Geomob

Steven hosts Tom Armitage and Aires Loutsaris to discuss Reading Maps, a fascinating project that visualizes journeys and places from books and movies on real maps. They explore the inspiration, technical background, and potential applications of this innovative visualization tool.

Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Dennis Luxen joins the show to discuss the history, technical and community-driven development of OSRM (Open Source Routing Machine), an open-source routing engine based on OpenStreetMap. We chat about the state of OSM-based routing generally and OSRM specifically. Dennis, who will be speaking about the project at the upcoming State of the Map in Paris, shares insights on data quality, competition, and future plans for improving the routing service.

Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Jeremy hosts Peter Batty to explore the transformative journey of geospatial systems from the 1980s desktop GIS, through the rise of open source and cloud-based mapping, to the cutting-edge applications of AI in geospatial analysis. Discover how industry pioneers navigated technological shifts, market challenges, and innovations that continue to shape the industry today.

Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Timbo Drayson, CEO of OkHi, discusses innovative solutions to address the lack of formal physical addresses in Africa and emerging markets. He explains how their technology maps people, not places, to improve access to services, reduce fraud, and enable financial inclusion.

Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Ed and Steven give us a summer update and discuss the recent Geomob Berlin and their recent projects.

Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Ed sits down with Lukas Martinelli, founder and CEO of Reprompt and former Mapbox engineer, to discuss the future of geospatial data and AI. Lukas shares his journey from building large scale mapping technology to launching Reprompt, a company rethinking how points of interest (POI) data is collected and maintained.

They explore why traditional approaches, from manual surveys to crowdsourcing and collaborative datasets like Overture and OpenStreetMap, are not enough, how Reprompt addresses challenges such as data quality and deduplication, and what excites Lukas most about the next wave of geospatial innovation. They also talk about his move from Europe to Silicon Valley and why he believes now is the right time to build a geospatial startup.

Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Jeremy Morley interviews Professor David Martin about how the UK census evolved from paper maps and manually drawn boundaries to a fully digital, GIS-based system. Martin describes his role in developing Output Areas, the small statistical geographies introduced for the 2001 Census that became the foundation for many government datasets, including deprivation indices and neighbourhood statistics.

The conversation also examines the impact of online data collection, the challenges posed by COVID-19 during the 2021 Census, and the future of census-taking. Martin concludes that while administrative data can supplement population statistics, a national census remains essential for collecting social and household information that routine government records cannot provide.

Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Aba Osunsade, Ecosystem Lead at Geovation, discusses how Geovation helps startups and innovators unlock the value of location data through accelerator programs, community events, and expert support. She highlights the free Ecosystem Explorer membership, which provides access to Geovation’s London hub, networking opportunities, and resources for entrepreneurs. The interview also explores the growing role of geospatial data in areas such as climate, transport, and privacy, emphasizing the need for responsible innovation.

Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

In this Geomob podcast episode, Daveron Smith from Natural England discusses the importance of beavers as “ecosystem engineers” that create wetlands, reduce flood risk, improve water quality, boost biodiversity, and increase resilience to climate change.

He also introduces the Beaver Consideration Assessment Toolkit (BCAT), a public tool developed by Natural England and the Environment Agency to assess the suitability and potential impacts of beaver reintroductions. The toolkit combines multiple models to support decision-making and identify areas where beaver activity may bring benefits or require monitoring. While BCAT is designed for national use, Smith notes that its outputs rely on modeled data and should be used alongside local knowledge.

Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

This episode of the Geomob podcast is sponsored by the Open Geospatial Consortium.

In this episode, Ed talks with Bernie Conners about the inaugural Geomob Fredericton. They explore Bernie’s journey into the geospatial community, recap the talks from the event, and discuss the challenges and rewards of organizing a first-time Geomob. Interested in hosting a Geomob in your city? Reach out to us at geomob at opencagedata dot com — we’d be happy to help you get started.

Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

This episode of the Geomob podcast is sponsored by the Open Geospatial Consortium.