The WorldMap Platform

The WorldMap Platform is the largest open source collaborative mapping system in the world, with over 13,000 map layers contributed by thousands of users from Harvard and around the world. Researchers may upload large spatial datasets to the system, create data-driven visualizations, edit data, and control access. Users may keep their data private, share it in groups, or publish to the world.

O’Reilly Media has used WorldMap to show wildlife crime. The user base is interdisciplinary, including scholars from the humanities, social sciences, sciences, public health, design, planning, etc. All are able to access, view, and use one another’s data, either online, via map services, or by downloading.

Current work is underway to create and maintain a global registry of map services and take us a step closer to one-stop-access for public geospatial data. Another project is working on tools to support the visualization of spatial datasets with over a billion features.

This China Map shows the capability of the platform. Current collaborations are underway with groups inside Harvard, such as Dataverse, HarvardX, and various departments, and with groups outside Harvard, such as Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania. Major additional contributors to the underlying source code include the WorldBank, the U.S. State Department, and the United Nations. This video shows how to use WorldMap:

Ben Lewis is system architect and project manager for WorldMap. The source code for the WorldMap platform is available on GitHub.