The OpenStreetMap Foundation is excited to welcome its second official Local Chapter organization: OpenStreetMap Italia.
OpenStreetMap Italia is a subgroup of WikiMedia Italia – associazione per la diffusione della conoscenza libera. Long-standing OpenStreetMap leader Simone Cortesi led the process of working with the OpenStreetMap Foundation and Wikimedia Italia to reach this milestone. Simone is the current President of the Local Chapter. He previously held a seat on the Board of Directors of the OpenStreetMap Foundation. He is also a long time contributor to the OSM project as a mapper, organizer and developer.
Simone Cortesi of OpenStreetMap Italia (left) and Martijn van Exel from the OpenStreetMap Foundation board (right), signing the local chapter agreement
The Italian community has been one of the more active local communities since the beginning of OpenStreetMap. Around 150 people contribute to OpenStreetMap in Italy every day. A bi-weekly newsletter dedicated to local Wikimedia and OpenStreetMap topics reaches an audience of around 25,000. The OpenStreetMap Italia Local Chapter has 450 members that represent the diversity in the Italian OSM community.
OpenStreetMap Italia, combined with WikiMedia Italia, has a staff of 7 people, with one full time project manager working on OpenStreetMap and one half-time working on training and outreach. The Chapter’s new official status will allow WikiMedia Italia to fully support OpenStreetMap initiatives in Italy and enable stronger collaborations, especially in the government domain.
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Congrats OSM Italia! It’s really cool you’ve got 1.5 people working for the organisation there!
Welcome Italy!
Happy OSM to everyone.
Congratulations on becoming an OSM Local Chapter.
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