This is cross-linked from my blog, posted on 11 July 2023

I recently joined the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team in modering their Community Working Group and Tech Working Group’s discussions on AI-Assisted Mapping.

This, in part, was a reminder that I (still!) haven’t published an OSM diary that summarises my MA research, and that publication is still process. But it was also a reminder that I have yet to really summarise or bring together what I have shared so far.

Here’s a short summary:

Moderation: “Perspectives on AI-Assisted Mapping”

• Session 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTtTh6gHEwI
• Session 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pfdDV9xSoo
• These two sessions - recorded as hour-long discussions with unrecorded 30 minute discussions at the end, were really interesting (and much-needed!) community spaces for the OSM community. I’m grateful to have been given the trust needed to facilitate, and learned a lot from folks there. Most notably, I think the discussion primarily ended up focusing not on “what we should be building” but what AI means to mappers in the first place (these being very different things)!

Talk: “Crisis Maps, Community, and Corporations (an Anthropologist’s perspective)”

• Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0a84F0pdNU&t=351s
• Slides: Coming soon!
• This was given at the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Summit in 2021 in the form of a talk. It shared some of my initial thoughts around crisis mapping specifically, and citations in that direction. In particular, I focused a bit more on what defines the kinds of crises that become maps, and informational asymmetries within the community.

Talk: “Mapping crises, communities and capitalism on OpenStreetMap: situating humanitarian mapping in the (open source) mapping supply chain”

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Some days ago, I searched online for a bus route that was supposed to be newly introduced to go from Kilkenny to New Ross. I didn’t find it, but I found another one which pleased me even more which goes from Kilkenny to Fiddown (ref=891). The reason it pleases me is that the other route is already partly covered by another bus company and I don’t really need it, and the 891 covers a route that goes past several historical sites and at least two hiking routes. Since I don’t drive, I will certainly avail of it myself. I don’t mind organizing myself lifts, and I enjoy the company of my “drivers”, but sometimes it’s good to be more independent. For context, the bus route started on January 20th 2025.

Street-level imagery

So I decided to track it, because I don’t really trust Transport for Ireland’s route maps, and I can’t be sure that they didn’t use proprietary map material to provide the routes online, even though their background map is OSM. But I have seen routes on their website which they seemed to have taken out of thin air which had nothing to do with the actual route the bus takes.

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Prerequisites

To follow along with this tutorial, please setup and configure a Oracle Cloud instance for mapillary tools. Please refer to this guide for instructions on how to accomplish this.

Uploading a 360 video to Mapillary on Oracle Cloud instance from ARM computer

1. Login to Oracle Cloud Instances.
2. Select your Mapillary instance configured from this guide.
3. On the top bar, click Start to boot your instance and note any public IP address changes.
4. Open Terminal and SSH into your Oracle instance.
   • ssh -i ~/.ssh/oracle_mapillary_keys/[your private key (not .pub)] opc@[IP Address copied from Oracle]
5. Open a second terminal window and copy files from your local machine / SD card / elsewhere to your Oracle instance. This will place the file into the folder on your instance you created during configuration.
   • scp -i ~/.ssh/oracle_mapillary_keys/[your private key (not .pub)] [/path/to/local/360/file] opc@[IP Address copied from Oracle]:~/mapillary
6. Wait for these file(s) to transfer to the Oracle instance and switch back to the instance terminal window. Upload the transferred files to Mapillary.
   • mapillary_tools process_and_upload ~/mapillary/*.360
7. Wait for the upload(s) to complete. Delete the files off the instance and gracefully exit the instance.
   • rm ~/mapillary/*.360 && exit
8. Return to Oracle dashboard on the web, select Stop from the top bar to stop the instance from running while not in use.

Tools Used

• GoPro MAX 360 Camera
• SD Card
• SD Card Reader
• Raspberry Pi 4
• Internet Connection

See also

• How to upload a video to Mapillary via Oracle Cloud Infrastructure using this configuration.

Installation & Configuration

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So I recently started working on adding the features of a local high school into a relations group, but after looking at the docs, I’m not sure I’ve properly understood when or how relations should be used. Could somebody help clarify this?

Well, I’ve just discovered that anybody can edit like it’s wikipedia. So instead of doing homework, I’ve spent several hours fixing little things in my hometown. This is fun.

npm install leaflet react-leaflet @types/leaflet import ‘leaflet/dist/leaflet.css’; import { MapContainer, TileLayer, GeoJSON } from ‘react-leaflet’;

<MapContainer center={[39.8283, -98.5795]} zoom={4} style={{ height: ‘400px’, width: ‘100%’ }} >

<GeoJSON data={stateGeoJSON} style={stateStyle} onEachFeature={onEachFeature} /> </MapContainer>

I used this query in overpass turbo:

[out:xml][timeout:25];
// fetch area “Kildare” to search in
{{geocodeArea:County Kildare}}->.searchArea;
// gather results
(way["highway"="tertiary"]["maxspeed"="80"](area.searchArea);
way["highway"="unclassified"]["maxspeed"="80"](area.searchArea);)->.roads;

// print results
(.roads;>;); out meta;

and loaded it directly into Josm, then replaced 80 with 60, and added maxspeed:type=IE:rural as suggested on the talk-ie list, which I hope will make the difference between “rural” local roads, and those at the edge of urban areas, obvious.

I couldn’t find any exceptions listed by Kildare County Council, so I’m reasonably confident I shouldn’t have scooped up any inappropriately, but do shout if I’m wrong.

My End Goal: Have all the ferries in the world listed in the best possible way on Openstreetmaps!

About Me

I have been a member of OpenStreetMap US for five years, engaged in fostering open data and community collaboration. My first experience with OpenStreetMap was while working in emergency management in 2010 when the Haiti earthquake occurred. As someone trained in disaster response, I watched the events in Haiti unfold and looked for ways to contribute. It was also my gateway into other open data & software communities, such as QGIS and OSGeo, which informed my educational approach during my time at the University of Arizona Libraries.

I helped host the first MappingUSA virtual conference and, in 2022, hosted the State of the Map US conference at the University of Arizona in Tucson, marking the first in-person gathering post-COVID. I currently work at Development Seed, an organization with a long-standing commitment to OpenStreetMap. I drive our team’s community strategy by supporting OpenStreetMap events and engaging with other open geo communities. My background in geospatial technology, open data advocacy, and community engagement equips me with a unique perspective to support and strengthen OSM US.

Advancing OSM US

OpenStreetMap is more than just a map—it is a platform for civic engagement, education, and open collaboration. As a board member, I would focus on:

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About Me

Hey folks! I’m Gregory Power (they/them) and I’ve been a part of the map since November 2023. I am currently a Data Scientist (Contractor) for Cary, North Carolina—where I manage Cary’s Open Data Portal and other analytics infrastructure. In my spare time I enjoy learning about urban planning and equitable, multimodal infrastructure. I’m also involved with the Pedestrian Working Group, Government Working Group, and my community’s Strong Towns chapter. I enjoy contributing to the open source geospatial software community, with a soft spot for GDAL, QGIS, GRASS GIS, and DuckDB—so everyone can have the tools to understand the world around them. Even though there’s a great set of tools for us to use, it’s nothing without having an open ecosystem of data.

My Mapping

My first project in OpenStreetMap was tracing plans for Cary’s Downtown Park into OpenStreetMap. With the updated layout, Cary’s Integration and Development Team could have a basemap to put our sensor data on. Once I realized OpenStreetMap data was used by all of our applications across the town and beyond, I was hooked. I enjoy mapping multimodal transportation infrastructure, handicapped parking, and restaurants. I’ve trained team members on conducting field surveys with StreetComplete and captured street imagery with Mapillary.

As a Board Member

It’s important that communities have access to data and the ability to make changes to increase the fidelity of the data. These are the objectives I’d prioritize:

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This was harder than I thought it would be. The lesson for re-drawing a road was drag-and-drop. I could not insert an extra node in the Administrative Boundary in order to truncate the triangle.

I had to create a new Administrative Boundary and relate it to the existing boundary. Then delete the node at the top of the old boundary.

Requested review as I’m not sure that is the correct or accurate way to perform the task.

Hello!

I’ve just found out that ~2k out of ~13M relations have no type tag, ~220 of which have the type tag with lifecycle prefix or date namespace suffix, so I’ve decided to review them manually, with the ones with no tags containing the word “type” being the first, correct some mistakes (e.g. missing type=multipolygon) and delete the unnecessary relations (e.g. with duplicate tags). In case I make a mistake, please point it out on OSM Community topic or comment my changesets.

Regards

Kamil Kalata

Panoramax is a rising star at the moment, for OSM, but not only; while Mapillary goes down, sold to Facebook. In my old www.OSMgo.org, the key P showed a Mapillary picture near the actual position in the 3D rendered OSM world. As the API is gone, I replaced it with Panoramax. OSMgo was abandoned by me years ago but the server is still running. As I read more and more about Panoramax, I decided to dig out the old code and use it. First I asked in the Fediverse for help with the API and got a great and fast response, even a good example, thank you all!



There are almost to much pages about it. The real API was a bit hidden but well documented at last. The Idea of decentralised servers but a central directory is great, the Web-UI to see all pictures to. And the API got me a json list of the closest pictures, including a link to the pictures. After researching to define the radius (place_distance) and get the direction of the “shot” (feature.properties[“view:azimuth”]) my old Mapillary could be modified to show the picture in the 3D view and move the camera to see it.

Try it out

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– Em Português

YouthMappers UFRJ Trajectory

The YouthMappers UFRJ is coordinated by Prof. Dr. Raquel Dezidério Souto (in post doctoral internship), and Prof. Dr. Manoel Fernandes, both from the Laboratory of Cartography, of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (GeoCart-UFRJ, Brazil), and was set up to prepare new mappers and develop collaborative mapping research with OpenStreetMap and related programs, involving the community, with members from inside and outside UFRJ, residing in Brazil and in other countries.

The initiative is part of the international YouthMappers network, a project founded by professors from the Universities of Arizona and Texas, with sponsor and support of the USAID (USA). There are currently more than 400 groups in public universities around the world.

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Using OpenStreetMap (OSM) and JOSM (Java OpenStreetMap Editor) has completely transformed my perspective on places in Ghana. What used to be just names on a map are now vibrant locations I explore, analyze, and contribute to in meaningful ways.

With each mapping session, I am a digital explorer, uncovering hidden details about my country. While tracing highways, POIs, buildings, and rivers, to ensure that every corner of Ghana is well represented, I explore!. From the bustling streets of Accra to the serene landscapes of the Volta Region, my virtual travels take me everywhere without even leaving my seat.

As I explore and see places, I contribute data to solve real-world problems. Through OSM, I have contributed to flood risk assessments, improved accessibility to schools, and even helped emergency responders find critical locations. It’s amazing to know that my little edits can make a big difference in someone’s life.

Mapping is no longer just a hobby; it’s a passion, a responsibility, and a way to make a mark on the world.

One edit at a time! The journey continues!

Another one got ignored today, another road left unmapped, another place erased because it wasn’t profitable enough to exist on a corporate map. No one noticed, because no one was supposed to.

They don’t talk about the missing footpaths, the streets that don’t appear because they aren’t in a government database, the communities left invisible because they don’t generate ad revenue. They don’t talk about how your map—your view of the world—is decided not by truth, but by business interests.

They call us idealists, hobbyists, dreamers. They say the world has already been mapped. But they are wrong.

We are the ones who see the gaps. We are the ones who refuse to let our neighborhoods, our histories, our stories be erased. We are the ones who put the world on the map—not for profit, but for people.

Yes, I am a mapper. My crime is that of curiosity. My crime is refusing to accept a world where only what is profitable is visible. My crime is knowing that no company, no government, no algorithm should have the power to decide what exists.

You may ignore us. You may try to replace us with AI, to wall off geography behind paywalls, to tell people that their contributions don’t matter. But you can’t stop us all. Because the world is ours to map.

After all, we are all alike. We are OpenStreetMap.

🤣 with apologies ++The Mentor++ (8 January 1986). “The Conscience of a Hacker”. Phrack, Inc. 1 (7): 3 of 10 - wikipedia

I’m back home! All the uploads done! Yeah!

Street-level imagery

As I had written about earlier, I was on tour with actually, to be precise, one of the bands I’m in under the title/ program “The Dubliners Experience” in the Netherlands from Jan 15th to Feb 1st. The GoPro Max was our constant companion on the roof of the tour bus. It covers mostly motorways and the areas around concert venues, of course. I also walked around the campsite we stayed at (band life isn’t as glamorous as they make it out to be in the movies after all) with it, but that imagery is not super useful, I’m afraid. How much can you map in a fen, when there are not even leaves on the trees to map species…But still, the area got covered.

I was especially keen to upload to Panoramax, because the coverage was quite poor which does not mean to discredit the people who have already contributed, of course!

I’ll give you some before and after screenshots, some of which I had already shared on Mastodon yesterday.

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Hi OSM folks,

Yesterday I finished mapping West Virginia’s forest landcover for OSM in 5 years! It was a big project and definitely the next one will be a bigger one but because of that I’m gonna do it in a pace that I can maintain. If I have to stop, then I stop. Well, it’s just a hobby for me. As I announced on Mapping USA, I’m mapping Pennsylvania from now on. I’m really interested in the history of that state, The Keystone State.

And yes, I just wanted to try myself out how I could map forest landcover outside of Europe. It seems everyone seems hyped and I like this!

I’m not a robot so I can’t work on it 24/7 due to my personal life and I know i’m not making a 100% accurate landcover, but hey, I learnt some tricks which I’m taking advantage of! Sometimes I also criticise the quality I do but well people usually improve as time flies.

I’d like to thank everyone in the OSM community for giving me help and guidance, and I’m sure I’ll still have questions if it comes to specific areas. :)

About me

I started mapping in June 2020 as a way to find parks and trails near my home in Redmond, Washington. My daughter loves adventures and provides huge motivation. I am a former compiler engineer and bring a passion for great tooling. I love being able to work with others on an expansive, vivid, and important project.

My mapping

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