Monthly Archives: July 2025

Vector Tiles are deployed on OpenStreetMap.org

We are happy to announce the deployment of Vector Tiles on OpenStreetMap Foundation servers and the publication of the layer on the OSM website! We have been working hard to bring you a fresh look to OSM data, paired with exciting technological upgrades.

Work has been progressing since last year. In June 2024 we shared progress, including the launch of the vector tiles demo site, as well as details on the technical background on the tools being used. Since then we have put the tile generation process through months of testing, focused on reliability and speed improvements, and gotten ready for full production use.

Now, with integration of the vector tiles as a feature layer on the OpenStreetMap website, mappers and visitors get a visual layer that is sharper and quicker, based on an entirely new backend.

A major benefit of vector tiles is adaptability, so developers can leverage this vector source to develop their own styles based on the existing Shortbread styles or write a new one and use the new OSMF-hosted tiles. To use OSMF vector tiles in a project, in a development or production environment, consult the Vector Tile Usage Policy. Note that the policy may be subject to change to address any issues that come up after this launch.

From this point, you can expect further evolution of the Shortbread spec and styles. Input on the direction, ideas, and issues with OSMF vector tiles are welcome. Share in the appropriate repository: spirit for styles, tilekiln for tile generation, and shortbread-tiles for the tile content specification.

State of the Map 2026 – Call for Venues is now open

Bring State of the Map to Your Community/Country!

We’re excited to invite bids for the next State of the Map conference, taking place in 2026. This is a unique opportunity to partner with us and host the conference in your city!

Why bid?

  • Share your community’s experiences and successes with the global OpenStreetMap community
  • Showcase your city’s unique culture and attractions
  • Contribute to the growth and development of OpenStreetMap globally

How to bid:

  1. Read the guidelines and selection criteria on the OSM Wiki page
  2. Plan your application carefully, considering dates, venues, and logistics
  3. Avoid clashes with other relevant conferences, such as FOSS4G and local SotMs

Early bird advantage:

By bidding now, you’ll have the greatest flexibility in choosing dates for the 2026 conference. Don’t miss this opportunity!

We look forward to receiving your bid and partnering with you to bring State of the Map to your community/Country

Key Dates

  • Call for venues open: 13 June 2025
  • Deadline of bids: 31 August 2025
  • We will review the bids for State of the Map 2026 in September 2025 and will inform the teams immediately after the decision.
  • Announcement of venue 2026: during State of the Map 2025 in Manila
  • Also observe other relevant event dates, e.g. avoid collisions with FOSS4G and local SotMs.

Need help?

The SotM Working Group is available for any further clarifications! Please contact via email: sotm [at] openstreetmap.org as early as possible so that we can provide guidance, if needed.
We look forward to collaborating with you.

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.

The 2025 OpenStreetMap EWG Microgrant Program

Have a bold, brilliant idea that could improve the OpenStreetMap (OSM) ecosystem? Got a vision for the future of OSM? Then we’ve got good news for you: the OpenStreetMap Foundation is thrilled to launch the 2025 edition of our Engineering Microgrants program!

This program is designed to support community members working on software projects that strengthen the OSM platform and ecosystem. We’re setting aside a total of £30,000, which may be distributed across several innovative and impactful projects. The per-project limit is £6,000, but if your idea goes beyond that, don’t hold back! The Engineering Working Group (EWG) may explore other funding avenues through the Foundation to help bring ambitious proposals to life. As such, we’d still encourage you to apply.

What’s the Process?

It’s simple and fair:

Submit your project idea via our GitHub template. This ensures transparency and reduces the chance of any conflicts of interest.

Our independent jury will review, score, and help select winning proposals through a multi-round process. Each idea will be reviewed not only for its score, but also for feasibility and implementation potential.

Pro tip: Before you hit submit, we strongly encourage all applicants to reach out to software maintainers if your idea touches existing tools, projects, or platforms. This helps align efforts, avoid duplications, and possibly even uncover opportunities for collaboration. If you need help identifying any software maintainers, you can contact the Engineering Working Group or the OSM Foundation Board, or ask directly on the announcement thread, so you can be put in contact with the correct parties.

Got questions? You can reply to the announcement thread, reach out to the jurors, or message the EWG directly. Jurors might also contact applicants during the review process if clarification is needed,so keep your inbox open.

We’re excited to see what you all come up with and submit! Whether it’s a tool to improve mapping workflows, enhancements to core OSM infrastructure, or entirely new ideas that fill a gap—we want to hear from you.

Submit your idea today and help shape the future of OpenStreetMap!

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