OpenStreetMap

lastmod 2026-06-15created 2019-11-2225 edits

OpenStreetMap (OSM) is an open-source, participatory, free map service run by the OpenStreetMap Foundation, a UK non-profit organization founded in 2005. It is a crowd-sourced (collective intelligence) map modeled on the non-profit Wikipedia, so anyone can edit and use it.

Replacing Mapbox with open-source solutions

• How The Post is replacing Mapbox with open source solutions - Kevin Schaul

A write-up on building the interactive maps used in Washington Post articles with open source instead of the expensive Mapbox

• OpenMapTiles - Downloads OpenStreetMap and NaturalEarth data and builds tiles
• Maptunik - Open-source style editor similar to Mapbox Studio
• PMTiles - Bundles tiles into a single archive optimized for easy lookup and hosts it (requested via HTTP Range)
• Maplibre-gl-js - Client-side rendering

Usage

• Using OpenStreetMap - OpenStreetMap Korea

Projects

• OSMPythonTools
• imposm.parser
• Osmread
• pydriosm
• OSMnx
• prettymaps - Python library for drawing custom maps from OSM data
• BRouter - OpenStreetMap-based shortest route finding
• Overture Foundation - Building open map data
• OpenMapTiles - Downloads OpenStreetMap and NaturalEarth data and builds tiles
• Maptunik - Open-source style editor similar to Mapbox Studio
• PMTiles - Bundles tiles into a single archive optimized for easy lookup and hosts it (requested via HTTP Range)
• Maplibre-gl-js - Client-side rendering
• Protomaps - Build your own map system with OpenStreetMap
• OpenAerialMap - The open collection of aerial imagery.
• WebODM (OpenDroneMap)
• Apache Baremaps - Toolkit for creating, publishing, and operating online maps
• MagicEarth - Map & navigation service using crowd-sourced traffic data
• OpenFreeMap - Open-source map hosting
• GOB (Geo-Object Bundle) - GOB, a new file format for OSM, 30% smaller than PBF and 5x faster to import
• MapToPoster - Turns city maps into art posters

PBF Format

• PBF Format - OpenStreetMap Wiki

PBF format ("Protocolbuffer Binary Format") is primarily intended as an alternative to the XML format.

See also

• GIS
• OGC
• Mapnik

Favorite site

• OpenStreetMap web site
• OpenStreetMap Korea
• Wikipedia (en) OpenStreetMap
• Planet OSM - The files found here are regularly-updated, complete copies of the OpenStreetMap database.
• OpenStreetMap Data Extracts - You can download OpenStreetMap data.
• OpenStreetMap data analysis: how to parse the data with Python?

Article

• Lyft replaces Google Maps with OpenStreetMap | GeekNews
  • [Original] Lyft’s secret plan to take control of its maps — and its future
  • Decided it was hard to add more features while relying on Google Maps
  • Navigation also depended on Google, making it hard to recommend better routes
  • Started testing OSM in 2019 and began rolling it out last year; now about 70% of rides run on OSM
  • Now plans to test various features on top of this map to improve the user experience
    • Choosing a "scenic route" instead of an efficient one
    • Providing pickup/drop-off guidance in places with heavy traffic congestion (airports, stadiums, etc.)