Culture
Mapping the World's Mapmakers, in 65,000 Hues
A detailed picture of one million contributors – and what they've contributed – to OpenStreetMap.
More than a million people have contributed to OpenStreetMap since its inception nine years ago, in patterns that look a little different depending on the city. In London, shown above, the street network has been mapped from scratch by many people, each hue in that picture reflecting a different user who has sketched a handful of streets or traced the outline of the buildings on one block. The map of London's mapmakers is a real mosaic, the reflection of aggregated efforts by many hands.
Zoom out, and all of Europe looks the same way: