Category Archives: Regional SOTM conferences

OSMF at the State of the Map Latam 2025

On 4-6 September, we attended the State of the Map Latam 2025, the Latin American OpenStreetMap conference. This year marked the 7th edition, taking place for the first time in Colombia, in the vibrant city of Medellín. Medellín has been a model of urban transformation and community-led projects in the last couple of decades, with the conference venue being a perfect example of this. The Parque Biblioteca San Javier was the first Library Park to be built, a project aimed at bringing green, cultural, and educational spaces to the less affluent districts of the city.

Parque Biblioteca San Javier surroundings in Panoramax

Day 1

Day 1 started with the welcome speech by Juan Arellano and Andrés Gómez from the Organizing Committee. Afterward, we enjoyed a live performance of traditional Colombian dances, courtesy of Ballet Nacional El Firulete.

We at the OSMF had the privilege of conducting the first keynote presentation. Most attendees were unfamiliar with the Foundation and its role prior to the event, so attending events like this is a great way to spread awareness and diversify our membership.

The second keynote was presented by TomTom, one of the two event sponsors (the other being Geoapify). We thank all the sponsors who make this and other community events possible, as well as for their continuous support of the OpenStreetMap project.

In the foreground, a roll-up sign of the conference with sponsors and allies. In the background, two female dancers with colorful dresses inspired in the Colombian flag. — Ballet Nacional El Firulete dancing Cumbia¹

A man holding a microphone and giving a speech — Ballet Nacional El Firulete dancing Cumbia¹

After lunch, the program continued with the talk from Trufi, on how OpenStreetMap can be used for mapping Public Transport, and become the foundation of MaaS in the Global South. Informal transport is a common occurrence in many parts of the world, yet knowing where these routes go can be a challenge for both users and planning authorities. The day continued with a discussion on the future of Humanitarian Mapping after the stopping of USAID funding. Parallel to these two sessions, attendees could also take a guided visit to the neighbourhood around the event location, accompanied by social entities.

To conclude the day, we took part in the General Assembly of OSM Latam for three hours, which included a lengthy discussion on the challenges both the region and OSM face in the future. Following the official program, we continued to have dinner together and celebrated the 15th anniversary of HOT.

A cake lit up with flares, and a happy crowd around it — Happy anniversary!³

Day 2

The second day featured a diverse range of talks and workshops, with up to four sessions running in parallel! Since it is impossible to discuss all of them, we encourage you to explore the program and contact the authors of the talks of interest to you.

The topics discussed during the day were categorized into Governance and Community, Risk Management, OSM Data, OSM Tech, Informal Settlements, Amazonia, Academic Talks, and Workshops. Community partnerships are a cornerstone of the Latin American mapping community, where making a social impact and strengthening the social fabric are among the most important aspects of mapping, a characteristic that is very present in the day’s talks.

A group in chairs discussing. One woman has the microphone and is speaking. — Risk management panel discussion, showcasing experiences in Peru, Mexico, Colombia and Ecuador⁴

A group of people in a park with their smartphones, paying attention to the guide's direction. — Risk management panel discussion, showcasing experiences in Peru, Mexico, Colombia and Ecuador⁴

From gender representation in the OSM community to localized geocoding, from social justice slum mapping to student training and engagement, from indigenous mapping to infrastructure and risk mapping, from storytelling to public transport maps. A blog post cannot do justice to the use cases and social transformations the Latam community is creating. An engagement that is possible through the power and openness of OpenStreetMap.

We invite you to review the slides from each talk and workshop in this Commons category.

A table full of stickers, leaflets and sweets, with a crowd gathered around it. — Merchandise and snack exchange table. Shout out to the volunteers who make it all possible!⁶

After the event, we continued on to socialize and have dinner together.

Day 3

Day 3, the final day of the conference, started strongly, with four parallel talks already scheduled in the first allocated slot. This day featured more technical talks compared to day 2, with topics categorized into the following areas: Public Transport, OSM Tech, Governance and Community, Trees and Forests, Pedestrian Mapping, OSM Data and Use Cases, Academic Talks, and Workshops.

From OSMCha to OpenHistoricalMap, from OSM and Wikidata integration to mapping with OSMTracker, from sidewalk mapping to Python, and from YouthMappers to Government collaboration. The exchange of technical knowledge is an important way to connect ideas and use cases with the tools that can bring them to life. Additionally, the engagement of the younger generation and governmental entities is crucial to the long-term sustainability of the data in the region.

A young man presenting by the screen. He is showcasing two different ways of mapping sidewalks, with side by side diagram comparisons. — Sidewalks as a separate geometry, or as attributes on the street?⁷

A lady talking on stage while presenting photos of mapping events — Sidewalks as a separate geometry, or as attributes on the street?⁷

A personal highlight of the day was the drone imagery workshop. Most Latin American countries lack high-quality government mapping imagery and, therefore, must rely on satellite imagery. But mappers took matters into their own hands to produce high-quality drone imagery to meet their surveying needs! And while the workshop was underway, we used the same drone to take the group pictures of the event; we were quite a crew!

An attentive group gathered in a circle on the floor, in the center a man explains with a laptop and a drone — Drone mapping workshop⁹

A crowd sitting on some steps, while waving at the camera in a happy mood — Drone mapping workshop⁹

The day then concluded with the event’s closure, which included the election of the venue for SotM Latam 2026. There was only one bid, but the attendees agreed it was a strong one. So see you in Mexico City in 2026, ¡órale!

A group of people presenting on a stage. The presentation states: ¡Nos vamos a México! State of the Map 2026 — SotM Latam 2026 bid election¹¹

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

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SotM-Latam-2025_Show5-9.jpg by Andrés Gómez “Angoca” under CC-BY ↩︎
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SotM-Latam-2025_OSMF2.jpg by Andrés Gómez “Angoca” under CC-BY ↩︎
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SotM-Latam-2025_15a%C3%B1osHOTOSM2.jpg by Andrés Gómez “Angoca” under CC-BY ↩︎
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SotM_Latam_2025_-_d%C3%ADa_2_-_imagen_20.jpg by Héctor Ochoa Ortiz “Robot8A” under CC-BY-SA ↩︎
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TallerMapeoTree_SotMLatam2025.jpg by Paul Dassori “Pdassori” under CC-BY-SA ↩︎
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SotM_Latam_2025_-_d%C3%ADa_2_-_imagen_13.jpg by Héctor Ochoa Ortiz “Robot8A” under CC-BY-SA ↩︎
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SotM_Latam_2025_-_d%C3%ADa_3_-_imagen_17.jpg by Héctor Ochoa Ortiz “Robot8A” under CC-BY-SA ↩︎
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SotM-Latam-2025_Panel8-2.jpg by Andrés Gómez “Angoca” under CC-BY ↩︎
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SotM_Latam_2025_-_d%C3%ADa_3_-_imagen_36.jpg by Héctor Ochoa Ortiz “Robot8A” under CC-BY-SA ↩︎
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SotM-Latam-2025_participantes-6.jpg by Andrés Gómez “Angoca” under CC-BY ↩︎
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SotM_Latam_2025_-_d%C3%ADa_3_-_imagen_43.jpg by Héctor Ochoa Ortiz “Robot8A” under CC-BY-SA ↩︎

Attending the State of the Map Latin America 2024

Last December, I had the privilege of attending State of the Map Latin America (SOTM LATAM) in Belém, Brazil. I want to first share my gratitude to the entire community. I may be biased because I am latina myself, but latinos sure know how to make one feel loved and welcomed.

This was my first time at SOTM LATAM, and I was deeply inspired by the energy, passion, and dedication of the OpenStreetMap (OSM) community in this region. The event showcased an impressive array of presentations and workshops, from mapping remote areas of the Amazon to using innovative tools and techniques for open mapping. I am so grateful to everyone who shared their work and insights, broadening my understanding of the challenges and opportunities in Latin America.

As a Director of the OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF), I had the opportunity to present about the role of the OSMF, the purpose of the Board of Directors, and how we strive to support the global OSM community. Engaging directly with attendees highlighted how essential it is for the OSMF to maintain stronger connections with regional communities. I was surprised to learn that this was the first time an OSMF Board member had attended a SOTM LATAM. Representation matters, and I am committed to ensuring this is not the last time. Strengthening our communication channels with the LATAM community is vital, and I am eager to build more meaningful and consistent engagement.

Open Conversations with the Community

A key part of this experience was the opportunity to hear directly from participants. During the event, an open online collaborative document page was shared, allowing attendees to express their thoughts, feedback, and even grievances with the Board. Some of the valuable insights included:

Regional Representation on the Board: There were discussions around creating dedicated Board seats for representatives from different regions to ensure equitable representation, particularly for communities that may struggle to gain sufficient global votes.

Lack of Awareness of Working Groups: Many attendees expressed that they were unaware of the existence and functions of OSMF Working Groups. Promoting these groups and encouraging participation from Latin American communities could strengthen regional representation and collaboration.

First Formal Board Presence: For many, this was the first time they had the opportunity to hear directly from a Board member. The engagement was positively received, and it was clear that there is a desire for more consistent interaction between the OSMF and Latin American communities.

Recognizing Regional Entities: Some established and active communities in the region are not formally recognized as official OSM chapters. This can create challenges in accessing grants and participating in global events. Greater support from the OSMF could bridge this gap.

Building Strategic Partnerships: Participants highlighted the potential for OSMF to collaborate with independent media organizations in Latin America, especially within data journalism, indigenous journalism, and environmental reporting. Strengthening these connections could increase OSM visibility and promote responsible use of open geospatial data.

Funding for Training and Capacity Building: Accessing financial resources for training journalists and other community members on OSM tools was identified as a critical need. Expanding funding opportunities for local projects could accelerate mapping efforts and amplify the impact of OSM data.

Moving Forward

The feedback shared during SOTM LATAM was invaluable. Meaningful participation and representation of all regions are essential for the growth and success of OpenStreetMap. We need to be more engaged with this and all communities. If you have any suggestions our communication channels (1;2;3;4 ) are always open.

To everyone I had the pleasure of meeting, thank you for your warm welcome and for sharing your perspectives. If you have further questions, comments, or feedback about the event or the OSMF, please feel free to reach out. ¡Obrigada, SOTM LATAM!

SOTM LATAM 2025
I’d like to also share with you all that SOTM LATAM 2025 will be in Medellin, Colombia from September 4th-6th. This is a great opportunity for all to get to know this amazing OSM Community and learn about the inspiring work they are doing.

Additionally, I’d like to ask our sponsors and contributors to consider becoming sponsors of this event. This is an amazing opportunity to become involved and support the Latin American Community. You can find more information here: https://www.osmlatam.org/2025/03/22/convocatoria-a-patrocinios-sotm-latam-2025/

Dani Waltersdorfer
OpenStreetMap Foundation board

Invitation to State of the Map Europe 2024

The OpenStreetMap Poland Association is pleased to invite all members of the OSM community to the State of the Map Europe 2024 conference, to be held in Łódź, Poland, from 18–21 July 2024. In addition to many interesting presentations and talks, it will be an opportunity to meet, discuss and exchange experiences.

Conference tickets

Conference tickets can be purchased at: https://tobilet.pl/state-of-the-map-europe-2024.html

Traveling and accommodation

If you would like some advice on how to get to the conference, and suggestions for accommodation, we have compiled some information at: https://stateofthemap.eu/accommodation.html

If you have questions about traveling to Poland or you would like to ask something else related to the conference, you can write at: https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/invitation-to-the-state-of-the-map-europe-2024/114661

Volunteering

As you know, ’State of the Map Europe’ is a non-profit event, and for organizational purposes we need people who can help us on a volunteer basis.

During the event, we will need volunteers who will be ready to support us in Łódź — mainly on the premises of the Łódź University of Technology (unless other requirements are mentioned). To check what we need and what we offer in return, please see this page: https://stateofthemap.eu/volunteering.html For volunteers from outside Łódź, a limited accommodation will be available.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the conference!

OSM Poland board

OpenStreetMap Poland is a Local Chapter of the OpenStreetMap Foundation, which supports the OpenStreetMap project.

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.

Let’s meet at FOSS4G+SotM Argentina 2017!

Are you living in Argentina or visiting in October?

Mark the following days on your calendar: 23-28th of October 2017!

The OpenStreetMap and FOSS4G communities will meet at a combined event in Buenos Aires, for six days full of geomatics workshops, presentations, exhibitions and interactions, ending on Saturday, October 28th, with a mapathon and hackathon day!

Are you interested? Read the detailed program.

The conference will take place at the National Geographic Institute in Buenos Aires, where many OpenStreetMap related events are hosted.

The Argentinian OSM community is very lively and you can get a glimpse of it at this recent interview on the OpenCage data blog.

You can follow the conference news on the various social media (see the image above) and the related hashtag is #foss4gAR.

Let’s meet in Argentina!

State of the Map Asia 2017: From Creation to Use of OpenStreetMap Data

We invite you to join State of the Map Asia 2017 on September 23-24 in Kathmandu, Nepal.

State of the Map Asia (SotM-Asia) is the annual regional conference of OpenStreetMap organized by OSM communities in Asia. The first SotM-Asia was organized in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2015, and the second was organized in Manila, Philippines in 2016.

This year’s conference, the third in the series, is going to be organized on September 23 – 24, 2017, at Park Village Resort, Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu – an oasis of tranquil greenery in the midst of Nepal’s crowded urban Kathmandu.

The event aims to bring together around 200 OpenStreetMap enthusiasts from Asia and beyond. The event will provide an opportunity to share knowledge and experience among mappers; expand their network; and generate ideas to expand the map coverage of the Asian continent. The theme we have chosen for this year’s meeting is ‘from creation to use’ of OSM data. This theme has been chosen as in the last decade there has been significant growth in the amount of data generated, however Asia still lags behind several other continents in terms of making use of this data. We believe that this decade will see a dramatic growth in the geospatial sector and in the ways people will utilize OSM data. Furthermore, this event will deepen the bond and enhance collaboration among the scattered OSM communities of the largest continent.

You can refer to http://stateofthemap.asia for more details and updates.

Features

The conference will feature remote keynote address from Kate Chapman (Chairperson of OpenStreetMap Foundation), and keynote speeches from Dr. Lee Schwartz (Geographer of the United States of America) and Prof. Taichi Furuhashi (professor at Aoyamagakuin University and President of CrisisMappers Japan).

We are proud to announce that one of the major highlights of this year’s State of the Map Asia will be 15 country presentations, representing all regions of Asia (Central, Eastern, Northern, Southern, South-Eastern and Western). The conference will also feature presentations ranging from Creation to Use of OpenStreetMap Data and several parallel sessions featuring speakers working in diverse fields such as disaster, governance, entrepreneurship and fine arts. Finally, a special government panel, featuring high level government officials from Southern Asia, will discuss creation and use of OSM data and how government is working to officially recognize OSM data as a source of service delivery.

Participation

Kathmandu Living Labs, this year’s conference hosts, has been able to secure full scholarships for more than twenty OSM Asia community members and an additional five partial scholarships.

The conference is free to attend for all OSM community members, and registrations can be made using this form. Park Village Resort, the conference hotel, has provided discounted conference rates for participants. Conference rates apply only for registrations made through this form.

Autumn is one of the best seasons to visit Nepal. Dashain -Nepal’s most celebrated festival- also falls during this time and we encourage all people to participate in the festivities after the workshop.

We are looking forward to see you in Kathmandu on September 23-24, 2017!

The organizers of SotM-Asia 2017

State of the Map: Asia and Latin America

We’ve had plenty of State of the Map conferences in 2016. Japan, United States, France, and Italy all organized their national conferences. Czech Republic and Slovakia united to run their event together. In September it’s the time for the global State of the Map in Brussels, Belgium. And to end this great year of events, we are going to have two continental State of the Map conferences: in Asia and Latin America.

Both conferences had their first editions in 2015 and will repeat their success this year. Both events are also offering free tickets for all attendees.

The State of the Map Asia will take place in Manila, Philippines, from October 1st to 2nd. The call for presentations has already finished, and the program will be published soon.

São Paulo, Brazil, will host the State of the Map Latam from November 25th to 27th. The call for talks, workshops and working groups is still open: submit yours before September 25th! The event accepts activities in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Book your place and go meet the mappers of Latin America and Asia.

SOTM CZ, SOTM FR, SOTM JP, SOTM US

State Of The Map Event Websites

A whole bunch of local OpenStreetMap community conferences have recently been announced:

State Of The Map CZ+SK, the Czetch & Slovakian conference, is coming up soon on May 21st in Brno.

State Of The Map France will also take place May 20th-22nd in Clermont-Ferrand.

State Of The Map Japan will take place August 6th in Tokyo.

State Of The Map US will take place in July 23rd to 25th in Seattle, Washington.

State Of The Map Latin America will be in November in Sao Paulo, Brazil (exact date to be finalised)

These national conferences, large and small, are organised by local OpenStreetMap communities. If your country is not on the list, you’re welcome to get together with fellow OpenStreetMappers to organise something

…but don’t forget, the main get-together for all of the community, is the international OpenStreetMap conference “State Of The Map“, which will be taking place September 23 – 25 in Brussels.

Announcing the first SotM LatAm

After the success of the global State of the Map 2014 conference realized last November in Buenos Aires, the Latin America OpenStreetMap community is organizing its first continental conference.

The State of the Map Latin America will take place in Santiago, Chile, on September 4th, 5th and 6th. The conference will gather the Latin American and global mappers to share community and entrepreneurial knowledge, techniques and experiences in OpenStreetMap. The official languages for the event are Spanish and Portuguese, with some talks in English as well.

Santiago is the capital of Chile, its financial heart and biggest city, concentrating approximately 35% of the population of the country (6.5 million people). The event will take place on the days before the AbreLatam (September 7-8) and ConDatos (September 9-10), two of the biggest Open Data conferences in Latin America.

You can already register for the conference and submit a talk proposal on the website: http://sotm.openstreetmap.cl/

The SOTM LatAm is organized by the Fundación OpenStreetMap Chile.