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About me

I started mapping in 2021 as I tried to ride every street in Brooklyn, NY on wandrer.earth. I kept finding private streets and other issues on OSM and began fixing them.

At the moment I split my time between the Seattle area and Tucson, Arizona. My professional work is in non-profit accounting. I have worked with a number of organizations covering a full range of financial responsibilities. Handling everything from hands on bookkeeping to grant management to financial strategy.

My mapping

My most cohesive, complete project is detailed mapping of Train Mountain Railroad, the worlds longest miniature railroad. If you’re curious I gave a talk at State of the Map US in 2024 about it.

Most of my mapping is more miscellaneous in nature. I’m a big StreetComplete user, and I’ll always pull over on a bike ride to map a public bookcase! I also enjoy contributing detail to pedestrian and bicycle networks.

Board service and goals

Through the last two years serving as the Board Treasurer I have help usher OpenStreetMap US through a number of shifts in financial situation. Guiding the staff through financial challenges and changes in financial structure.

Through the next two years I want to continue this work, and assist the staff in streamlining bookkeeping and reporting. In addition, as a best practice I would like to see the organization through a financial audit or review. Ultimately leaving the organization on an even stronger financial foundation than it is today.

14 hours ago

 

♦Starting and ending in Embleton, on today's ride I covered 18 miles. If I'd followed this route a century ago I would have ridden past four stations.

1. The first would have been Christon Bank Station. This lies just outside Embleton but for some reason was named after a nearby farm rather than the village. It opened in 1847 and closed in 1965. In addition to a limited volume of passenger traffic the station also carried whinstone from the nearby Embleton Quarry. The two were linked by a narrow gauge tramway. More details <here>.
2. The second would have been Fallodon which opened in 1847 and closed in 1934. Only a mile or so from Christon Bank, this was another complete station with two platforms, name boards and a station house. But it was never intended for the general public. They used Christon Bank Station. Fallodon was solely for the use of the Grey family, their guests and their servants. The Grey family also had a private station at Little Mill: four miles south, close to the other family seat at Howick Hall. At the time, the proprietor of Fallodon Hall was Sir George Grey, who was Home Secretary. The passage of the Newcastle & Berwick Railway Bill through Parliament was eased by providing him with a private station and the right to stop any public train. More details <here>.
3. The third was Chathill Station (pictured above). This opened in 1847. At the time there four passenger trains called every weekday in both directions. Now there are only two services each way on a weekday and none on Sunday. The station building is now a private house. It is listed, Grade-2, but the station is unstaffed and has no ticket facilities or other amenities.
4. From 1898 Chathill Station was the south-western terminus of the North Sunderland Railway. This was built to serve the harbour at Seahouses. The line was rarely profitable and a proposed extension to Bamburgh was never constructed. It was taken over by the LNER in 1939, and closed in 1951. Seahouses station was then demolished. The site where it stood is now the village car park and (importantly on a cold day) also houses the public toilets. For a view of how the North Sunderland line looked about 100 years ago (with its one loco and three coaches) see the Pathe film <here> and more information <here>.

We've had a lot of rain recently. Fields are flooded and ditches over-flowing. But the weather today was an improvement. Some mist, and a noticeable headwind on the return journey. No proper rain, patches of blue sky and even a little sunshine were very welcome. 

a day ago

29/01/2026-04/02/2026

♦

[1] OSM Kids! | © MapLibre – OpenFreeMap – OpenMapTiles – map data © OpenStreetMap Contributors.

Mapping

• Two proposals are waiting for your vote:
  • The flashing_lights=* proposal as of Thursday 5 February 2026. The proposal suggests a new design for flashing lights beyond just crossings.
  • The markers indication proposal until Tuesday 17 February 2026. This proposal is intended to introduce minimal necessary tagging to solve the indication of utility markers on their respective map markers.

Mapping campaigns

• The Italian OSM community’s January campaign ♦ ended and it has resulted in the addition ♦ of 30,000 Wikidata links across the country. Following a community vote ♦ February’s project will focus on mapping street lamps and lit=* tags.
• Developed in response to the OpenStreetMap Italia community’s street lamp mapping initiative ♦, Matt Whilden launched an interactive dashboard that visualises street lamp mapping progress, featuring daily data updates, a leaderboard, baseline and newly mapped lamps, and a time-slider for tracking changes over time.
• DNL852 has created a machine learning algorithm to identify all the pedestrian zebra crossings in Slovakia and Czechia. The newest local orthophoto imagery was used and the process can be also used for other easily recognisable objects (e.g. to identify bus stops painted on the street or colourful recycling containers or others). The results of the ML algorithm were transferred to a MapRoulette challenge.

Community

• FOSSGIS congratulated ♦ OSGeo on its 20th anniversary and expressed hopes for continued wider adoption of open-source software in the geospatial domain, along with healthy growth of a globally active community.
• reDoubleYou described the status of his mapping activities around the town of Sa Pobla on the Spanish island of Mallorca in a blog post.
• Andy Townsend has noticed a growing trend in the UK of pubs near railway stations installing electronic departure boards, and subsequently developed a Postpass query to locate OpenStreetMap objects tagged with amenity=pub in combination with departures_board=*.

OpenStreetMap Foundation

• The SotM Organising Committee explained how the SotM 2026 Travel Grant Programme supports accessibility and diversity for the global SotM, to be held in Paris, France, offering multiple grant sizes from free tickets to up to £1,300 to help with travel and accommodation costs. The programme’s call for applications is open until 1 March 12:00 UTC and includes smaller remote-attendance grants to subsidise mobile data for those with limited connectivity. The selection process uses a points system to rank applications and aims to enhance participation from a diverse range of contributors, especially first-time attendees.
• The Wikimedia Foundation’s Product and Technology team has notified the OpenStreetMap Foundation system administrators that access to Wikimedia APIs for the OSM wiki may be restricted due to inefficient use of Wikimedia Commons images. To avoid a potential block, the team has requested that image requests be limited to standard thumbnail sizes. As a result, minor adjustments to thumbnail dimensions may appear across the wiki in the coming days, and any resulting layout issues are being monitored.

Local chapter news

• The Overture Maps Foundation has become a supporter of OpenStreetMap US, as an Organisational Member at the Strategic level. Overture’s membership will be used to support OSM US tooling, namely MapRoulette, which is a tool that makes it easier for mappers to contribute to OpenStreetMap.

Events

• The team behind State of the Map Europe 2025 have sent out their final newsletter, with links to reports, photos, and session recordings from the conference.

Education

• soundsbeard has published a video on makertube.net with the title ‘openstreetmap (osm). ways to contribute’, which deals with ways to contribute to OpenStreetMap, from JOSM to StreetComplete and other tools.

Maps

• [1] Daniel Schep announced OSM Kids! at Mapping USA 2026, an OpenStreetMap-based interactive Web map that emphasises the visibility of child-themed points of interest, such as playgrounds, theme parks, and toy shops.
• Minh Nguyễn has released a proof of concept of OpenHistoricalMap Americana, which applies OpenStreetMap Americana’s cartographic design to OpenHistoricalMap’s historical road coverage.
• hmaharoof has developed OpenMediaMap, an open and free crowdsourced initiative aimed at digitising and geo-locating historical photographs while preserving their accompanying information. The platform accepts submissions of photographs taken before 1 January 1930.
• OpenStreetMap Americana can now simulate a globe, as an alternative to a Web Mercator projection.
• For their detailed mapping and documentation of the historical Jewish cemetery in Gruenstadt (State of Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany) (we reported earlier), Mannheimer Mapathons and its partners in Gruenstadt were named ♦►♦ as award-winners in the state competition Ehrenamt4.0 (Volunteer4.0). The award was given by the State President, Alexander Schweizer, at the Chancellery in the castle in Mainz (state capital) on 17 January 2026.

OSM in action

• Victor M, of Pplware, has reported ♦►♦ about several new features of Mapbox’s in-car navigation system. The system has been deployed in select vehicle models, including the 2026 Toyota RAV4.
• In response to Storm Kristin that severely impacted Portugal, SOS Leiria has launched ♦ an emergency platform ♦, powered by OpenStreetMap data, enabling users to request or offer assistance at specific locations. The service requires no account registration and includes offline functionality, allowing it to operate even when internet connectivity is disrupted during emergency situations.

Software

• Andres Gomez Casanova reported on an ‘OSM Mesh Notes Gateway’ ♦ project published on Github by the Asociación de Cartografía Colaborativa de Colombia. It is a system designed to support mapping activities during disasters and other connectivity outages.
• Eugene highlighted several key features of OsmAnd Web Explore, demonstrating the tool by exploring notable locations across Patagonia in South America.
• OsmAnd presented their ski profile: detailed piste, lift and route maps for alpine adventures, including 3D terrain and avalanche warning colours. Ideal for skiers and ski tourers, based on OSM-Datenosmand.net.
• openstreetmap-website welcomed the new year with new progress on the transition to MapLibre, as well as a number of small improvements.
• Aron Sommer has released OpenMapEditor, an open-source, local-first web editor for personal geographic data. It supports drawing paths, areas, and markers, importing and exporting GeoJSON, GPX, KML, and KMZ files, routing, elevation profiles, custom WMS layers, a POI finder using OpenStreetMap’s Overpass API, and Strava integration. All processing happens in the browser. The source code is available under the AGPL-3.0 licence.
• Organic Maps launched the gtfs-osm-matcher, a tool to build mappings between stops in various GTFS feeds and OpenStreetMap, enabling GTFS data to be displayed on the map.
• rphyrin has developed offosm v26.2.3, an OSM map that you can access while you’re offline.
• TrickyFoxy published a recap highlighting all feature additions made to the better-osm-org userscript throughout 2025.

Programming

• sphaerophoria, in his streams, has built his own map engine based on OpenStreetMap data in a somewhat chaotic style. He processes OSM in real time, prepares geometry for the GPU, and renders the map using WebGL.
• Paul Norman explained how to use the OSMF vector tiles to create custom vector tiles, with a focus on rendering trees and forests.

Releases

• CoMaps is now available on the Linux desktop.
• Organic Maps has released its January 26 update, fixing out-of-memory crashes when planning cross-country routes and adding GeoJSON export support for bookmarks and tracks.

Did you know that …

• … you can retrieve statistics about instances of the uMap on GitLab?

Other “geo” things

• In 2008, the city of North Oaks asked Google to remove its Street View imagery, arguing that it violated the city’s trespassing ordinance. In 2026, Chris later exploited a series of legal loopholes to map the city despite the long-standing restrictions.
• Citizen science is being used by cryosphere scientists to study and monitor the Arctic permafrost in a project titled UndercoverEisAgenten, which takes us on a drone journey over the ever-changing permafrost landscapes.
• David Oesch released a proof of concept for the automated detection of topographic features from aerial imagery using AI. This project utilises open-source models to identify objects such as buildings or roads and provides this information for mapping applications. A guide explains the local installation of the tools for individual experiments with geospatial data. Developers and mappers can now experiment with automated terrain mapping using open-source resources.
• netzbegrünung has published a map illustrating which microblogging network leads in the number of posts using hashtags of the German state capitals, based on data collected between 1 September 2025 and 31 January 2026 across X, the Fediverse, and Bluesky.

Upcoming Events Country Where Venue What When ♦ Montpellier La Base Mapathon OSM à La Base : cartographier Haïti pour la prévention des risques ​ ♦ 2026-02-05 ♦ Dresden Bottoms Up, Dresden Stammtisch Dresden ♦ 2026-02-05 ♦ Montrouge Réunion des contributeurs de Montrouge et du Sud de Paris ♦ 2026-02-05 ♦ Freiburg im Breisgau CCCFR OSM-Treffen Freiburg/Brsg. ♦ 2026-02-05 ♦ Amersfoort De War Amersfoort Workshop OpenStreetMap ♦ 2026-02-05 OSMF Engineering Working Group meeting ♦ 2026-02-06 ♦ Braunschweig Stratum 0 Braunschweiger Mappertreffen im Stratum 0 Hackerspace ♦ 2026-02-07 ♦ København Cafe Bevar’s OSMmapperCPH ♦ 2026-02-08 Missing Maps : Mapathon en ligne – CartONG [fr] ♦ 2026-02-09 ♦ Grenoble La Turbine Atelier de février 2026 du groupe local de Grenoble ♦ 2026-02-09 ♦ 臺北市 MozSpace Taipei OpenStreetMap x Wikidata Taipei #85 ♦ 2026-02-09 ♦ EPN d’Arlon, rue de Diekirch 37, Arlon EPN d’Arlon – OpenStreetMap – Utilisation ♦ 2026-02-10 ♦ Milano Building 3A Ground Floor – Politecnico di Milano PoliMappers Maptedì ♦ 2026-02-10 ♦ Hamburg Voraussichtlich: “Variable”, Karolinenstraße 23 Hamburger Mappertreffen ♦ 2026-02-10 ♦ New York Online MSF USA Virtual February Mapathon ♦ 2026-02-11 ♦ Zürich Bitwäscherei Zürich 184. OSM-Stammtisch Zürich ♦ 2026-02-11 ♦ München Echardinger Einkehr Münchner OSM-Treffen ♦ 2026-02-11 ♦ Wien Schlupfwinkel (Kleine Neugasse 10, 1040 Wien) 77. Wiener OSM-Stammtisch ♦ 2026-02-11 Online Mapathon von ÄRZTE OHNE GRENZEN ♦ 2026-02-11 ♦ Seattle 1215 E Columbia St, Seattle, WA 98122, US Olympia, Connected ♦ 2026-02-12 UN Mappers: Validation Training ♦ 2026-02-13 ♦ Delhi ILUGD Meetup × OSM Delhi Mapping Party No.26 (North Zone) ♦ 2026-02-15 ♦ EPN d’Arlon, rue de Diekirch 37, Arlon EPN d’Arlon – OpenStreetMap – Contribution ♦ 2026-02-17 Missing Maps London: (Online) Mid-Month Mapathon [eng] ♦ 2026-02-17 ♦ Lyon Tubà Réunion du groupe local de Lyon ♦ 2026-02-17 ♦ Bonn Dotty’s 197. OSM-Stammtisch Bonn ♦ 2026-02-17 ♦ Online Lüneburger Mappertreffen (online) ♦ 2026-02-17 ♦ MJC de Vienne Réunion des contributeurs de Vienne (38) ♦ 2026-02-18 ♦ Karlsruhe Chiang Mai Stammtisch Karlsruhe ♦ 2026-02-18 ♦ Karlsruhe Geofabrik, Amalienstraße 44, 76133 Karlsruhe Karlsruhe Hack Weekend February 2026 ♦ 2026-02-21 – 2026-02-22 ♦ Belfast School of Geosciences, Queen’s University Belfast Belfast Mapathon ♦ 2026-02-21 ♦ TAK Kadıköy Tasarım Atölyesi OpenStreetMap Outdoor Editing ♦ 2026-02-21 ♦ Atelier Vélo Utile Rencontre OSM Saint-Brieuc ♦ 2026-02-21 ♦ Kalyani Nagar TomTom Pune Office, India OSM Mapping Party at TomTom Pune, India ♦ 2026-02-21 ♦ Mumbai OSM Mumbai Mapping Party No.7 (Western Line – South) ♦ 2026-02-22 Missing Maps : Mapathon en ligne – CartONG [fr] ♦ 2026-02-23

Note:
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This weeklyOSM was produced by MarcoR, MatthiasMatthias, Minh Nguyen, PierZen, 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.

a day ago

Те, як серйозно в OpenStreetMap ставляться до обговорень, — справді сильна сторона проєкту. Протягом років таких обговорень спільнота сформувала дуже цілісну систему теґування назв. Ці настанови прості для тих, хто тільки починає, але при цьому дозволяють точно класифікувати та наносити на мапу реальні назви. Саме назва, мабуть, є найважливішим елементом даних для більшості користувачів — адже саме її вони хочуть бачити на екрані й на папері, чути та навіть торкатися.

Але цей допис не про те, який теґ обрати для назви, а про те, у якому вигляді цю назву заповнювати. Я хотів би розповісти про явище еліпсису або, якщо перефразувати, — усічення назв, і про те, на що ми, картографи, повинні звертати увагу під час збору та нанесення на мапу топонімів.

Що таке еліпсовані топоніми?

Еліпсовані топоніми — це власні географічні назви, які історично під час усного чи письмового вжитку були усічені або скорочені. Наприклад, ті, у яких спочатку було родове поняття, що позначало тип обʼєкта, але з часом воно частково або повністю зникло. Нижче у таблиці наведено кілька прикладів таких «усічених» скандинавських топонімів:

Повна форма Усічена форма Пояснення Sed-ezeris Sedzeris Гідронім «озеро Седа» втратив родове поняття ezeris (‘озеро’). Spanggroben Spanget Назва кутка поряд зі струмком, другий елемент -groben (канавка, рів) опущено. Stampedam Stampen Назва хутора поруч зі ставком, другий елемент -dam (ставок) опущено, залишився лише специфічний елемент. Sankt Peters Kirche Sankt Peter Церква святого Петра; другий елемент Kirche (церква) опущено.

У 1980 році радянський лінгвіст та перекладач Адольф Туркін написав статтю «Еліпсовані назви в топонімії Комі» про це явище з багатьма прикладами подібної еволюції назв, коли закінчення що позначало тип обʼєкта з часом було відкинуте. Кілька таких назв можна побачити у таблиці нижче:

Повна форма Усічена форма Переклад та родове поняття Кӧдзвидз Кӧдз пер. «Галькова лука», лука (-видз) Шудаю Шуда пер. «Щаслива річка», річка (-ю) Озъю Оз пер. «Сунична річка», річка (-ю) Таркамаяг Таркама пер. «Бір, сповнений тетеруковими токовищами», бір (-яг) Ручгуаму Ручгуа пер. «Поле, всіяне лисячими норами», поле (-му)

Усе це, здебільшого, назви, які змінилися давно, але є і сучасніший приклад. В одній із дискусій у гілці місцевої спільноти OpenStreetMap Болгарія я трохи відійшов від теми і поставив запитання про те, чому в усіх назвах вулиць опускається родове поняття. Виявилося, що відкидати слово «улица» цілком природно у болгарській мові, і це було відображено у місцевій практиці нанесення назв на мапу:

Повна форма Що заповнюється в name улица „Западна“ Западна улица „Владайска“ Владайска улица „Уилям Гладстон“ Уилям Гладстон

Приклади вище добре ілюструють цей аспект еволюції топонімів по всьому світу, а останній ще й те, що спільнота OpenStreetMap не залишається осторонь цього процесу. Звичайно, я не ризикуватиму давати поради щодо підходів до нанесення назв в інших країнах, але думаю, що маю чим поділитися з учасниками проєкту з України.

Еліпсовані топоніми в Україні

Отже, на що я пропоную звертати увагу? Очевидно, що мова не застигла в часі та є живим організмом, тому й назви змінюватимуться разом із нею. Треба спокійно ставитися до того, що чим назва старіша, тим більше вона зазнала змін; і варто фіксувати її не такою, якою вона була колись, а в її сучасному вигляді.

Але не варто й поспішати з висновками про те, що назва є усіченою. Відсутність родового слова не означає, що назва справді була скорочена історично. Часто це просто зручне розмовне скорочення або перенесення із таблиці чи списку, де сама родова назва була зазначена в окремій комірці чи заголовку. Усічена назва може бути скопійована з іншої мапи, автори якої прийняли таке творче рішення. Зрештою, самому учаснику може здатися, що тип обʼєкта «і так зрозумілий», і варто зробити назву коротшою.

Наше завдання — не закріплювати випадкові спрощення, а перевіряти, чи ця коротка форма справді живе як самостійна назва: чи так пишуть на табличках, у документах, в офіційних джерелах, чи так говорять люди поза конкретним контекстом. Якщо ні, значить, родове поняття є частиною назви, і його не можна губити.

Ось приклади назв із книги Сергія Олеговича Павленка «Мікротопоніми Чернігово-Сіверщини» 2013 року, читаючи яку, можна помилково вирішити, що ці мікротопоніми не мають родових слів або втратили їх. Та насправді це не так. Автор зазначає родовий термін на початку, а через тире — перелік назв уже без такого терміну, мабуть, із метою економії місця. Багато з цих назв мають обовʼязково наноситися на мапу у повному вигляді:

Назва зі списку Повна назва Марусенків Марусенків ставок Хвиненкове Хвиненкове болото Горіле Горіле озеро Німецький Німецький куток Кондратів Кондратів куток Байдине Байдине урочище Остатна Остатна долина Семешкова Семешкова криниця Високе Високе урочище Ковалівське Ковалівське урочище

Щоб зрозуміти, коли родове слово в назві є обовʼязковим, а коли воно справді може зникнути без втрати змісту, треба подивитися на саму будову назв. Топоніми мають різну структуру, і саме вона часто підказує, чи є родове поняття невіддільною частиною власної назви, чи лише уточненням. Тому далі спробуємо розкласти назви за типами словосполучень.

Структура українських назв Означення

Велика частина власних назв на мапі України — словосполучення з узгодженим означенням. Зазвичай це прикметник або числівник, який узгоджується з родовим поняттям у роді, числі чи відмінку.

Ці та інші назви я пропоную записувати у прямому синтаксичному порядку, саме так, як це роблять в українському правописі. Узгоджене означення має бути на початку, а вже після нього — означуваний іменник з маленької літери:

1-ша Садова вулиця, Соборна площа, Турійське озеро, Таранева бухта, Дарницький район, Згурівська селищна громада, Крабова бухта, Чорнобильський куток, Дегтярна затока, Боричів узвіз.

Родове поняття у таких назвах не можна опускати, адже назва буде неповною, навіть у випадку, якщо тип обʼєкта описаний теґом верхнього рівня.

Не менша частка назв є словосполученнями з неузгодженим означенням. Цим компонентом виступає іменник у родовому відмінку, що не змінюється одночасно зі зміною відмінка родового поняття. У таких назвах родове поняття потрібно записувати на початку:

острів Файнберга, перевал Легіонів, вулиця Каменярів, парк Захисників України, бульвар Верховної Ради.

Отже, якщо назва виглядає неповною або схожою на означення, варто перевірити джерела й уживати повну форму назви разом із родовим словом. Його не слід опускати, навіть якщо тип об’єкта вже вказаний у теґах.

Прикладка

Ще один різновид означення — прикладка. Тут родове поняття також має бути на початку. Після нього йде іменник у називному відмінку, що конкретніше уточнює це родове поняття. Якщо у двох попередніх типах назв родове поняття було невідʼємною частиною, то у цьому випадку його за потреби можна опускати. Деякі з перерахованих нижче назв традиційно вживають без родового слова, а в деяких воно є надлишковим, бо в нанесеного обʼєкта вже зазначений теґ що описує його тип:

місто Львів, селище Лосинівка, село Трипілля, річка Десна, гора Говерла, станція Жмеринка, автозаправка ОККО, ресторан МакДональдз.

Натомість у назвах вулиць, провулків та інших подібних обʼєктів родові слова слід зберігати завжди. Для різних типів вулиць немає окремих теґів, крім того, ці обʼєкти використовуються в адресації, тому їхня повна назва має особливе значення:

вулиця Яремківці, площа Ринок, майдан Ринок, вулиця Полівка, провулок Полівка, провулок Хуторок, провулок Романчуків Хутір.

Чому це важливо для кожного з нас?

На перший погляд, дискусії про «урочища» чи «кутки» можуть здатися надмірним академізмом, проте для OpenStreetMap диявол ховається саме в таких дрібницях. Багата мікротопонімія України — усі ці кутки, ставки, поля та острівці — є живою історією. Зберігаючи повні назви, ми захищаємо нашу ідентичність та мовний колорит регіону, не даючи мапі стати «стерильною» чи одноманітною. OSM залишається чи не єдиним живим проєктом, де ми можемо зафіксувати назви найдрібніших обʼєктів саме так, як їх вживали поколіннями.

a day ago

Trijn Rembrands (Alkmaar, ca. 1557 – aldaar, 10 juni 1638[1]) was een vrouw uit Alkmaar die bekendheid verwierf door haar vermeende rol tijdens het beleg van Alkmaar in 1573. Ze wordt in historische bronnen en literatuur afgeschilderd als een heldin die dapper meevocht tegen de Spanjaarden. Zij wordt soms de Kenau van Alkmaar genoemd; een duidelijke verwijzing naar Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer.) Wikipedia

Op 10 oktober 2025 is in het Victorypark in Alkmaar een standbeeld onthuld ter ere van Trijn. ♦ Het locatie met alle tags.

3 days ago

Jede*r hier hat (ständig wechselnd) andere Prioritäten und alle halten ihren Schwerpunkt immer für den Wichtigsten ;)

So schlimm ist es natürlich nicht. Ich mache mich mal auf im Landkreis Waldeck-Frankenberg einen Ort nach dem Anderen (nach Gemeinde) abzuarbeiten um die uralten Geometrien aus den Anfangsjahren mal ein wenig abzuarbeiten.

3 days ago

Bilang paggunita sa aking yumaong lola ngayong buwan ng Pebrero: sa ika-7 anibersaryo ng kanyang pagpanaw; napagpasyahan kong i-pin sa OpenStreetMap ang libingan ng aking lola na si Jovita J. Isa siya sa mga pinakamahalagang tao sa aking buhay, kasunod ng aking mga magulang, at patuloy na nabubuhay ang kanyang alaala sa aking puso.

♦

Si Jovita Fuentes Javellana ay pumanaw noong ika-7 ng Pebrero, 2019 sa Acworth, Geogia sa Estados Unidos sa edad na 82. Ipinanganak siya noong ika-24 ng Hunyo, 1936 sa Iloilo, Barotac Nuevo sa Pilipinas. Mga magulang niya ay sina Angelina Agudo and Nicolas Fuentes.

Si Jovita ay isang mapagmahal na asawa, ina, at lola. Siya ay may natatanging talento sa pananahi, crocheting, at paghahalaman. Bilang isang masigasig na ina, palagi kong hinahanap ang mga masasarap at masustansyang pagkaing hindi malilimutan. Tulad ng Pasta Valenciana, at mga pagkaing tatak Ilonggo.

Si Jovita Javellana ay nag-iwan ng mga minamahal na alaala sa kanyang mga anak na lalaki:

Ronillo Javellana,
Jovel at asawa niyang si Rayda Javellana;

mga anak na babae:

Mary Ann Cox,
Divina Suzette Nalzaro,
Minnie Leonor Priete;

manugang na lalaki:
Larry Nalzaro;

manugang na babae:
Marita Javellana;

mga kapatid na lalaki:
Dr. Rene Fuentes at Gng. Ron Javellana, G. at Gng. Elpedio Javellana, G. at Gng. Pepito Javellana;

mga kapatid sa ama o ina:
Elma, Jean, Maritess;

mga apo:
David Lance Javellana, Marion Kate Javellana, Ron Adam Javellana, Jonathan Javellana, Ryan Nalzaro, Nash Nalzaro, Leif Nalzaro, Reid Nalzaro, Stephany Cox, John Cox, Daisy Cox, Winnie May Priete, Edwin John Priete, JC Priete, JJ Priete; at mga pinsan: Portia at asawa niyang si Rey, G. at Gng. Jaime Javellana, G. Robert Javellana.

♦

OSM Node: node/13528653302

3 days ago

im sooo new plssss what can i benefit from this, i needddd this to help me for the future and stuff idk

4 days ago

In classic adventure stories, traveling through remote regions meant you had to rely on maps, luck, and intuition. Patagonia — famously portrayed in "In Search of the Castaways" — was once a place of uncertainty and long, unpredictable routes. Today, exploring Patagonia can look very different with OsmAnd Web Explore. Modern tools make it easy to discover key places, explore what’s nearby, and plan routes across one of the world’s most spectacular regions.

♦

Photo by Rafael Pazini on Unsplash

Let’s Start with a Search​

February is a great time to explore Patagonia — it’s summer in the Southern Hemisphere, with long daylight hours and easier access to remote areas. A quick online search for “Patagonia must-sees” almost always brings up one name: Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina — a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1981.

So why not make it the starting point of our journey?

Open OsmAnd Web and tap the Search icon on the map. You can search not only by place name, but also by exact coordinates — a handy option when you know the location but not the name. For this example, enter the coordinates -50.000000, -73.000000. The map instantly centers on this point and places a pin in the heart of Patagonia, near Lago Argentino and the glaciers that give the park its name.

Selecting the location opens the context panel, where you can review the position, copy the coordinates, and use quick actions to keep planning.

♦

Explore Nearby and Start Navigation​

With the map centered on the Los Glaciares area, tap Explore. OsmAnd instantly highlights interesting places around you, turning the surrounding landscape into a collection of discoverable spots — viewpoints, lakes, glaciers, mountain ranges, and protected areas.

♦

Each place comes with useful information: a name, category, short description, and often photos. To narrow things down, you can use filters to show only what matters to you — for example, Nature & Outdoors. This makes it easy to move from a broad view of the region to a focused list of places worth adding to your journey. By the way, if you prefer exploring on the go, OsmAnd also offers a similar Explore feature in the mobile app (Android only) — see the step-by-step guide here.

♦

Among the many results, one destination stands out almost immediately: Torres del Paine National Park — this time across the border, in Chile. It’s one of Patagonia’s most iconic national parks, and a natural next step for our route.

Selecting Torres del Paine opens the POI context menu, where you can save the park to your Favorites, share a direct link to it, or jump straight into route planning and navigation.

♦

Choose Navigation, and the selected park becomes your destination point. For the starting point, set Los Glaciares National Park. If you want to shape the journey more precisely, you can add intermediate points along the way — useful when you want the route to pass through specific locations, border crossings, or scenic stops.

Next, select the routing profile that fits your plans. OsmAnd recalculates the route instantly, drawing a clear path between these two landmark destinations and showing distance, estimated travel time, and elevation profile.

♦

What once would have required multiple maps and guesswork now becomes a clear, flexible plan — ready to adapt as your adventure unfolds.

One Route, Multiple Ways to Travel​

Patagonia isn’t just about long roads and mountain passes. In Chilean Patagonia, travel often includes water as well — fjords, channels, and scenic ferry routes that cut through dramatic landscapes. One of the most famous examples is the Navimag ferry, which connects Puerto Montt and Puerto Natales, offering a multi-day journey through Chile’s southern fjords.

When a journey includes different types of terrain and transport, planning everything as a single route can be a challenge. This is where OsmAnd Web Plan Route really shines. In the route planner, you can build one continuous track and change the routing profile for individual segments. Drive between towns, switch to a boat profile for ferry crossings, then return to a pedestrian or driving profile for the next part of the journey — all within the same route.

Using the Change profile option, you decide whether a new profile applies only to the next segments or recalculates the entire route. This makes it easy to adapt your plan as the landscape changes, without starting over.

♦

So, while classic adventures have already been written and have earned their place in history, your own Patagonia story is still ahead of you. With OsmAnd Web Explore and Plan Route, you can turn curiosity into a clear plan: find the places that inspire you, see what’s nearby, and build a route that matches the terrain and the way you travel.

We appreciate your interest in us and thank you for taking the time to read this article. Join us on social media to keep up to date with the latest news and share your experiences. Your opinion is important to us.

Follow OsmAnd on Facebook, TikTok, X (Twitter), Reddit, and Instagram!

Join us at our groups of Telegram (OsmAnd News channel), (EN), (IT), (FR), (DE), (UA), (ES), (BR-PT), (PL), (AR), (TR).

5 days ago

Dear all,

With this post I have the pleasure to share with you that the Missing Maps initiative has a brand new website!

👉www.missingmaps.org

The site has been renewed with a fresh design and you can now explore upcoming mapping events, read stories on our blog, and more!

I’ve always loved the old website, which was launched with the foundation of the Missing Maps in 2014, it however started to gradually break down with a lot of functionalities becoming rather non-functionalities.

Thanks to this renewal process:

• we have a completely fresh design!
• you can find out what projects Missing Maps member organisations could use help with,
• you can (again!) explore upcoming Missing Maps events - they are pulled in via OSMCal,
• we can post (again!) new stories on our blog - read for sure the newest post we made!
• you can browse learning materials and different ways to get involved,
• and more!

Feel free to explore our new website and let us know if you have any thoughts or find any bugs. You could leave a comment in response to this diary or directly submit an issue via GitHub.

♦

6 days ago

Occasionally, I simply scroll through the map on openstreetsmap.org. A year ago, I became aware of the area around Sa Pobla, a Spanish town on the Balearic island of Mallorca. I noticed that, apart from the basic infrastructure, relatively few landcover features had been mapped. Since I had little experience with this and wanted to learn about basic things like fields and tracks in OSM, I started mapping everything that could be seen in the aerial imagery south of Sa Pobla: farmland, water ponds, tracks, roads, buildingy, orchards, etc.

I always tackle a small area that is bounded by surrounding roads. So I mapped my way clockwise around the town, extending the area northwards to the motorway. Then I planned to map the town of Búger and all its houses and began mapping my way towards it. It was rewarding and motivating to be able to see the area I had mapped in much greater detail rendered on openstreetmap.org the next day. Last year, I even had the opportunity to visit Sa Pobla on vacation!

Over the last quarter of a year, I have mapped my way further east to the large wetland area Parc Natural de s’Albufera de Mallorca.

I have left the town of Sa Pobla out for the time being, as mapping buildings in densely built-up areas has not really fulfilled me so far. It is not easy to identify the clear boundaries between houses using aerial imagery, and it is very time-consuming.

Speaking of which, I mostly use Bing, as it has the best aerial imagery available for this area. If I need a different exposure for details, I switch to Mapbox or ESRI. It is a little unsatisfactory that large areas of the town of Sa Pobla, which is at the center of my activity, are not mapped for now. But that will take some time…

7 days ago

At SOTM EU I gave a demo of how to use the OSMF vector tiles with custom tiles for detailed information on a feature. In the demo I showed walls, focusing on the material of the walls.

This is an expanded explaination, focusing on the example of trees and forests.

Starting point

I start with the guide on switch2osm, building a style file to serve locally on 127.0.0.1:8000. I then serve the release directory with a HTTP server. With simple stuff like this I tend to use node’s http-server with npx http-server release -p 8000 --cors -c-1

Making tiles with tree layers

I’m using Tilemaker to make the tile layers. This is a easy way to generate tiles but can’t be updated minutely.

I need a config file and a process file. The former tells tilemaker what layers there are, the latter takes OSM objects and adds them to the right layer

config.json

{
"layers": {
    "tree_points": { "minzoom": 10, "maxzoom": 14 },
    "tree_lines": { "minzoom": 10, "maxzoom": 14 },
    "tree_areas": { "minzoom": 6, "maxzoom": 14 }
},
"settings": {
    "minzoom": 6,
    "maxzoom": 14,
    "basezoom": 14,
    "include_ids": false,
    "compress": "gzip",
    "name": "Tree example",
    "version": "0.1",
    "description": "Sample vector tiles"
}
}

process.lua

node_keys = { "natural=tree" }
way_keys = { "natural=tree_row", "natural=wood", "landuse=forest" }

function node_function(node)
    if Find("natural") == "tree" then
        Layer("tree_points", false)
    end
end

function way_function(node)
    local natural = Find("natural")
    if natural == "tree_row" then
        Layer("tree_lines", false)
    elseif natural == "wood" or Find("landuse") == "forest" then
        Layer("tree_areas", true)
    end
end

I can now run tilemaker from the command line with ~/osm/tilemaker/tilemaker --input planet-latest.osm.pbf --output release/trees.pmtiles. The tiles takes my computer about 10 minutes to generate for the whole planet.

Using pmtiles

I need to add a couple lines to maplibre.html. I add <script src="unpkg.com/pmtiles@4.3/dist/pmtiles.js"></script> below the maplibre script source and a bit of javascript below the MapLibre RTL init

let protocol = new pmtiles.Protocol({metadata: true});
maplibregl.addProtocol("pmtiles", protocol.tile);

Changing the style

Next I need to edit the MapLibre GL style to use the new layers. I start by using a JSON formatter to make it look nicer, then add the pmtiles as a source

"trees": {
    "type": "vector",
    "url": "pmtiles://127.0.0.1:8000/trees.pmtiles"
}

Versatiles Colorful already has a forest layer so I want to change that to point at my tree data. I do this by changing the land-forest layer. The layer becomes

{
    "source": "trees",
    "id": "land-forest",
    "type": "fill",
    "source-layer": "tree_areas",
    "paint": {
        "fill-color": "rgb(102,170,68)",
        "fill-opacity": {
            "stops": [
                [
                    7,
                    0
                ],
                [
                    8,
                    0.1
                ]
            ]
        }
    }
},

The filter property is no longer needed because the entire tree_areas source layer is forests. I start my http server and go to 127.0.0.1:8000/maplibre.html to verify that the forests load correctly. After checking them I move on to new layers.

This isn’t a guide to Maplibre styling, so I’m keeping the new layers simple. I add them as defined below, inserting them before the land-forest layer.

{
    "source": "trees",
    "id": "land-treeline",
    "type": "line",
    "source-layer": "tree_lines",
    "paint": {
        "line-color": "rgb(102,170,68)",
        "line-width": 3
    }
},
{
    "source": "trees",
    "id": "land-treepoint",
    "type": "circle",
    "source-layer": "tree_points",
    "paint": {
        "circle-color": "rgb(102,170,68)"
    }
},

If I now load 127.0.0.1:8000/maplibre.html in a browser I see a map with custom tree rendering.

8 days ago

En mi entrada anterior “Procesamiento en tiempo real de notas de OSM con Bash” expliqué cómo mantener una base de datos local sincronizada con las notas de OpenStreetMap en menos de 10 segundos, usando herramientas comunes de Linux y PostgreSQL. Ese trabajo permitió tener un repositorio actualizado y confiable de notas, comentarios y cambios de estado.

Hoy quiero mostrar el siguiente paso: cómo esa base de datos se convierte en un servicio WMS que permite visualizar las notas directamente en aplicaciones como JOSM, Vespucci o QGIS. De esta manera, pasamos del procesamiento en segundo plano a la representación gráfica en el mapa, abriendo nuevas posibilidades para mapeadores e investigadores.

Las Capas del Servicio

El servicio ofrece cuatro capas principales:

• Notas abiertas (rojo): todas las notas activas, con intensidad de color según antigüedad.
• Notas cerradas (verde): reflejan el trabajo ya realizado, con intensidad según el tiempo desde el cierre.
• Países y zonas marítimas: fronteras, aguas territoriales y ZEE, para dar contexto geográfico y político.
• Zonas en disputa y no reclamadas: áreas donde la asignación de país es ambigua, clave para entender por qué algunas notas no encajan en un análisis nacional.

Casos de Uso

• Priorización de trabajo: un mapeador abre JOSM, carga la capa de notas abiertas y ve un cúmulo de puntos rojos en su ciudad. Decide enfocarse allí.
• Verificación de progreso: un grupo comunitario carga la capa de notas cerradas y observa un mar de puntos verdes, evidencia del esfuerzo colectivo.
• Contexto geopolítico: cerca de una frontera, las notas aparecen en una zona marcada como disputada. El mapeador entiende la ambigüedad en la asignación.
• Análisis espacial: un investigador usa QGIS para estudiar patrones: más notas en áreas urbanas, menos en rurales. El servicio facilita estadísticas y visualizaciones.

Cómo Usarlo

En JOSM:
1. Ir a Imagery → Add WMS Layer…
2. Ingresar la URL: geoserver.osm.lat/geoserver/osm_notes/wms
3. Seleccionar las capas deseadas.

En Vespucci:
1. Abrir configuración de capas.
2. Agregar capa WMS con la misma URL.
3. Activar las capas de notas abiertas, cerradas, países o disputas.

Conclusión

El proyecto avanza en dos etapas complementarias: primero, la ingesta en tiempo real de notas con Bash y PostgreSQL; ahora, la visualización mediante un servicio WMS que las pone directamente sobre el mapa. Juntos, estos componentes permiten a la comunidad OSM analizar, priorizar y coordinar esfuerzos con mayor claridad.

Invito a todos a probar el servicio en JOSM o Vespucci, y a seguir aportando ideas para mejorar esta herramienta que conecta la potencia del procesamiento en tiempo real con la riqueza de la visualización geográfica.

15 hours ago

Kilka słów o postępie w nauce, 8 lutego 2026 roku

1. Dodawanie zakresów mieszkań tagiem addr:flats jest tylko informacyjne. Nie pomaga to niestety w nawigacji i możliwości wpisywania adresów z numerem mieszkań do prowadzenia przez nawigację. Stanowi jednak dobry wstęp by w przyszłości “rzeźbić” samemu każde mieszkanie lub by ktoś inny się tego podjął.
2. To dziwne, że nie było automatu Pocztex zaznaczonego na osiedlu Zygmunta starego. InPost, DPD czy one box są dobrze oznaczone w całym mieście, jednak tutaj niezweryfikowane podejrzenia iż to się zaczytuje automatycznie.
3. Podejrzewam, że OSM jest traktowane po macoszemu przez wszystkich. Szczególnie tych, którzy korzystają z tego nieświadomie. Ma to swoje zalety - udało mi się jako pierwszemu dodać dwa urządzenia będące recyklomatami na mapie OSM dla Poznania.

Podsumowując, całkiem przyjemnie jest edytować wiedząc, że nikt mnie nie ubiegnie. Szkoda jednak, że tak wiele jest jeszcze przez to do zrobienia.

a day ago

The seriousness with which the OpenStreetMap community approaches discussions is a true strength of the project. Over years of debate, the community has formed a highly cohesive tagging system for names. These guidelines are simple for beginners, yet they allow for the precise classification and mapping of real-world names. A name is perhaps the most vital piece of data for most users—it is what they want to see on screens and paper, hear via voice navigation, and even touch.

However, this post isn’t about which tag to choose, but rather the format in which the name should be entered. I want to discuss the phenomenon of ellipsis—or, to put it simply, the shortening of names—and what we as mappers should watch out for when collecting and adding toponyms to the map.

What are elliptical toponyms?

Elliptical toponyms are geographical proper names that have been historically truncated or shortened in oral or written use. These are often names that originally included a generic term (a word indicating the type of object), which over time partially or completely disappeared. The table below shows several examples of such “shortened” Scandinavian and Baltic toponyms:

Historical Full Form Truncated Form Explanation Sed-ezeris Sedzeris The hydronym “Lake Seda” lost the generic term ezeris (lake). Spanggroben Spanget A neighborhood near a stream; the second element -groben (ditch/trench) was dropped. Stampedam Stampen A farmstead near a pond; the second element -dam (pond) was dropped, leaving only the specific element. Sankt Peters Kirche Sankt Peter St. Peter’s Church; the second element Kirche (church) was dropped.

In 1980, the Soviet linguist and translator Adolf Turkin wrote an article titled “Elliptical Names in Komi Toponymy” about this phenomenon, providing many examples of name evolution where the suffix indicating the object type was eventually discarded. You can see a few of these in the table below:

Historical Full Form Truncated Form Translation & Generic Term Kӧdzvidz Kӧdz “Pebble Meadow”; meadow (-vidz) Shudayu Shuda “Happy River”; river (-yu) Ozyu Oz “Strawberry River”; river (-yu) Tarkamayag Tarkama “Pine forest full of grouse leks”; forest (-yag) Ruchguamu Ruchgua “Field riddled with fox holes”; field (-mu)

While these are mostly names that changed long ago, there are more modern examples. In a discussion within the OpenStreetMap Bulgaria community, I asked a question about why the generic term is omitted in all street names. It turns out that dropping the word “ulitsa” (street) is entirely natural in the Bulgarian language, and this was reflected in their local mapping practices:

Full Name (Transliterated) Entered in name tag Context/Notes ulitsa “Zapadna” Zapadna “Zapadna” means “Western.” A common directional street name. ulitsa “Vladaiska” Vladaiska Named after the Vladaiska River, which flows through the heart of Sofia. ulitsa “Uiliam Gladston” Uiliam Gladston Named after William Gladstone, the British statesman

The examples above illustrate this aspect of toponymic evolution worldwide, and the latter shows that the OpenStreetMap community is an active participant in this process. While I won’t presume to advise on mapping approaches in other countries, I believe I have insights to share with project contributors in Ukraine.

Elliptical toponyms in Ukraine

What should we be paying attention to? Language is a living organism, not frozen in time, so names will naturally change. We should accept that the older a name is, the more likely it is to have undergone changes; we should record it as it exists today, not as it once was.

However, we shouldn’t rush to conclude that a name is truly “elliptical.” The absence of a generic word doesn’t always mean the name was historically shortened. Often, it’s just a convenient spoken shorthand or a result of copying from a table or list where the generic term was kept in a separate column or header. A truncated name might be copied from another map where the authors made a “creative” design choice. Ultimately, a mapper might feel the object type is “obvious anyway” and decide to make the name shorter.

Our task is not to codify accidental simplifications, but to verify if the short form actually lives as an independent name: is it written this way on signs, in documents, or official sources? Do people use it this way outside of a specific context? If not, the generic term is part of the name and must not be lost.

Here are examples from Serhiy Pavlenko’s 2013 book, Microtoponyms of Chernihiv-Sivershchyna. Reading it, one might mistakenly think these microtoponyms lack generic terms. In reality, the author lists the generic term followed by a dash and then a comma-separated list of names, omitting the term from each individual entry to save space. Many of these must be mapped in their full form:

Name from the List Full Name Context/Notes Marusenkiv Marusenkiv stavok Marusenko’s pond; named after a family or located near the estate of a man named Marusenko. Khvynenkove Khvynenkove boloto Khvynenko’s marsh; named after the Khvynenko family or a person with that surname. Horile Horile ozero Burnt Lake; “Horile” literally means “burnt” or “scorched.” Nimetskyi Nimetskyi kutok German neighborhood; “kutok” (literally “corner”) refers to a specific section or historical area of a settlement. Kondrativ Kondrativ kutok Kondrat’s neighborhood; named after the estate or family of a man named Kondrat. Baidyne Baidyne urochyshche Baida tract; named after a man with the surname Baida. Ostatna Ostatna dolyna The Last/Remaining Valley; “Ostatna” is a dialectal word for “last.” Note: “dolyna” here refers to a small valley or dell. Semeshkova Semeshkova krynytsia Semeshko’s well; named after a man named Semeshko. Vysoke Vysoke urochyshche High tract; “Vysoke” literally means “high,” likely referring to its elevation. Kovalivske Kovalivske urochyshche Koval tract; named after a man with the surname Koval (which means “Blacksmith”).

To understand when a generic word is mandatory and when it can disappear without losing meaning, we need to look at the structure of the names themselves. Toponyms have different grammatical structures that often signal whether the generic term is an inseparable part of the proper name or merely a clarification.

Grammatical structure of Ukrainian toponyms Agreed attributes (adjectives)

A large portion of proper names on the map of Ukraine are phrases with an agreed attribute. Usually, this is an adjective or numeral that agrees with the generic noun in gender, number, and case.

I suggest recording these in direct syntactic order, as prescribed by Ukrainian grammar. The agreed attribute should come first, followed by the generic noun in lowercase:

1-sha Sadova vulytsia, Soborna ploshcha, Turiiske ozero, Taraneva bukhta, Darnytskyi raion, Zghurivska selyshchna hromada, Krabova bukhta, Chornobylskyi kutok, Dehtiarna zatoka, Borychiv uzviz.

The generic term in such names cannot be omitted; the name would feel incomplete, even if the object type is already defined by top-level tags.

Non-agreed attributes (genitives)

Another large share of names consists of phrases with a non-agreed attribute. This component is a noun in the genitive case that does not change when the generic noun’s case changes. In these names, the generic term should be written first:

ostriv Fainberha (Feinberg Island), pereval Legioniv (Legions Pass), vulytsia Kameniariv (Stonemasons Street), park Zakhysnykiv Ukrainy (Defenders of Ukraine Park), bulvar Verkhovnoi Rady (Verkhovna Rada Boulevard).

If a name looks incomplete or functions like a modifier, check your sources and use the full form including the generic word. Do not drop it, even if the object type is already specified in the tags.

Apposition

Another type of attribute is apposition. Here, the generic term also comes first, followed by a noun in the nominative case that specifically identifies the object. While the previous two types require the generic term as an inseparable part, in this case, it can often be omitted if necessary. Some of the names below are traditionally used without the generic word, or the word is redundant because the mapped object already has a tag describing its type:

misto Lviv (City of Lviv), selyshche Losynivka (Settlement of Losynivka), selo Trypillia (Village of Trypillia), richka Desna (Desna River), hora Hoverla (Mount Hoverla), stantsiia Zhmerynka (Zhmerynka Station), avtozapravka OKKO (OKKO gas station), kafe Teplo (Teplo Cafe), restoran McDonald’s.

However, for names of streets, lanes, and similar objects, generic words should always be preserved. There are no separate tags for different types of streets, and since these objects are used in addressing, their full name carries specific importance:

vulytsia Yaremkivtsi, ploshcha Rynok, maidan Rynok, vulytsia Polivka, provulok Polivka, provulok Khutorok, provulok Romanchukiv Khutir.

Why does this matter to us?

At first glance, debates over “tracts” (urochyshche) or “corners” (kutok) might seem like excessive academicism. However, for OpenStreetMap, the devil is in these details. Ukraine’s rich microtoponymy—all these local corners, ponds, fields, and islets—is living history. By preserving full names, we protect our regional and linguistic identity. OSM remains perhaps the only living project where we can record the names of the smallest features exactly as they have been used for generations.

a day ago

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akkadian_Empire en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebla#/media/File:Ancient_Near_East_2400BC.svg en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Beaker_culture en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebla

3 days ago

Today, I continued my journey as an OpenStreetMap contributor by actively participating in humanitarian mapping through the HOT Tasking Manager. During this session, I focused on mapping basic features such as buildings and road segments using satellite imagery.

This experience helped me better understand the importance of accurate data in supporting humanitarian efforts, including disaster response and community planning. I paid close attention to data quality, proper tagging, and alignment with OpenStreetMap mapping guidelines.

Through this contribution, I strengthened my familiarity with the OSM editing tools and improved my confidence as a mapper. I also gained valuable insight into how collaborative mapping enables volunteers from around the world to support vulnerable communities with reliable geospatial data.

I look forward to continuing my contributions, improving my skills, and participating in more humanitarian mapping projects in the future.

3 days ago

Jovita Fuentes Javellana, age 82, of Acworth, GA, passed away on Thursday, February 7, 2019. She was born on June 24, 1936 in Iloilo, Barotac Nuevo in the Philippines to Angelina Agudo and Nicolas Fuentes. We call her by her name, Betty. Our lola (Grandma) Betty.

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Jovita was a dedicated and loving wife, mother and grandmother. She had a talent for sewing, crocheting and gardening. In addition to being a wonderful mother, Jovita was also a great cook.

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In the past, we used to visit her on weekends, and I always looked forward to those days when she radiated so much energy and positivity. One memorable moment stands out: I wrote her a heartfelt letter on a yellow pad to express my sincere gratitude for all she had done for us in the family, especially during Christmas. It was a small gesture, but it captured the depth of my appreciation for her presence in my life.

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Lola, I miss you more than words can express. I wish more than anything to spend time with you again, alongside Papa, creating new memories together. You are always in my thoughts and forever in my heart.

Your grandson,
Jon

Source: www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/kennesaw-ga/jovita-javellana-8154176

3 days ago

Cool names

3 days ago

Depuis que je suis en retraite dans le cantal, je me suis pas mal intéressé aux aspects agricoles. A partir des orthophotos 2025 j’essaie de cartographier l’emprise des cours de fermes dans le département en travaillant aussi sur l’amélioration et le maintien des landuse. il y a environ 4000 cours de fermes dans le Cantal. Un peu plus de 1100 sont tracées. C’est facile pour les bâtiments récents et on observe une belle modernisation des bâtiments d’élevage en 10 ans avec une grosse majorité d’installations photovoltaïques en toiture. petite extraction sur Umap umap.openstreetmap.fr/fr/map/fermes-dans-le-cantal_1326159#10/45.146663/2.712250

4 days ago

Why this matters

In disasters and other connectivity outages, people on the ground often see road blockages, landslides, bridge damage, or other map-relevant changes before reliable Internet access is restored. Traditional reporting channels fail when cellular networks are down or overloaded.

This post shares a community-oriented experiment: using a LoRa mesh (Meshtastic) to send simple field reports from phones (via Bluetooth to a LoRa device) to a gateway that later publishes them as OpenStreetMap Notes once Internet is available.

Scope & safety: this is not an emergency response system. Please do not include personal data (PII) or life-critical requests. The goal is to support mapping workflows.

What we built (high level)

OSM Mesh Notes Gateway turns offline messages into OSM Notes:

1. A field volunteer carries a GNSS-enabled LoRa device (e.g., T‑Echo) and connects their phone via Bluetooth using the Meshtastic app.
2. They send a short message starting with #osmnote.
3. The message travels across the LoRa mesh to a node connected by USB to a Raspberry Pi gateway.
4. The gateway validates that the device’s last GNSS fix is recent (for mobility), queues the report if offline, and creates an OSM Note when Internet is available.
5. The gateway replies by direct message (DM) with an acknowledgement and privacy reminder.

Key ideas that make it work in the field

### 1) GNSS recency checks (mobility-aware) Because position updates and text messages may arrive separately in a mesh, the gateway uses the latest known GNSS position per device and enforces strict time thresholds (e.g., 15s ideal, 60s max) to avoid placing notes far from the real location (especially in vehicles).

2) Store-and-forward queue

If the gateway has no Internet, reports are stored locally (SQLite) and retried periodically. Users get a local queue ID like Q-0007.

3) “Queued → published” notifications

When Internet returns and a queued report becomes an OSM Note, the reporter receives a DM: Q-0007 → Note #1234567.

4) Deduplication without losing real repeated events

In disasters, identical text (e.g., “House collapsed”) may describe different places. Deduplication is intentionally conservative: it only suppresses accidental resends from the same device, within a short time window, and at nearly the same location.

How to try it

• Hardware: Meshtastic-compatible nodes, at least one with GNSS for field reports, and one connected by USB to a Raspberry Pi.
• Messaging: field users send #osmnote <your text>.
• Gateway: a Python service listens via USB serial, validates GNSS freshness, queues when offline, and posts to OSM Notes.

Source code + technical spec: see the GitHub repository (linked in the repo README).

Privacy and limitations

• Do not include personal data (names, phone numbers, exact addresses for individuals).
• OSM Notes are meant for mapping; they are publicly visible and may be moderated/closed.
• The mesh can be public; anyone on the same channel can read messages.

Credits

This work is developed within AC3 (Asociación de Cartografía Colaborativa de Colombia) as part of activities under the NASA Lifelines Speed Dating grant, aiming to improve offline field reporting for community mapping.

Next steps

• Broader field testing with more nodes and varied mobility.
• Improved volunteer field guides and deployment checklists.
• Optional extensions for private humanitarian reporting backends (out of scope for this MVP).

If you’d like to test, contribute, or replicate this in your region, please reach out via the repository.

Links

• GitHub Repository.
• Spanish explanation for NAS Lifelies.

6 days ago

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The State of the Map Organizing Committee provides a Travel Grant Programme (TGP) to facilitate accessibility and diversity at the global SotM 2026 Conference, which will happen in Paris, France, August 28-30. 

Taking into consideration the success of last year, the programme will also dedicate a portion of the budget available to support remote attendance (e.g. by providing access to a reliable internet connection) for those who cannot travel to Paris because of imposed restrictions, travel costs, or other reasons.

The call for applications to the Travel Grant Programme will be open until 1st March 12:00 UTC.

It is fundamental to read all the information on this page before submitting an application.

For applicants

This section sets out the benefits of a Travel Grant to attend SotM 2026 and the process and criteria by which applicants will be selected. The TGP is administered by the State of the Map Organizing Committee.

Travel Grants

The Travel Grant will include a full conference ticket and a lump-sum contribution towards travel, accommodation and other expenses.

There will be five (5) different sizes of travel grants available:

CategoryGrant SizeLikely Used ForExpected number of winnersAfree ticketApplicants from Île-de-France area10B£300,00Applicants from France8C£500,00Applicants from Schengen Area and Common Travel Area8D£800,00Applicants from other European countries or High-income economies based on World Bank country rating by income5E£1.300,00Applicants from other countries classified as Upper-middle-income economies or lower based on World Bank country rating by income6

The size and number of grants may be adjusted at the discretion of the Organizing Committee, depending upon the level of funding raised and the number of applications received. Applicants will only be able to apply for one size of travel grant, and they should apply for the grant depending on their country of residence. The World Bank rating is available at the link datatopics.worldbank.org/world-development-indicators/the-world-by-income-and-region.html  

Anyone applying for more than one grant will be excluded from the application process.

For categories C, D and E, a maximum of 2 winners will be chosen for each country of origin.

Online Attendance Support Grant

For those interested in attending the conference remotely but with limited internet connectivity, smaller grants will be made available to subsidise the cost of purchasing mobile data passes. The size of each grant will vary depending on the country and mobile data packages available, but it’s expected not to exceed £ 30. 

With an estimated 1GB per hour of streaming videos in HD quality (720p), it’s expected that a maximum of 40GB will be sufficient to cover the entire conference. Arrangements will be made with grant recipients to purchase the data packages directly or to transfer the amount needed via mobile money.

Criteria

In order to guarantee a transparent and fair allocation of funds, the travel grant programme uses a points system for ranking applications. Points are awarded if applicants match specific criteria. After the application phase is over, all applicants are ranked by points, and the applicants with the most points will receive funding.

Please note that the travel grant programme aims to enhance diversity at the conference. We might reserve a few programme spots for people with unique and outstanding applications. However, most programme spots will solely be determined by the point ranking.

To ensure the participation of OSM contributors who have not attended any in-person SotM conference, the in-person Travel Grant winners of the previous three SotM (SotM 2025 Manila, SotM 2024 Nairobi and SotM 2022 Firenze) will not be eligible for this Travel Grant.

Furthermore, once the ranking has been drawn up and the scholarships assigned based on it. The next two people for each grant size will be informed of their position. If one of the first winners communicates by the 3rd of July that he will not be able to participate, the scholarship will be provided to the people who are in the second ranking. However, those people will receive a free online ticket to attend the conference virtually. Moreover, if they are able to attend the conference in person, they could receive a free ticket if they provide support volunteering.

Note on authenticity and use of AI

Submissions are expected to reflect the applicant’s personal and direct experience within the OpenStreetMap project. The use of generative AI tools to write or substantially edit these sections is strongly discouraged. Overly generic, self-promotional, or marketing-style narratives may be penalised.

Ranking criteria Nationality

The allocation of points is based on the World Bank country rating by income.

• Applicants from Low-income economies receive 1.5 points.
• Applicants from Lower-middle-income economies receive 1 point.
• Applicants from Upper-middle-income economies receive 0.5 points.
• Applicants from High-income economies receive 0 points.

Residence

The allocation of points is based on the World Bank country rating by income.

• Applicants who are currently living in Low-income economies receive 1.5 points.
• Applicants who are currently living in Lower-middle-income economies receive 1 point.
• Applicants who are currently living in Upper-middle-income economies receive 0.5 points.
• Applicants who are currently living in High-income economies receive 0 points.

Gender and Minorities

In order to create a more diverse community, women and applicants from other underrepresented groups will receive 2 points. The minority criteria will be considered with respect to the other candidates of the same category.

Students

Students, including PhD students, receive 1 point. You may be asked to provide evidence of enrollment.

First State of the Map

Applicants who attend SotM for the first time receive 1 point.

Amount required

The expected cost amount requested is to be indicated in pounds sterling (£). Applications without an explicit request for the amount required will not be considered. The minimum between the expected cost and the grant size based on the residence country will be assigned.

OpenStreetMap and Community

Details of their past contributions to OpenStreetMap projects or community activities: up to a total of 4 points. Up to 2 points for mapping activities based on your OpenStreetMap username and up to 2 points for other contributions to the project as you will describe.

You  & OpenStreetMap

Present the most valuable experience, mapping activities, or community moment that describes the travel grant experience in the OpenStreetMap world. This is not the call for participation; the call will be open, and there will be the possibility to submit talks and workshops. So, this is not an instrument to present talks; you are invited to participate in the call for talks and workshops if you would like to present your activities.

Please provide a short abstract about what you would like to present, with a maximum length of 100 words.

No points; the abstract will be used as a discriminant for the final decision.

Volunteering

The travel grant winners will be asked to volunteer for a time proportional to 1/3 or less of the conference length, depending on the number of other volunteers. Indicate the roles that you are confident to do: Room Assistant, Registration and Infodesk, Session Assistant, Venueless Assistant (only for remote grants). For more detailed info on the roles, see the wiki pages of volunteers for Sotm 2025: wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/State_of_the_Map_2025/volunteers#Roles . No points.

Payment

You must be able to fund the direct costs of your travel to SotM and be in possession of a valid passport and entry visa and other documents (for example, vaccinations). Successful applicants will receive a conference pass and become eligible for reimbursement of expenses up to the limit of the travel grant when they check in at the conference registration desk. Reimbursement of expenses will be by electronic means (details to be advised).

The travel grant amount will NOT be provided in advance. The applicants should be able to cover the costs on their own.

How to Apply

If you wish to be considered for a SotM travel grant, please fill out the application form.

link: osmf.limequery.org/893119 

All data will be held confidential and only used for assessing TGP applications. Please ensure that the email address that you provide is regularly monitored, as the selection committee may wish to seek clarification of responses. If no replies have been provided to requests via mail for the Travel Grant Committee within 5 days, the Travel Grant will be removed from you and assigned to the next applicants in the ranking.

Applications must be received by the 1st March at 12:00 UTC.

The selection committee will aim to notify recipients of grants by the 16th of March.

Supporting the Travel Grant Programme

The travel grant programme is funded through the State of the Map Sponsors.

The State of the Map Working Group

The State of the Map conference is the annual, international conference of OpenStreetMap, organised by the OpenStreetMap Foundation. The OpenStreetMap Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation, formed to support the OpenStreetMap Project. It is dedicated to encouraging the growth, development and distribution of free geospatial data for anyone to use and share. The OpenStreetMap Foundation owns and maintains the infrastructure of the OpenStreetMap project, is financially supported by membership fees and donations, and organises the annual, international State of the Map conference. Our volunteer Working Groups and small core staff work to support the OpenStreetMap project. Join the OpenStreetMap Foundation for just £15 a year or for free if you are an active OpenStreetMap contributor.

OpenStreetMap was founded in 2004 and is an international project to create a free map of the world. To do so, we, thousands of volunteers, collect data about roads, railways, rivers, forests, buildings and a lot more worldwide. Our map data can be downloaded for free by everyone and used for any purpose – including commercial usage. It is possible to produce your own maps which highlight certain features, to calculate routes etc. OpenStreetMap is increasingly used when one needs maps which can be very quickly, or easily, updated.

6 days ago

Starting in 2026, I slightly adjusted my daily routine, particularly around my weeklyOSM-related activity. Instead of passively consuming updates, I began actively scanning for news by lurking in several regional OSM online groups. Occasionally, genuinely newsworthy discussions emerge there.

One such case appeared today in the OpenStreetMap Braga (Portugal) Telegram group.

In the aftermath of Storm Kristin, which recently hit Portugal, multiple OSM-driven humanitarian initiatives surfaced. These efforts focused on mapping damage, identifying locations that require assistance, and highlighting places offering help.

At some point, the discussion shifted toward the need for a truly offline mapping application. Connectivity issues in affected areas appeared to render many OSM-based emergency platforms ineffective, simply because they still depend on an active internet connection.

This resonated with my own experience. I have built several “half-offline” OSM-based applications before. They are only partially offline because they store coordinate data locally in the user’s browser, while the application code itself and the OSM map tiles still require network access.

That led to a straightforward question: if we want a truly offline application, shouldn’t the map tiles themselves also be stored locally in the browser? Storing coordinate data is already trivial, but what about images? BLOBs? Is this feasible at scale?

While I was still thinking through these constraints, someone in the same Telegram group announced that an offline emergency platform had already been built. Naturally, I was curious and tested it by toggling my network connection on and off.

The result was clear: the application remained accessible offline.

♦

I then dug deeper using Chrome DevTools to understand how the platform handled map storage. The answer was surprisingly simple. Yes, it is entirely possible to store OSM map tiles directly in the browser and reuse them later when offline.

♦

At that point, I decided to reverse engineer how sosleiria’s CacheStorage works and make a proof-of-concept app, focusing on only two basic features: basic map rendering and GPS-based positioning.

The result is this application : github.com/altilunium/offosm

As for practical use cases, one scenario stands out. Suppose you plan to visit a city tomorrow. Today, you open the app and explore that city using it at least once. As you pan and zoom, more OSM tiles are downloaded and cached locally in your browser. The more you explore the map, the more data becomes available offline.

When tomorrow arrives, you can open the app again. Since it is a PWA, it remains accessible even without connectivity. You enable GPS, which operates independently of internet access, and navigate the city using the cached map tiles. At that point, the application effectively behaves like an offline map, relying solely on GPS signals.

Another unexpected use case is archiving OSM map tiles.

In this app, you can keep older map tiles while downloading newer versions. You can compare them side by side and choose the one you consider better.

♦

Map tile 11-1636-1063 in two versions: one from two seconds ago and another from 54 minutes ago. You can choose one and delete the other, or request a completely new version by clicking Update.

Here, tile selection is explicit: older or newer. You can use your own judgment to decide which map tile is better

Update :

I developed this app last night, testing it several times, thinking possible new feature before i went to sleep, sleep, wake up, then goes straight to implement those new features. v26.2.3 is now released.

7 days ago

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For today's ride I drove to Ashington, took the new Northumberland Line Train to Newcastle then rode back to Ashington Station - mainly along NCN72 (Hadrian Cycleway) and NCN1 (Coast and Castles).

As the train left Ashington there was light rain, but by the time it arrived in Newcastle the sun was just about breaking through. The rain held off until the ride was over and I was in the car heading for home. The sun didn't last though. By the time I reached Whitley Bay there was quite a dense sea fret.

I anticipated the Sunday Market on Tynemouth Station, which provided a good choice of fast food for lunch. I should have anticipated the Sunday Market on Newcastle Quayside. That was really busy, which was nice, but it slowed progress for a while.

I then discovered that my maps of this part of the National Cycle Nework are out of date. There have been some significant improvements since the last time I rode this route. The result was that I drifted away from the correct path on several occasions. Initially I was inclined to blame gaps in the signage. On reflection, a more positive perspective would be to think of this as a great route, with plenty of interest to explore. I have a perfect excuse to repeat the adventure and update my mapping.

Without the unplanned diversions I had expected a ride of just over 30 miles. In practice I covered just over 33 miles. I arrived home tired, but happy after a very satisfying day.

8 days ago