The OpenStreetMap community has really stepped up to the plate and delivered some amazing vector data using a mix of Yahoo! imagery, old CIA maps and new GeoEye imagery. Some people were digitizing, while others were making sure updated shapefiles were generated every 5 minutes. Hundreds of sessions were generated in a few days. The images below, swiped from the Mikel’s post at the OpenGeoData blog, demonstrate the dramatic progress:
OSM at the time of the quake
OSM after a couple of days
OSM, after quake, zoomed in
Sean Wohltman made some interesting observations, however, that Google’s similar MapMaker effort was working at cross-purposes to the OSM efforts, leaving users of the maps needing to make a decision about which version they should use. A common effort would benefit more people, but the legal terms and conditions prevent a straightforward resolution. Geospatial data developers and users have made great contributions to the Haiti relief efforts, but while the geo-geeks are playing a leadership role in one respect, they are also exposing some tough contradictions in our legal infrastructure.
Update 1/18/2010:
Some additional OSM Resources related to the Haiti quake:
- Full list of OSM resources including: regular extract jobs, printable and static maps, alternative renderers and other services.
- Dedicated map of Port-au-Prince with several up-to-date aerial and satellite photos, collapsed buildings, camps and obstacles. Hosted by folks at Oxilian.nl
OSM Haiti with Mapnik rendering and earthquake related locations
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[...] pretty open license with only attribution and share-alike provisions limiting its use. But as the Haiti earthquake response demonstrated, OSM is an important and evolving piece of infrastructure that will only be better [...]