An Introduction to OpenStreetMap and Paper Mapping (2011 Software Freedom Day)

Software Freedom Day 17 September 2011 | Yuwei Lin | http://www.ylin.org

An Introduction to OpenStreetMap

Yuwei LinLecturer in Future Media

School of Media, Music and PerformanceUniversity of Salford


Psalter Map (1260)


Desceliers' World Map (1550)


Politics of Maps

● What information was recorded on a map?● Who made/drew the map?● Whom was the map made for?● Maps produced by the rich, the powerful, and to

demonstrate certain views from certain dominant cultures (e.g., religions, empires)

● More info - BBC4's The Beauty of Maps http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/beautyofmaps/index.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/beautyofmaps/index.shtml


Cartography 2.0- possibility of reclaiming and remapping the

world


OpenStreetMap as Cartography 2.0

● Open Source technologies + free / open access mapping data and geographical information

● User-generated and user-participatory● A wiki map that gives users freedom to create,

update, distribute, copy, modify, read, and re-distribute the mapping data and technologies

● Customisable and extensible● Ideally, everyone can make maps for their own

needs!


OpenStreetMap Community History

● 2004 July, founded by Steve Coast

● 2006 April, a foundation was established to encourage the growth, development and distribution of free geospatial data and provide geospatial data for anybody to use and share.

● 2006 December, Yahoo confirmed that OpenStreetMap could use its aerial photography as a backdrop for map production.

● 2007 July, the 1st The State of the Map conference was held

● Number of users to date 341630 http://www.openstreetmap.org/stats/data_stats.html

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Stats

● http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/History

http://www.openstreetmap.org/stats/data_stats.html

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Stats

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/History


Achievements of OpenStreetMap

● Haiti and “Crises mapping” / Emergency mapping / Humanitarian mapping

● Disability – mapping for the blind● Cycling Maps (Open Cycle Map, Cambridge) –

perspective different from drivers' ones (or walkers' maps, mountaineers' maps)

● Overlaying data onto maps (e.g., tree data, open public information, locations of voting stations, poll results, crime data)


WikiProject Haiti


OSM for the Blind

● http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_for_the_blind● http://www.blind.accessiblemaps.org/

Software and maps for the blind is usually expensive and also outdated. The blind community can help themselves update the maps.

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_for_the_blind

http://www.blind.accessiblemaps.org/


Open Data & Maps


Locative Media

● http://www.maxamundo.com/cms/index.php● Geo-referenced information, geo retailing,

location-based

http://www.maxamundo.com/cms/index.php


Technical implications

● Open source – both the map and software are never finished products; they are perpetual beta (always under testing and improvement)

● Fix the problems as you spot them.

● User friendly tools such as Potlatch, the web-based map rendering interface is important for less tech-savvy people

● Transparency

● User-led innovation

● Democratic design, public engagement and participation

● Customisation


Cultural Implications

● POI (Points of interests)

● You can define what is important (to be included in the maps) and how to name a place / a town

● Encouraging local cultures and creativity

● Visualise and/or organise your own content on a map using free / open content

● Preserving local cultures (documenting local names, indigenous names)

● Collaboration (peer production), not just competition

● Acknowledgement, no plagiarism

● No pirate software – use free software

● Technologies are not black boxes; they can be opened up and reconfigured.


Economic Implications

● Cheaper/Gratis maps● Maps are free to be used → no need of

acquiring permission● Lots of different business models built on OSM:

e.g., Bing, AOL, Ito, CloudMade● New business models built on open content,

open data and open source technologies


Educational Implications

● Improve one's geospatial and computing literacy

● Knowing your neighbourhood better (Community engagement)

e.g., map the school, map the students' homes, map local monuments and POIs (e.g., public telephone boxes)

● Relevant to the students → Can do at home after training & Self motivating

● Good preparation prior to class important – so many details need attention (e.g., health & safety regarding field trips, making map prints from walkingpapers.org, school computers need updating, installing Firefox, GPS did not work, performance problems with the OSM site, Login Process to Mapzen )


Social Implications

● Building communities (a global OSM and many local communities)

● Mapping parties (how to best organise mapping parties)

● Social gatherings● Mutual learning and knowledge exchange (glo-

cal)● Memory sharing (memory of a place, of a story)


A Map Inspired by Free Software

● Freedom● Openness● Networking● Collaboration

● Diversity● Democracy● Equality● Mutuality


Conclusion

● It's your Map. Get involved!


Devices for Mapping

● GPS (Global Positioning System)● GPS-enabled devices e.g., GARMIN, TOMTOM,

PIONEER AVIC, MIO, NAVMAN, MAGELLAN, Google Earth, GPS Exchange, LG Electronics, Blaupunkt, More under development

● Digital camera● Digital recorder for audio mapping● Smart phones● Mapping papers + a pen


Walking Papers

● Print maps, draw on them, scan them back in and help OpenStreetMap improve its coverage of local points of interests and street detail. Walking Papers is a product of Stamen Design's Michal Migurski.

● There are two ways to edit OpenStreetMap using this scanned map as a guide. 1) If you prefer to use the advanced OSM editor JOSM, check out the JOSM WalkingPapers Plugin. 2) You can also edit OpenStreetMap on the web with the web-based OSM editor Potlatch. You’ll need to log in with your OpenStreetMap account to do any editing in an interactive editing window with your scanned map in the background for a guide. .


Paris, FR

Print map of the area surrounding 48°51'24"N, 2°16'22"E Muette Sud, Paris, Ile-de-France, FR, France, created on 2 Sep. 2011 with a print ID t757rh7p


Paris, FR (print map created on 02-09-11 with a print ID 86rqnmp5)


Bremen, DE

Print map of the area surrounding 53°04'28"N, 8°47'49"E

Altstadt, Bremen, HB, DE, Germany, created on 2 Sep. 2011 with a print ID l4h47d5n


An annotated scanned mapThis scanned Map covers the area near 6°16'12"N, 75°37'37"W San Cristóbal, Antioquia, Colombia (uploaded 25 Aug 2011)


Annotating house numbers

An annotated scanned map

номера домов, названия улиц

Covers the area near 53°27'39"N, 56°01'59"E

Ishimbay, Bashkortostan, Russia

Uploaded 25 Aug 2011


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Point/Place of Interests (POI)

● POIs are places where you'd like to visit. Along with other information (e.g., description, address), each POI has a named set of coordinates which refer to a specific point on the earth – made up of an intersection between a latitude number and longitude number.

● Why are POIs important?● POIs help you to record, present and locate information on a map

● POIs represent your interests, your preferences, your memories, your identities

● Why creating your own POIs?● POIs information missing, incorrect or out-of-date

● Most POI data generic

● To ensure accuracy and adequate representation of the locations of stuffs (things, monuments, attractions, restaurants, services...)

● How to record POIs?● Standards and agreements on terms → Compatibility

● Privacy issue - where you've been, what you've created, what you're interested...


What POIs can you create?● Favourite places – Share your favourite spots (restaurants, parks, pubs,

shopping, cafe, tourists attractions,…almost anything!)

● Bank/Cash machines – Ever have trouble finding a bank/cash machine that is from your bank?

● Post Offices

● Gas/Petrol Stations – Have a credit card with one of the gas stations you use? On the road, you often have no idea where your preferred gas station chain is located.

● Car Park – with opening times and fares (if street parking, rules)

● Benches in a park, plants,

● Traffic and Construction – When driving, get a heads up on locations of speed and red light cameras. Find out construction zones and avoid them!


What can you use POIs for?

If you are a business owner -

● Sales & merchandising targets – provide specific easy-to-download sales locations for your reps to visit and comment on

● Availability – set targets for your reps to expand product availability

● Tourism – promote tourist locations and expand the health of your partners and economy

● Real Estate – help your clients locate properties with ease

● Business Visitors – set out a trade or facilities visit to key company or competitive locations

● Geo-retailing (Anonymous Direct Marketing (ADM))

For everyday use● Going on vacation? Browse through POIs for some great ideas!

● Events – Look up the locations of the places where events are held.

An Introduction to OpenStreetMap and Paper Mapping (2011 Software Freedom Day)

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Transcript of An Introduction to OpenStreetMap and Paper Mapping (2011 Software Freedom Day)