Online mapping turning to open source methods

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If you want to find an up-to-date map of Haiti, then there is only one place to go. It is not Google Maps or any of its competitors. It is the admirable OpenStreetMap.org (OSM), which is being updated even as I write by volunteers all over the world.

It is the Wikipedia of the mapping world, and is used by millions of people. Started a little over five years ago in London by Steve Coast, it has steadily built up its database to the point where most of the world has now been mapped by a formidable team of volunteers that is doubling every six months: There were 212,000 at the last count, of whom 10 percent are active during any one month. At the end of last month, there were 239 people rebuilding the map of Haiti. For a bird’s eye view of operations, go to the Ushahidi site.

When the earthquake happened, it was a signal for OSM members around the globe to start downloading satellite images (either freely available or donated by Yahoo) and then to start tracing the outlines of streets on top so a map emerged. Volunteers on the ground in Haiti, often using Garmin GPS locators, added vital local information — such as which roads were passable, where the hospitals were situated, where refugee camps were, or walls, pharmacies, hedges and so forth — so rescue workers had an invaluable tool. The result is a new, detailed map that is updated frequently, unlike most commercial maps.

This is only one of a number of open projects operating in Haiti in what may come to be seen as a seminal moment in the harnessing of the Web to help those in need. Others include CrisisCommons, WeHaveNeed, Sahana, open source medical software and numerous others, not to mention Twitter tags such as #haiti. One of the problems of using *appropriate *technology in disaster regions is that bricklayers in Haiti don’t know of innovations that might have been pioneered in remote parts of Africa, a problem that Akvo is trying to solve with regard to water. There are also signs that Hexayurt low-cost housing projects are starting to seed in Haiti.

OpenStreetMaps is itself at a turning point as it tries to progress from a techie-driven project to one that the ordinary consumer can not only understand, but contribute to as well. It suffers from what might be dubbed “open source syndrome,” a complaint that also affects other open source projects including the Linux operating system — the involvement of skilled volunteers can make the early stages a bit difficult to understand for laypeople.

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