About
From OpenStreetMap
| Other languages: | +/- |
|---|---|
|
English • Български • Česky • Dansk • Deutsch • Español • Français • Italiano • 日本語(Japanese) • Nederlands • Slovenščina • Svenska • اللغة العربية | |
| Help | About | Browsing | Editing | Upload |
OpenStreetMap is an editable map of the whole world, which is being built largely from scratch using GPS traces, and released with an open content license.
The OpenStreetMap License allows free (or almost free) access to our map images and all of our underlying map data, and the project aims to promote new and interesting uses of this data. See FAQ for more details about why we want an open content map, and the answer to our most frequently asked question "Why not just use google maps?"
The Map
Browsing our map is easy. The map isn't finished yet, but we do have complete coverage of some places (wherever we have been mapping most enthusiastically) People and commercial companies have already begun putting this data to good use.
Because we are actively developing the software for viewing and editing maps and improving our server hardware, there may be periods when the maps/editing features are unavailable. See Platform Status
Mapping
This is not just a software project. We are getting out from behind our computer screens and surveying the towns and countryside to create our maps. This is very much a community mapping effort. We use wiki-style collaborative editing software to support this, which means that our maps will keep growing bigger and better. If you have a GPS unit you can contribute any tracks you have recorded. We are also able to derive maps from Yahoo! Aerial Imagery. You can start editing our maps straight away using the online "Potlatch" editor, or download the JOSM desktop application.
Development
A lot of software development work is taking this project in many different directions. As mentioned above, we have created various map editing tools. In fact OpenStreetMap is powered by open source software from the slippy map interface, down to the underlying data access protocol (a web service interface for reading and writing map data). There is lots of scope for sub-projects working with our data and using our data, but we also need help fixing bugs and adding features to our core components.
Interested in Getting Involved? New OpenStreetMap mappers and developers are always welcome!
