OpenStreetMap
AdoptPlatforms
Open geospatial map data used as the app's underlying mapping source.
Why it's here
Placed in Adopt: 15 article(s) of evidence from 3 source(s), led by product launches, with 5 in the last 30 days. Confidence 73%.
Evidence (15)
- 3Hacker News·10/11/2026researchCartographers of North Korea
This Hacker News item links to an article about mapping North Korea using publicly available geographic data and satellite imagery. The piece appears to focus on how cartographers and open map contributors work around the country’s limited access and sparse official information.
- 3Hacker News·10/5/2026product_launchBrowser-based tool finds the flattest route in San Francisco
A web app called Flatten SF lets users compare walking and biking routes across San Francisco by balancing distance against elevation gain. It computes routes in the browser using street-graph data, USGS lidar elevation data, and offline place search for intersections, addresses, and locations in the city.
- 6Hacker News·10/1/2026product_launchStreetComplete for iOS enters public beta
StreetComplete, the OpenStreetMap editing app, is now available as a public beta on iOS. The release brings the project to Apple's platform, allowing more iPhone users to contribute map data through the app.
- 5Simon Willison·9/12/2026product_launchChatGPT Work generates running routes from OSM data
Simon Willison reports that ChatGPT Work with GPT-6 Astra generated 5K and 10K looped running routes from a home address using OpenStreetMap data, and exported them as an interactive map plus GPX and GeoJSON files. He also noted a transparency issue: the exact code and intermediate steps were not visible after thread compaction, making it difficult to review how the route was produced.
- 3Hacker News·9/12/2026open_sourceTutorial for making a first OpenStreetMap edit
This article is a step-by-step tutorial for new contributors to OpenStreetMap, showing how to add an official website tag to a nearby shop or amenity using JOSM. It explains account setup, data filtering, plugin installation, and changeset upload, with the goal of making a quick, meaningful map improvement.
- 5The New Stack·9/3/2026researchPhiloLabs built a virtual Union Square with AI agents for $33
PhiloLabs used Claude Fable 5.1 agents to build a browser-based 3D reconstruction of San Francisco’s Union Square from geographic data and reference images. The experiment paired Playwright screenshot comparisons with agent review loops to catch visual issues that conventional tests would miss, and the full run reportedly cost about $33 in API usage.
- 3Hacker News·8/28/2026open_sourceState of the Map 2026 to Be Held in Paris and Online
State of the Map 2026, the annual conference for OpenStreetMap contributors and users, will take place in Paris and online from August 28 to 30, 2026. The event will include talks, workshops, discussion sessions, live streams, and attendee communication channels, with sponsorships supporting the OpenStreetMap ecosystem.
- 7Hacker News·8/26/2026open_sourceCoMaps helps rescuers navigate offline in Venezuela
The open-source CoMaps app was used by rescue teams in Venezuela after an earthquake, including in areas with no cell coverage. The article highlights how offline maps, faster map update workflows, and collaboration with Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team improved field navigation during the response.
- 4Hacker News·8/26/2026open_sourceOldInsuranceMaps.net joins OSM US Charter Projects
OldInsuranceMaps.net has been designated an OSM US Charter Project, giving the historical mapping platform a long-term home within the OpenStreetMap ecosystem. The site hosts more than 1,200 georeferenced Sanborn insurance maps and supports collaborative historical mapping, research, and open historical data workflows.
- 3Hacker News·8/19/2026researchGeometry and CUDA Used to Geolocate a Random Island
A Hacker News post describes a human-written writeup of solving a geolocation challenge for an island resort photo using geometry and GPU-accelerated code. The author built a fingerprint from island positions and used OpenStreetMap coastline data plus heuristic filtering and CUDA-based computation to search for a matching island cluster.
- 4Hacker News·8/8/2026open_sourceOpen-source interactive map for the August 12 total solar eclipse
The item highlights an open-source interactive map built to visualize the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse, with live shadow, cloud, and eclipse path layers. It appears designed for real-time exploration of viewing conditions and geometry during the event.
- 3Hacker News·7/26/2026product_launchShow HN: Map of Every U.S. Golf Course
A Hacker News user launched a free directory for browsing U.S. golf courses, built to work around poor Google search filtering. The site uses OpenStreetMap as its base, then enriches listings with scorecards, USGA rating/slope, and public/private status, with user-submitted corrections to improve accuracy.
- 3Hacker News·7/7/2026open_sourceStreetComplete helps edit OpenStreetMap through local quests
StreetComplete is a surveyor app for OpenStreetMap that turns missing map data into small location-based quests. Users visit a place, answer a simple question, and the information is added directly to OpenStreetMap under their name without using another editor.
- 4Hacker News·7/6/2026product_launchCoMaps launches offline privacy-first community maps
CoMaps is an offline mapping and navigation app for hiking, biking, and driving that works without mobile data. The project emphasizes privacy by default, no data collection, and community contribution through OpenStreetMap and Codeberg; it is a fork of Organic Maps and Maps.Me.
- 4Hacker News·7/5/2026product_launchOrganic Maps reaches 6 million installs
Organic Maps is a free, open-source offline maps and navigation app focused on privacy, battery efficiency, and no tracking. The project says it supports hiking, cycling, driving, offline search, and route guidance using OpenStreetMap data, and has reached 6 million installs.