[OSM-talk] Proposal -- OpenFootpaths, a dedicated WMS layer for paths

[nick at hogweed.org]

Been thinking further about the whole idea of open countryside mapping and it 
occurred to me that it might be a good idea to develop an independent WMS 
layer dedicated to UK footpaths, bridleways and other countryside rights of 
way.  It would not contain any road data whatsoever. It would contain only  
This has a number of advantages:

a) This new "OpenFootpaths" layer could be combined with OpenStreetMap and 
NASA SRTM contour data by default. However if desired it could be overlain on 
out-of-copyright Ordnance Survey maps, which are largely still useful in 
countryside areas (used one to navigate back from Godshill to Brighstone on 
the IoW for instance....) IIRC, Richard is working on making the out of 
copyright maps available through a web (WMS?) interface.

b) An integrated web front end (www.openfootpaths.org say), affiliated to 
OpenStreetMap (and maybe with the same look and feel.... Steve?) which was 
tailored for countryside data, including not only the aforementioned 
"OpenFootpaths" layer but also a points of interest layer of the type I have 
described in previous emails (points of interest/path blockages etc). This 
might help form a community of countryside users of open geodata. I would 
gear this web front end specifically to the needs of walkers. Walkers who 
also wanted to survey city areas (like myself with OSM) would be sent 
straight to the main OSM site.

c) Interest from walking groups?The Ramblers' Association have a campaign to 
"walk every grid square" by October 2007. This does not, right now, include 
any GPS surveying; it's more a footpath survey for blockages etc, but if 
participants could be encouraged to take GPS units out (and discouraged of 
course from copying from OS maps...) a lot of data could be obtained quite 
quickly.


Of course there is a disadvantage... the separation of rural footpath data 
from the main OSM database. However it would *only* be rural footpath data, 
the "OpenFootpaths" data would not seek to contain roads of any description, 
or even urban footpaths/alleyways.

Before going ahead with this it would be good to get any feedback.... positive 
or negative. If it's seen as too detrimental to OSM as a whole, I would not 
carry the idea forward.

Nick