OpenStreetMap: just a database, or catalyst for cartographic revolution

Steve Chilton, Middlesex University

Details about the talk:
Is OSM just a database, which has a map to show off that data? Does the resulting cartography exemplify good digital mapping? Would slippy maps be so prevalent without OSM? Would OpenLayers have the penetration it has? Would mapnik be so widely used? Is OSM actually driving upwards capabilities for mapping? Did editable map styles result from OSM? These questions and developments from Google (crowdsourcing data) and Mapquest (supporting OSM developments) will be explored and addressed in this paper.

Details about the speaker:
Steve Chilton is a trained cartographer, and is the current Chair of the Society of Cartographers. He has worked professionally in the field for many years, and has been involved in OpenStreetMap since early in 2006, contributing countless hours to the project since then. He is currently employed as Education Development Manager at Middlesex Univeristy. He gets his “map fix” by adding map data wherever he travels in the world, and is also the main designer of the cartographic styling of the default Mapnik layer, and now co-maintainer of the stylesheets associated with that aspect of the project. He is co-editor of the best-selling book on OpenStreetMap.

Theme: map