Touristik is planning
► to hold a mapathon on Thursday 9 October to update hiking data in Saarpfalz, Germany.
►
Community
- Daniel Capilla passed ► through the town of Almogía (Spain) to photograph three recently inaugurated Stolpersteine (
memorial=stolperstein), which are commemorative cobblestones that honour the victims of Nazi concentration camps. - fghj735 explained how to use the infrared imagery provided by the European Space Agency to aid in landuse mapping.
- Henry Bellick explained the concepts of latitude and longitude, which are essential for map reading.
- Ed, from OpenCage, interviewed long-time OSM contributor Martijn van Exel about the Meet Your Mappers app.
- MarcoR saw that OpenStreetMap had once again reached the milestone of 10 million registered accounts. He notes that this number had already been exceeded earlier this year and in 2023, but had dropped, likely due to the banning of spam accounts. Only about 23% of the accounts have made any edits. If one counted all account IDs, including deleted or banned ones, the number would more than double.
- Frederik Ramm, of Geofabrik, announced the ramping up of the Geofabrik download server infrastructure, while also appealing to users to ‘download responsibly’, noting that in the past there have been several cases where irresponsible downloading disrupted the service for others.
- Triggered by a blog article about what a centenarian and 14-year-long Wikipedia contributor can teach us, Christian Quest wondered if we have any centenarian contributors to OpenStreetMap. Do you know of any?
►OpenStreetMap Foundation
- OSMF board will take place on Thursday 25 September 2025 at 13:30 UTC in this video room.
The topics are:
- Voting for Chairperson
- Voting for Treasurer
- Voting for Secretary
- Voting for non-officer roles
- Administrative: Approval of previous minutes, Circular Resolutions
- Any other business
- Guest comments or questions
- The OpenStreetMap Awards 2025 are now open for voting. Help to recognise exceptional OpenStreetMap contributors for the past year. You can vote for each of the 7 categories. Don’t forget to hit ‘Submit my votes’ at the bottom of the page. The voting will end on Tuesday 30 September, right before the State of the Map 2025 conference, where the winners will be announced.
- Grant Slater has invited you to a meeting on Saturday 27 September at 13:00 UTC (14:00 BST), for a short technical introduction to how the OpenStreetMap.org Operations Team runs the project’s infrastructure. He will cover its architecture and tooling, how the test and deploy changes are realised, and practical ways you can contribute to the project (SRE, networking, Chef/OpenTofu, CI, monitoring, etc).
- [1] Christoph Hormann argued that the formal members of the OpenStreetMap Foundation are no longer meaningfully involved, with real influence shifting toward long-term participants such as working group members and staff.
Local chapter news
- OpenStreetMap US and Mapillary have launched the US edition of CompleteTheMap, a challenge rewarding contributors for collecting street-level imagery to enhance map quality.
- FOSSGIS held ► the second online networking meeting for the FOSSGIS community on Wednesday 10 September, where 14 participants gathered to discuss various topics related to GIS, such as the concept of the digital twin and XPlanung (the German spatial planning data standard). The next networking meeting will take place on Wednesday 10 December.
Education
- IVIDES DATA is offering a series of three workshops on mapping in OpenStreetMap with the most popular editors, taught in Portuguese. The meetings are being broadcast on the IVIDES YouTube channel and no registration is required. Participants will receive a certificate of participation after submitting their mapping results to the organisation. The first workshop was held on Thursday 18 September and two more workshops are scheduled for 25 September and 1 October, with sessions using JOSM.
- Anne-Karoline Distel has made a video on building a chamfer stop database in uMap, while also introducing several of the new features of the platform.
a series of three workshops on mapping in OpenStreetMap with the most popular editors, taught in Portuguese. The meetings are being broadcast on the IVIDES YouTube channel and no registration is required. Participants will receive a certificate of participation after submitting their mapping results to the organisation. The first workshop was held on Thursday 18 September and two more workshops are scheduled for 25 September and 1 October, with sessions using JOSM.OSM research
- HeiGIT reported that researchers have modelled time-dependent solar exposure for the entire pedestrian network of Heidelberg, Germany, by combining high-resolution DEM/DSM building and vegetation data with OpenStreetMap road data. Results show that significant reductions in pedestrian heat exposure are possible with minimal detours, though some areas lack shaded alternatives.
Maps
- Ralph Straumann, of Spatialist – geospatial news, reviewed Basemapkit, an open-source collection of basemap styles based on the Protomaps OSM pmtiles builds.
- Please Try My App presents an interactive map rating the liveability of US cities, including assessments of things to do, safety, and infrastructure.
OSM in action
- On Thursday 25 September in Pawtucket, Eric Theise and Ed Osborn will create a synaesthetic art experience by blending improvised digital map projections with live electronics and soundscapes.
Open Data
- Civio has won a landmark case in Spain’s Supreme Court forcing the government to release the source code of BOSCO, the algorithm used to decide social welfare eligibility, marking a major victory for transparency and digital democracy.
Software
- On Saturday 27 September, JOSM will turn 20. JOSM’s first code commit was made in 2005 by imi, laying the foundation for the widely used OpenStreetMap editor.
- Cardinal Maps is a privacy-friendly open-source maps app for Android offering fast online and offline navigation without ads or tracking, with support for self-hosted map services.
- Soen has developed Tracy, a tool that helps quickly update maps in your area.
- Jean-Marc Liotier has provided Isosmfar, an interactive tool for visualising OpenStreetMap data fields such as density or distance, with customisable parameters and export options.
- Shoogle is a community-driven directory that displays up-to-date shopping options across the US using OpenStreetMap data and encourages users to help improve coverage.
- TIGER King is a lightweight web tool for efficiently cleaning up outdated TIGER road data in the US, streamlining the addition of tags inluding
surfaceandlanes, removing legacy import tags, and allowing quick edits directly to OpenStreetMap.
Programming
- Aselnigu explained how to draw circles on web maps to implement a geolocation feature that shows the user’s current location and the location’s accuracy.
- GuildMasterDev has created Cartographer, a privacy-focused desktop app for interactively using OpenStreetMap with marker placement, route visualisation, and multiple map styles, all without needing location permissions.
- lpf452 explained how to perform an automated mass edit to add the
name:zhandname:zh-Hanttags using C++.
Releases
- Jonathan Lurie has worked on the Basemapkit project to add some mountains. You can see the demonstration and also access the repository.
- Marc Tobias announced that Nominatim now provides information on where a point of interest can be entered and exited, rather than only returning its centre point.
- osm2pgsql 2.2 has added a locator feature for efficient region detection of OSM objects and new callbacks, enabling the handling of deleted objects for advanced data processing.
- Organic Maps has introduced a redesigned route planning screen and the ability to view OpenStreetMap description tags on iOS, alongside various improvements and bug fixes across both platforms.
Did you know that …
- … PTNA performs daily analyses of how completely and accurately public transport is mapped in OpenStreetMap? PTNA includes support for GTFS data.
Other “geo” things
- IVIDES Publishing is seeking chapter proposals in Portuguese for the second volume of Case Studies in Collaborative and Participatory Mapping, which will be released in 2026. The book has a section on mapping with OpenStreetMap, and your proposals can be made via an online form. Participants will have three months to submit their original text and the complete list of authors. The chapters will undergo double-blind evaluation.
- Komoot unveiled its updated product roadmap featuring a fresh design, Apple Watch app, community heatmaps, and future additions including dark mode and an AI planning assistant; all driven by user feedback.
- Project Linework is a public library of stylised, hand-drawn vector datasets for maps, offering cartographers creative alternatives to standard line-work styles.
Upcoming Events
| Country | Where | Venue | What | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Virtual | Mapatón Nacional de México 2025  | 2025-08-19 – 2025-09-30 | |
 | Kiel | KITZ | OSM-Infostand bei den Kieler Linuxtagen | 2025-09-19 – 2025-09-20 |
| OSMF Engineering Working Group meeting | 2025-09-19 | |||
 | Bengaluru | RV University | OSM India MapWalk @ IndiaFOSS | 2025-09-19 |
| Torreón | Universidad Autónoma de La Laguna | Mapeo con OpenStreetMap | 2025-09-19 – 2025-09-20 |
| Essen | Linuxhotel Essen | FOSSGIS-OSM-Communitytreffen im Linuxhotel | 2025-09-19 – 2025-09-21 |
| Bengaluru | NIMHANS Convention Centre | OSM India @ IndiaFOSS 2025 | 2025-09-19 – 2025-09-20 |
 | Parma | Parma | 2025 Parma Mapping party | 2025-09-20 |
 | Cork | Digital Arts and Humanities Learning Space @ UCC | OpenStreetMap Ireland Annual General Meeting | 2025-09-20 |
 | Atomic Cafe | Social Mapping Sunday: South Perth Foreshore | 2025-09-21 | |
| Trento | Impact Hub Trento | 2025 Trento Mapathon | 2025-09-21 |
| Missing Maps : Mapathon en ligne – CartONG [fr] | 2025-09-22 | |||
 | London | Meta London Office | HOT/Missing Maps London In-Person Mapathon | 2025-09-23 |
| Hamburg | Hamburg | Hamburger Mapping Spaziergang | 2025-09-23 |
| City of Edinburgh | The Guildford Arms | OSM Edinburgh pub meetup | 2025-09-23 |
| Berlin | Online | OSM-Verkehrswende #70 | 2025-09-23 |
 | Fabrique des possibles | Réunion OpenStreetMap | 2025-09-24 | |
 | TRACK Brussels | FOSS4G Belgium | 2025-09-25 | |
| [Online] OpenStreetMap Foundation board of Directors – public videomeeting | 2025-09-25 | |||
 | Madrid | Online | Mappy Hour OSM España – Notatón | 2025-09-25 |
| Hannover | Kuriosum | OSM-Stammtisch Hannover | 2025-09-25 |
 | Pawtucket | The Map Center | A Synesthete’s Atlas: Cartographic Improvisations Between Eric Theise & Ed Osborn | 2025-09-25 |
 | virtual | [Online] Oficina de mapeamento de áreas no OpenStreetMap com JOSM | 2025-09-25 | |
| UN Mappers Mappy Hour | 2025-09-26 | |||
| Kiel | RBZ Wirtschaft | Workshop „OpenStreetMap“ beim Science Day 2025 | 2025-09-26 |
| Düsseldorf | Online bei https://meet.jit.si/OSM-DUS-2025 | Düsseldorfer OpenStreetMap-Treffen (online) | 2025-09-26 |
 | Universidad Nacional de Luján | Encuentro de la Comunidad de OpenStreetMap de Argentina | 2025-09-27 – 2025-09-28 | |
| Metz | L’Arob@ase | Atelier du groupe local de Metz – Septembre 2025 | 2025-09-27 |
| Gurgaon | DLF Phase 1 Metro Station | 23rd OSM Delhi MapWalk | 2025-09-28 |
| Saint-Étienne | Zoomacom | Rencontre Saint-Étienne et sud Loire | 2025-09-29 |
 | Helsinki | Antikvariaatti Sofia | OSM Suomi kartoittajatapaaminen | 2025-09-30 |
| Stuttgart | Stuttgart | Stuttgarter OpenStreetMap-Treffen | 2025-10-01 |
| Madrid | Online | Mappy Hour OSM España | 2025-10-02 |
| Bochum | Das Labor, Alleestraße 50, Bochum | OSM-Treffen in Bochum | 2025-10-02 |
 | Quezon City | University of the Philippines Diliman | State of the Map 2025 | 2025-10-03 – 2025-10-05 |
 | Rapperswil-Jona | OST Campus Rapperswil | 17. Mapathon & Mapping Party Rapperswil 2025 | 2025-10-03 |
| OSMF Engineering Working Group meeting | 2025-10-03 | |||
 | Amsterdam | TomTom HQ | Maptime Amsterdam: Autumn mapping party | 2025-10-03 |
| नई दिल्ली | Jitsi Meet (online) | OSM India Online (Remote) Mapping Party | 2025-10-05 |
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 Mannivu, MatthiasMatthias, PierZen, Raquel Dezidério Souto, Strubbl, Andrew Davidson, barefootstache, derFred, mcliquid.
We welcome link suggestions for the next issue via this form and look forward to your contributions.