Organized Editing in OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap is a project powered by its community. While originally supported by individuals, the continuing growth and popularity of OSM have also spawned organized mapping efforts. These have taken shape in the form of not only companies setting up paid data teams to improve OSM data in specific regions or for specific use cases, but also unpaid groups like school classes that are directed to work on OSM.

Organized mapping efforts are an integral part of today’s OSM contribution landscape and, when done well, help make OSM better and more widely known.

In order to maintain good communications between, and a level playing field for, individual community members and organized editing groups, there is a set of guidelines for directed and organized editing such as by companies or school groups. The scope is to set expectations on visibility of mapping efforts and how to communicate with and be reachable by the broader community.