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31/07/2025-06/08/2025
[1] | The updated Welcome Mat website for new OpenStreetMap users is now available.
Mapping
- Penegal has asked about the meaning, for highways, of local max weight signs (do they apply to actual weight or maximum permissible weight), and the corresponding usage of
maxweight/maxweightratingtags. You are invited to explain, for your country, the meaning of local max weight signs, with which tags such highways are tagged, and how the tagsmaxweight/maxweightratingare used/understood in your country.
Mapping campaigns
- #MapYourGrid has invited you to map power grids to accelerate the energy transition. By contributing information about high-voltage lines, towers, substations, and power plants, you are helping to provide essential data for modernising the global grid, supporting electrification, and promoting investment in clean energy. The website offers written and video tutorials in helping you to learn about this topic and how to map your local grid.
Community
- CAM-Gerlach has carried out an analysis of an as-yet undefined aspect of the OSM-US Pedestrian Working Group schema, focusing on the classification and tagging of connector ways between pavement centrelines and kerb nodes. The review specifically examined which
footway=value, accompanying tags, and geometric representation, whether as separate ways or extensions of incoming pavements, should be applied. - Xavier Coadic, of the Association for Progressive Communications, conducted an interview with Ilya Zverev, developer of the Every Door project, which was recently awarded funding through the NGI0 Commons grant program.
- Ed, of the Geomob Podcast, has interviewed Olivia Ragone, a GIS data officer at the National Trust, discussing the integration of OpenStreetMap in mapping the UK’s historic sites and trails.
- Rphyrin has identified several recurring patterns in tagging disputes after analysing the changeset comment history of a long-time OSM contributor.
- The Trufi Association has brought informal transport and OSM expertise to the UITP 2025 conference in Hamburg, connecting with transport officials and hosting a strategic dinner for global paratransit thought leaders.
OpenStreetMap Foundation
- The OpenStreetMap Foundation is seeking a mid- to senior-level software engineer to support the openstreetmap.org website and its API, focusing on modern web development and open-source collaboration. This remote position, funded by the Sovereign Tech Fund, requires proficiency in Ruby on Rails and experience with large-scale codebases.
- Grant Slater announced a series of technical enhancements to the OpenStreetMap Standard Layer service, including the introduction of new error images for policy violations, upgrades and additional render servers provided by Pixeldeck and AWS, and improved content delivery network management.
Local chapter news
- OpenStreetMap US announced that they have exhausted funding for the Charter Project programme, which provides operational and maintenance support for several OSM-related tools, including OpenHistoricalMap, MapRoulette, and OSMCha. In response, the organisation is calling on groups that rely on these tools to become members, and urging current members to consider increasing their contributions or making additional donations to help sustain the projects.
Events
- You can now access the schedule of the Workshop MPCS 2025, which will be held 100% online, from 20 to 29 August, 14:00 to 17:00 (UTC-3), and will include case studies in collaborative mapping with OpenStreetMap and other collective methodologies. The event’s broadcast will be in Portuguese and the free registration can be done at the official website.
Maps
- Maflebel and Antoine have built Treasureguessr, a daily puzzle game that challenges players to identify a specific location on Earth using a map excerpt powered by OpenStreetMap. The platform also features a creator mode, allowing users to design and share custom puzzles.
OSM in action
- aufwindmalte has developed Open Beacon Locator, a new system for generating human-readable location codes based on distances to named landmarks or user-defined reference points. The tool aims to offer an intuitive alternative to traditional coordinate systems by referencing familiar geographic features.
- The Collective Municipality of Probstei, Germany, has used
OSM-based information boards to display the ‘straw figures’ created by participating villages. This is part of the Probstei Grain Days ►, during which the communities present themselves through events and, at times, impressive straw sculptures, from 12 July to 17 August. - Reddit user TipsyTopTop, a pizza delivery driver, highlighted the value of the OpenStreetMap project for its accuracy and reliability in supporting their daily navigation tasks. The post encouraged wider contributions to the platform and recommended Magic Earth and Organic Maps for mobile navigation, along with Go Map!! and StreetComplete as effective tools for mobile OSM editing.
OSM-based information boards to display the ‘straw figures’ created by participating villages. This is part of the 
Software
- Archit Rathod reported on the interim status of his Google Summer of Code 2025 project, which is developing a database and API for temporary road closures in OpenStreetMap.
- In a recent blogpost, HeiGIT explained how you can use their Climate Action Navigator (CAN) and the LULC Change assessment tool to access high-resolution data on land use and land cover change and resulting emission estimates for custom time periods at a spatial scale relevant to local climate-related policies and stakeholders. CAN itself is an interactive dashboard offering high-resolution data on key climate action indicators.
Programming
- Anton Khorev proposed a new feature for OpenStreetMap that would enable link previews by leveraging Open Graph metadata. The enhancement aims to provide additional context and information when OSM objects are referenced in shared links.
- MapTiler now provides what you need to replicate hand-drawn terrain effects in your maps: data, map styles, and the possibility to customise it to your needs. This improvement is inspired by the work of Eduard Imhof, a Swiss cartographer. Hill shading is a cartographic technique that enhances the visual representation of terrain using light, shadow, and artistic shading methods.
Releases
- TrickyFoxy has released version 1.1.8 of their better-osm-org script, which makes it possible to hide notes by words, users, and the status of the note, find GPX tracks at the current map view, copy coordinates for ways, view KML tracks, and a few other small things.
- Mtmail reported that the Nominatim QA tool has introduced a new ‘suspicious
addr:statevalue’ layer. This feature is designed to verify that theaddr:statetag contains an actual state name. In cases where the country in question does not use states in its addressing system, the tag may be left empty. - GeoDesk has released new versions of its OpenStreetMap Toolkit: for Java (1.1), Python (1.2), and C++ (1.0).
- The updated Welcome Mat website (we reported earlier) for new OpenStreetMap users is now available. The project, revamped by Andrii Holovin, helps newcomers join the community and start editing the world map. Several language versions are available, although translations are still maintained manually.
Did you know that …
- … the changeset assessment tool OSM Latest Changes recently received some updates? The web app lets you explore recent OSM edits within a defined area, such as your hometown. The latest update introduced a changeset info panel that shows the editor and imagery used, details about the mapper’s profile and a basic integrity check (e.g. were mostly deletions made?). In addition, performance has been improved, especially noticeable on slower machines.
- … the CoMaps mobile app allows users to customise the bottom-left button for quick access to the ‘add new place’ feature, enabling faster reporting of missing locations?
Other “geo” things
- The Unique Mappers Network, from Nigeria, is offering a GIS Masterclass, which is accessible both virtually and on-site, and is aimed at professionals and beginners. Participants receive practice-orientated knowledge in geo-information systems, remote sensing and humanitarian mapping as well as a certificate on completion of the course.
- Traccar is an open-source GPS tracking system that supports more than 200 GPS protocols and over 2,000 models of GPS tracking devices. The platform provides a web application and mobile apps for Android and iOS, featuring real-time GPS tracking, driver behaviour monitoring, geofencing, and comprehensive reporting.
- Jens-Christoph Brendel of Linux-Magazin reported ► that Google DeepMind has introduced AlphaEarth Foundations, an AI system capable of reprocessing massive volumes of satellite data into ’embedding fields’, highly compressed digital summaries that retain critical surface features in 10-metre squares. The system maintains high spatial precision, preserving sharp 10 by 10 metre detail while enabling the detection of changes over time.
- Matt Daniels, of The Pudding, reported that researcher Yufeng Zhao has developed a searchable archive of New York City street-level text by processing millions of Google Street View images spanning from 2007 to 2024. Using an optical character recognition programme, Zhao extracted and transcribed visible text from shopfronts, signs, and advertisements across the city, effectively creating a unique search engine that catalogues much of what has been written on New York’s streets over the past 17 years.
- Tereza Pultarova, of IEEE Spectrum, reported that a novel quantum sensor, designed to detect gravity changes by measuring variations in the travel time of falling atoms, has undergone its first real-world test aboard an Australian naval vessel. Serving as a GNSS backup system, the autonomous prototype enabled the crew to navigate along the Australian coast for 144 hours without GNSS access. While the system demonstrated promising performance, researchers caution that it is unlikely to fully replace satellite navigation. However, the technology could offer significant advantages in environments affected by GNSS interference, particularly in polar regions where satellite signals are often unreliable due to orbital geometry.
Upcoming Events
| Country | Where | Venue | What | Online | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mm | မှော်ဘီမြို့နယ် | Myanmar | July Moe  | 2018-03-08 – 2025-08-08 | |
 | Siliguri | CCC Room, Siliguri Government Polytechnic | 21st OpenStreetMap Anniversary & Mapathon by YouthMappers at Siliguri Government Polytechnic | 2025-08-08 | |
| OSMF Engineering Working Group meeting | 2025-08-08 | ||||
| OSM World Mappy Hour | 2025-08-08 | ||||
| Potsdam | machbar Potsdam, Haus 5,Friedrich-Engels Straße 22 | 206. OSM-Stammtisch Berlin-Brandenburg | 2025-08-08 | ||
| th | กรุงเทพมหานคร | Common Ground, 31st Floor, G Tower, Rama 9 Road | OpenStreetMap Anniversary Birthday Event in Bangkok 2025 | 2025-08-08 | |
| Stuttgart | Umweltzentrum Stuttgart Rotebühlstraße | Stuttgarter OSM-Geburtstagtreffen | 2025-08-09 | ||
| OpenStreetMap’s 21st Birthday: 12 Hour Global Mapathon | 2025-08-09 | ||||
 | Nairobi | Trademark Hotel Village Market, Nairobi, Kenya | 21st Anniversary Birthday Party at Wikimania 2025 | 2025-08-09 | |
 | 相模原市 | Online ZOOM | Japan–Thailand YouthMappers Joint Mapathon with TomTom 2025 | 2025-08-09 | |
 | 臺北市 | 國立臺灣科技大學研揚大樓 512 教室 | COSCUP 2025 OpenStreetMap x Wikidata開放內容議程軌 | 2025-08-10 | |
 | København | Cafe Mellemrummet | OSMmapperCPH | 2025-08-10 | |
| Delhi | Laxmi Nagar Metro Station | 20th OpenStreetMap Delhi MapWalk | 2025-08-10 | |
 | Zürich | Bitwäscherei Zürich | 178. OSM-Stammtisch Zürich | 2025-08-11 | |
| 臺北市 | MozSpace Taipei | OpenStreetMap x Wikidata Taipei #79 | 2025-08-11 | |
| Hamburg | Voraussichtlich: “Variable”, Karolinenstraße 23 | Hamburger Mappertreffen | 2025-08-12 | ||
| München | Echardinger Einkehr | Münchner OSM-Treffen | 2025-08-13 | ||
| Missing Maps – DRK & MSF Online Mapathon | 2025-08-13 | ||||
 | Online | OpenStreetMap Midwest Meetup | ✓ | 2025-08-15 | |
 | Dundee | The Bach, Dundee | Dundee OSM Meetup – Summer 2025 | 2025-08-16 | |
| New Delhi | Rajiv Chowk Metro Station | 1st OpenStreetMap Delhi MapCycle | 2025-08-17 | |
| Missing Maps London: (Online) Mid-Month Mapathon [eng] | 2025-08-19 | ||||
| San Jose | Online | South Bay Map Night | ✓ | 2025-08-20 |
| Bonn | Dotty’s | 191. OSM-Stammtisch Bonn | 2025-08-19 | ||
| Online | Lüneburger Mappertreffen | ✓ | 2025-08-19 | ||
 | 100% Online | Mostra de projetos de mapeamento – Workshop MPCS 2025 | 2025-08-20 – 2025-08-22 | ||
| [Online] Map-py Wednesday | 2025-08-20 | ||||
| Hannover | Hannover Congress Centrum | OSM auf der Maker Faire Hannover 2025 | 2025-08-23 – 2025-08-24 | ||
 | Valmeriana Mapping party | 2025-08-23 | |||
| Hannover | Kuriosum | OSM-Stammtisch Hannover | 2025-08-23 | ||
| Delhi | Harkesh Nagar Okhla Metro Station | 21st OpenStreetMap Delhi MapWalk | 2025-08-24 |
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, MatthiasMatthias, Raquel Dezidério Souto, Strubbl, Andrew Davidson, barefootstache, derFred.
We welcome link suggestions for the next issue via this form and look forward to your contributions.