Thursday, September 23, 2010

MapQuest Launches New European Mapping Sites

Denver-based MapQuest, the online mapping site owned by AOL, said this morning that it has launched four new European map sites, built on the OpenStreetMap (OSM) effort. According to MapQuest, it has launched map sites covering France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, with the MapQuest brand and UI. OpenStreetMap is an effort to crowd-source map data, including street, bike paths, parks, hiking trail, and other data. MapQuest has been using the project since July, when it launched a site in the United Kingdom. In addition to the new sites, MapQuest said it has hired a "Community Ambassador" to help manage its open source mapping investments. The firm said that Hurricane Coast, a member of the OpenStreetMap effort, has become a Program Manager to manage the $1M the firm said it was investing in the effort in July.