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This is a pilot project developed in collaboration with a community of stakeholders, as such the open source application is in a testing phase and may not fulfil all of the users’ needs. In the event of difficulties using the Web pages or applications, contact us: Crowdsourcing team.
Date modified: 2016-10-17
The application is in its beta version. You may have to enable popups for this website to be able to register and login.
We are pleased to have you join us for this new pilot project from Statistics Canada. As a pilot, it is an opportunity to learn how working together could improve national statistics. With this project, we are excited to join the OpenStreetMap (OSM) community.
The pilot is using OSM as an open data platform for inviting contributors to crowdsource information on buildings. The pilot project will focus on the Ottawa-Gatineau region for now. There are currently no accurate national-level statistics on buildings— and their attributes—that can be used to compare specific local areas. The information you submit will help to fill existing data gaps and provide new analytical opportunities that are important to data users.
This project will also teach us about the possibilities and limitations of crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing data collection may become a way for Statistics Canada and other organizations around the world to collect much-needed information by reaching out to citizens.
The first thing you can do if you are new to OpenStreetMap is to go to the: Beginner's guide. You will need to register to OpenStreetMap to be able to contribute. The guide explains how. You can start mapping and when you save your changes, you will have to authenticate.
The rest is simple: zoom in and explore the map. You can switch from a topographic map to a satellite imagery base. Click on buildings you know and enter information about them in the form on the left. You can also add new points to add businesses, shops and services like a post office. Look carefully to make sure that the information is not already there.
This project would not be possible without key collaborations. Open North is collaborating with Statistics Canada for the implementation of this pilot project. Open North is a non-profit organization with a proven track record nationally and internationally specialized in open data solutions and civic technology tools that scale both the national and local levels to foster better and more open democracies.
Mikel Maron and Bryan Housel at MapBox are providing assistance and advice to the project and the implementation of iD.
The City of Ottawa and the OSM Canada community are also key collaborators in this project.
Date modified: 2016-10-17