OpenStreetMap is a wiki-based map of the world that anyone can contribute GPS traces to and edit. Many areas of the world, including the United States and Western Europe, already have the majority of their major roadways mapped but are missing some of the finer points. Think locations of ATMs, traffic stops, speed traps and other points of interest.
Michal Migurski, technology head for Stamen Design and a prolific map maker, has created Walking Papers as a way to address this. Walking Papers are printable OpenStreetMap’s that can be marked up with a pen, scanned using a computer, and then traced into OpenStreetMap using Potlatch, the project’s web editor. The great thing about this is its sheer convenience. You don’t need to have any type of GPS device to contribute–just an astute eye and the ability to use a pen and scanner.
Here’s a little technical background about Walking Papers, here’s the source code on Github, and here is the Walking Papers website.
