Hi mappers! I am a journalist at BRUZZ and writing about private swimming pools based on the extensive mapping that was done in Brussels. Someone suggested I post here, hope that’s ok. Is there anyone who would like to be featured as a representative of the OSM community? (either with or without name) We can call or you can answer to this thread.
What I wonder:
what is OSM / why does it exist / why is it important?
how does mapping work? and specifically, how do you map private swimming pools?
(if you specifically map swimming pools, why?)
what other mapping projects exist right now?
(as an OSM-enthusiast, I know the answers to some of these, but as a journalist it’s better to quote you haha ;))
It’s a bit like a Wikipedia, but for maps. Everyone can contribute - which counterintuitively leads to excellent data. Contrary to Wikipedia (or Google Maps, for that matter), the product is not just our website or an app, but a dataset that everyone can use - for their own apps, websites, research project or policy making.
It was started to scratch an itch: we wanted data anyone can use, and we just like making a map of our world without anyone telling us what we are allowed to map or not.
It’s important because it allows people to map what they feel is important, even if corporations don’t care (because there isn’t any money to be made with adding niche, free infrastructure) or governments don’t want to know about it (like slums, refugee camps or valuable natural features in inconvenient locations). It makes for a map and data infrastructure that is resilient to political crises or corporate whims. Even when the internet goes down, you can still use our maps on your phone if you install one of the many apps using offline maps.
Also it just does things no one else does, like showing all the little paths in the forest, or showing the little free libraries.
Our gold standard is still: start with whatever you can see with your own two eyes in the field. Then use your phone or computer and some simple or complex software to add what you saw. But we also use official datasets, satellite imagery and open data “street view” alternatives to gain efficiency.
For private swimming pools: this is mostly done based on aerial imagery, where they stand out clearly in private gardens.
There are so many! With the heat, we’ve had extra attention for things like “does this feature have an airco or not?”, “is this public drinking water fountain working or not?” and we’ve even seen attempts to make routers that prefer the most shaded parts of the city.
We’re also still working on making sure all the schools are in OSM, that all the cycle- and school streets are mapped, that we would have all the buildings and addresses, that you can know which paths are nice and natural or rather paved and lit at night, that all roundabouts are mapped correctly, … But most mappers set their own priorities, often just making sure that everything in their own local area is in perfect condition.
Play houses, swings, soccer pitches (unless it is a combined basketball / tennis court and soccer pitch) and similar in people’s back gardens that might indicate the presence / absence of children.
Kennels, etc. in people’s gardens that might indicate the presence / absence of dogs.
Most other features in people’s gardens, other than buildings (including pergolas, gazebos and greenhouses) and barriers (walls, fence, etc.).
Things that I will happily only partially map:
Prisons and the like.
Things I dislike mapping:
Vape shops and similar.
Betting shops.
Constituency offices of dodgy politicians.
Things I feel obligated to map:
Big fountains in people’s gardens. .
Swimming pools in people’s gardens.
Tennis courts in people’s gardens.
Horse paddocks in people’s gardens.
Heli-pads / hangars / runways(!) in people’s gardens.
Basement-level parking off people’s private driveways.
If people can afford those things, they can afford the security.