Whether you’re a simple mapper or a sophisticated data consumer, you depend on a lot of machinery at the heart of OpenStreetMap that you probably never think about. After many years mapping and tinkering on OSM-based frontend applications, Minh is venturing into the software core of OSM’s world. Join him as he recounts his travels, unearthing the many moving parts beneath the surface and piecing together how they fit into the larger constellation of OSM software. Get a glimpse of the future of this software stack as we invest in development resources and make progress on longstanding priorities – and how you can help.

Unlike most world maps, OpenStreetMap is built by a global community with a keen focus on local knowledge. For many local communities, proper representation of the native language is just as important as getting the locations right. OpenHistoricalMap extends this approach back in time, incidentally tracking the evolution of written language through toponyms. Increasingly, users experience both projects through vector maps, which cannot necessarily benefit from the techniques that enable broad language support in raster maps. In particular, many Asian writing systems present unique implementation challenges for both cartographers and renderer developers.

This talk traces the history of writing system support in one popular vector map library, MapLibre, from its origins in Mapbox GL to more recent experiments in improving text layout and rendering. As vector map technology finds its way onto the OSM homepage, these improvements will take on added urgency. You’ll learn about some mapping practices that renderer developers must work around, as well as limitations in underlying technologies like JavaScript and Unicode that block more comprehensive language coverage. You’ll come away with a fuller appreciation for the role of text rendering technology on the Web in the promotion of linguistic heritage.