Micromapping

Micromapping or micro-mapping in OpenStreetMap (OSM) refers to the mapping of small size features. This may include mapping such objects as a building entrance, as well as the footway and steps leading to that entrance. Another aspect is to improving the visual representation of a scenery (here: usually a very limited city area) for 3D for example. Therefore this includes improving geometries (buildings, landuse, ...) but also to add very small objects as city furnitures (streetlamps, benches, ...) and village green (trees, hedges, ...)

Most mapping in OSM is not concerned with such fine detail, but rather with larger scale objects such as roads. Some advantages of micromapping are to enable advanced and detailed routing, especially routing for the mobility and vision impaired.

Pros and cons

Pros

• allows 2D routing
• helps in  indoor positioning systems, for example a rescue robot operated by firefighters knowing where the fire extinguishers, walls, and fire alarms are.
• brings a lot of details to the DB
• If done properly it will ease mapping in previously empty regions

Cons

• more time consuming to enter data for mappers
• requires more accurate information (sometimes consumer GPS is not sufficient)
• sometimes makes it harder for beginners to alter the data
• If it is required in some Proposal, it may discourage people from using it
• (technical) increase of volume will increase requirements in processing power, but  Moore's law and  cheaper hdds every year are always there. This might be more complicated when we will speak about geospatial queries rather than simple linear read/write patterns. As of 2023, processing power and storage is no longer a concern.
• Micromapped data like individual locations of tables, chairs, trees, and fire hydrants can become outdated quickly after the mapper moves on, for example the owner of a building moving a fire hydrant somewhere else.
• Future AI programs could ^{[ citation needed ]} automatically map out all objects given from aerial and street level imagery better than a mapper who has never visited the place. However indoor areas without data need to be manually mapped or have a 360 tour.

List of tags that might be considered as micromapping

• area:highway=* (see also Street area)
• barrier=kerb
• barrier=wall and barrier=fence
• landuse=traffic_island
• amenity=parking used as area with access=* tags for pedestrian
• amenity=parking_space
• entrance=*
• natural=tree
• man_made=manhole
• emergency=fire_hydrant
• amenity=bench
• leisure=picnic_table
• tourism=picnic_site
• leisure=outdoor_seating
• amenity=waste_basket
• amenity=waste_disposal

Projects

Straßenraumkarte Neukölln

Main article: Straßenraumkarte Neukölln

Straßenraumkarte Neukölln is a rendering showcase project related to urban environment and street lane infrastructure (especially for bike and foot traffic) based on the data from Berlin Neukölln. It's part of the Berlin OSM Verkehrswende UserGroup (user group OSM “traffic evolution”).

Map Machine

Map Machine is an experimental project which tries to render as many OSM tags and details as possible. It consists of:

• Python renderer and tile generator
• Röntgen icon set

See also

• 3D
• Indoor mapping
• EveryDoor - useful mobile app for on-the-ground micromapping surveys
• Micro Mapping Party - very short or small parties
• Disabilities
• Harry Wood's SOTM 2011 talk - Later slides describe the problem of a trend towards mapping every blade of grass.