Atlas of the Week: OpenStreetMaps

https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/40.9683/-73.7046

My choice for atlas of the week is OpenStreetMap, an open-source, Wikipedia-styled map of the world of which anyone can contribute to anywhere. I chose this because it reflects all the novel integrations the internet has provided to the art of mapping and GIS, namely the idea that anyone can create a map anywhere, provided they have an internet connection. OpenStreetMap builds on that idea with unparalleled customization; for example, if one wanted a world map that only displays rainforests or oceans, one could make it. As a result, many communities have mapped their cities and towns to extraordinary details, all of which are collected in this website’s atlas.

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