While we released iBegin Places a while ago, our focus was on the primary backend for iBegin, and our attention on it fell to the wayside.
I was recently at a little meetup of NYC hyperlocal/LBS operators, and a discussion got underway on the underlying data powering their own business. And, while I agree that there are issues, I think the bigger issue is the problem with relevancy between that data and real world applications. Our lives are based on informal and relative space - “go down two blocks,” “it’s across the park,” “you will find the best bars in X neighborhood,” “it’s very close to the 6 station.” And yet, while companies like Urban Mapping and Maponics push the core envelope (kudos on UMI’s transit information), it boggles my mind that a more open approach has not been taken. Heck, we are mapping the entire world using OS, all while the minutiae of our daily lives is ignored.
Not one to watch from the sidelines, we’ve started to push for a better understanding of what space means what to everyone. And not just for creation, but also for usage - all places (and subsequent ‘collections’ of ‘places’) are easily exportable via GeoRSS, Google Maps JS, JSON, and/or KML. We’ve already collected all the New York MTA subway points (it is the location of the point that is important, not the actual underground pathway), and 45 neighborhoods in Manhattan. We’ve also started on the Toronto neighbourhoods. All fully downloadable and free to use however you want.
