On Saturday 14 May we held the second day of #MapeoLibre (OpenMapping), in the continuity of the open mapping day in the UAEMEX university in Toluca (State of Mexico). This format seems to be a good cross between technical education with the use of web and field apps; an overview of different ways to collaborate with Openstreetmap; and an opportunity to inform and get feedback on different projects and collaborations that can be developed as well, using OpenStreetMap open technologies and data.
We hold these days in series: the first was in the UAEMEX, it continued with the UNAM of Mexico City (Faculty of Engineering) with the support of Francisco Rojas Duran in the organization, and we are planning the next workshops in 3 others public universities for the next semester. The conference format combines theoretical and practical activities with different tools on a full day.
This time the conference included:
- A general introduction to open data, to the uses of data for many purposes such as public policy and research. We presented some cases of projects for various purposes based on Openstreetmap: Lerma mapping (State of Mexico), and the #Repubikla project.
- A training to Id Editor, focused on mapping the university campus as in the last experience in the UAEMEX.
- An introduction to HOT and tasking manager, with exercise on a medium-level emergency in Ecuador.
- Training and field exercise with #Mapillary and OSMtracker in the campus. For the exercise with mapillary, we encourage participants to participate to the #Mapeaton action. Mapeaton (Pedestrian mapping) is a collective account created with Mapillary, that reveals transit conditions for pedestrian and wheelchairs (sidewalks conditions, accesses, ramps, etc.).
Alberto Chung, Eldesbastemap, Ealp, Ccossio, Juane90, JosueR, Mapanauta, Mapeadora, Tavooca, Yoltotolhua are those that participated in this dynamic.
The attendance was large, equivalent to the workshop in the UAEMEX, with about 80 people. People were students from the UNAM (about a half part), teachers and researchers, people invited from social organizations in the context of other workshops that we have organized these last months (3rd Congress Peatonal), people from public institutions with whom we are developing collaborations, from Mexico City and other states (Hidalgo). Based on these massive training, we are building an ever wider broadcast network, in order to have a large impact on strengthening the mapping community in Mexico, and enhance the knowledge of OSM by public institutions and universities.
Since the UAEMEX workshop, looking to have a dynamic that strengthens learning among participants, and making them constant mappers, we launched an competition initiative over a month, with a recognition for top 5 mappers. So we ask for the use of two hashtags in the changeset (#MapeoLibreUNAM, in this case, and #mapathon), to monitor progress and issues, with http://resultmaps.neis-one.org/osm-changesets ? comment = MapeoLibreUNAM # 4 / 11.09 / -92.99 and http://overpass-turbo.eu/s/goB.
We post about the progress during the month of competition, to motivate the group, while gifts are managed with sponsors. This action serves a threefold strategy: to track users and build community; continue training beyond the framework of the workshop, with the ability to detect and report on recurrent errors, strengthening skills; sow love for mapping. We also try to to have a symbolic and visible result: the detailed mapping of the campus where the event takes place and its surroundings.
Each activity resulted in an meaningful dialogue with the audience, with both theoretical and technical questions, interest to learn more advanced tools, inspiring ideas and projects, with which we can possibly collaborate formally. We also established a feedback dynamic between instructors, discussing comments made by the participants individually, as well as personal impressions in order to improve the dynamics. We thought for example that in coming sessions may have a final brainstorming time with attendees about potential projects, collaborations, or potential uses of OSM tools to serve current projects.
Each of the workshops given in the last 8 months (we had 12 including Openstreetmap, Repubikla and Mapillary-Mapeaton workshops) has generated a great potential for collaborations with related projects or tools from OpenStreetMap community. We always perceived innovative visions on mapping questions. A recent example (in the last Repubikla workshop in Morelia, Michoacan with Bicivilízate collective) is the use of mapping as a memory performance (#PerformanceDelCaminar) on missing persons in the state of Michoacan where the artist Fabiola Rayas recreates the last known path of the disappeared along with his family and community (it will be the subject of a future post).
Discussion