The Geowiki project

Visit geowiki.com - the GPS map you can annotate

Based on an easy-to-use web interface, geowiki.com - "virtual psychogeography" - allows you to share your knowledge of Britain with others through words and pictures.

The first version of the live site was launched in spring 2003 and is now available for you to explore.

The maps

Geowiki's unique mapping is derived solely from GPS sources. By recording our travels using an inexpensive GPS set, we are gradually building up a map of Britain free of the usual copyright restrictions.

In the near future, we hope to offer this mapping data for others to use in their own projects.

The maps are designed to be simple and functional - the sort that could be produced by a capable GIS if so required. The next map update is expected in summer 2004.

The technology

The first version of geowiki.com combines a series of Perl scripts, GIF maps and flat-file records. We expect to move to a fully database-driven site later this year. Longer term, we are investigating vector mapping solutions that will transform the quality of the maps on Geowiki.

The people

The Geowiki concept was conceived by Richard Fairhurst (Systeme D), Ben Jameson, Andrew Bolt, Robert Brown, Matthew Slattery on a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry from Colonsay to Oban, August 2002.

The next map update will, for the first time, include contributions from outside this group. We are excited that others share our enthusiasm for Geowiki and hope to build on this.

We are now working with Openstreetmap.