OSM LATAM 2026 México 🇲🇽 — Day 2: Transmute the Map!
Day 2 of OSM LATAM 2026 México brought us another incredible day of learning, collaboration, and community!
🔗 Event website: https://www.osmlatam.org/sotm/2026-en/
📅 Full schedule: https://pretalx.cienciaenmexico.com/sotmlatam2026/schedule/
As every great adventure, the day had its ups and downs. We ended up with two breaks instead of one, but what could have been a downside turned into another opportunity to meet fellow mappers, exchange ideas, and strengthen the connections that make our community so special.
🌎 Collaboration over competition
One of the highlights was hearing keynote talks from sponsors HERE Maps and Overture Maps, learning more about who they are, how they work, and how they collaborate with OpenStreetMap to improve geospatial data.
Sometimes, companies working in the mapping world can be perceived as rivals to OSM. But today’s conversations remind us that the geospatial ecosystem is much bigger than any single project or organization. There are meaningful ways to collaborate, share knowledge, and support open data. Different approaches can complement one another, and the entire community can benefit.
We also had a special talk from Daniela Waltersdorfer, an OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF) Board Director, about the Foundation’s role in the OSM ecosystem.
A particularly important takeaway was that the OSMF’s mission is to support OpenStreetMap, not control it. The Foundation helps keep our community healthy and growing while providing the organizational and technological backbone needed to sustain the project for the long term. The map belongs to its community, and that distinction matters!
🗺️ Mapping that makes a difference
Throughout the day, we enjoyed amazing talks exploring how mapping helps local communities, how public transport mapping can improve mobility, and why open geospatial data matters.
We also heard about the production, processing, and analysis of data, between OpenStreetMap and local governments. These exchanges are particularly valuable because they help bridge the gap between community-driven mapping and public institutions, opening opportunities to put geographic information to practical use.
Every road mapped, every bus stop and public transport station added, every building documented, and every dataset made accessible can help someone understand their surroundings and make better decisions.
And this brings us to a thought that stayed with me throughout the day:
What if mapping is a way of transmuting the map — and, in turn, allowing the map to transmute communities into better versions of themselves?
We transform observations into data, data into knowledge, and knowledge into opportunities for action. As the map becomes more complete and useful, it can help communities become more connected, informed, accessible, and resilient.
Transmute the map. Transform the community. ❤️
Another wonderful piece of news was the official signing of the Local Chapter Agreement between the OpenStreetMap Foundation and the Asociación Cartográfica Colaborativa de Colombia (AC3).
Following its acceptance in March 2026, this agreement formally recognizes AC3 as an official Local Chapter of the OSM Foundation.
A huge congratulations to AC3 and the entire Colombian OpenStreetMap community, and a big thank-you to the OSMF for continuing to support the growth and organization of our global community!
Local Chapters help strengthen the connections between the global project and the people building it on the ground. This is a fantastic milestone for Colombia and an inspiring example for the wider Latin American OSM community. 🇨🇴🎉
🔥 SotM Latam 2027 is starting to take shape!
During the General Assembly of the OSM Latam Community, we started looking ahead to the next chapter of our regional gathering.
The next State of the Map Latam is already beginning to take shape! SotM Latam 2027 is cooking! 🔥
There is something exciting about knowing that while we celebrate what our community has accomplished today, people are already working to create the next opportunity for us to meet, learn, and build together.
🏛️ Closing the day with history and culture
To wrap up the day, we enjoyed a guided cultural walking tour around Templo Mayor, right in the heart of historic downtown Mexico City.
After a full day discussing maps, technology, communities, and the future of open geospatial data, it was a wonderful way to reconnect with the history and culture of the place hosting us. The city itself became another layer of the experience — a reminder that every map represents places filled with history, identity, and human stories.
A huge thank-you to everyone who made Day 2 so enriching: the speakers, sponsors, organizers, volunteers, fellow mappers, and everyone who shared their knowledge and enthusiasm.
We are not just creating a map. We are building connections, empowering communities, and opening doors to new possibilities.
Transmute the map. Transform the world. 🗺️❤️
Looking forward to another day of learning, mapping, and growing together at OSM LATAM 2026 México!
#OpenStreetMap #OSMLATAM #OSMLATAM2026 #OpenData #MappingTogether #TransmuteTheMap