A couple years ago I presented work by Monica Stephens about the Childcare tag in OpenStreetMap.

Update: we put kids on the map!

OpenStreetMap started over 10 years ago in rebellion to who “owned the map” (aka the Ordnance Survey). The vision of OpenStreetMap was carried by a group of enthusiasts who mapped a world that was accessible and free to use. Their work was revolutionary and why we have an open map today and why we have open mapping communities the world over.

Like any creative work, a map reflects the views and needs of its authors. What might have first started in rebellion has multiplied in purpose. So as we consider all the many different ways OpenStreetMap now matters, we notice a number of features needed beyond the purposes of its original authorship.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, cities around the world are holding map events to encourage the learning and the mapping for more inclusive demographics. The organizers have identified a handful of tags that are not included in the oeuvre of official tags.

Today we announce the inclusion of many of those tags in the Mapzen tile set.

We encourage you to use these tags in your own depiction of the world and add to them. With you and these features, we hope OpenStreetMap can continue to be the most open map in the world and the most inclusive.