USING REAL PEOPLE TO MAP THE REAL WORLD

Part of what makes HERE a great location platform is the way we map the world. We use industrial capture methods as well as local experts from communities around the world who really know their surroundings.

For example, the landscape in India is growing extremely fast and often the streets are a complex network of bigger roads and smaller lanes. Even for locals, it can be difficult to navigate the ever-changing roads and streets. However, they are best placed to provide real mapping data to build highly accurate maps. We’re already using the data we receive from local geography and cartography students who use our community-editing tool – Map Creator.

While community mapping is already happening in India, we also use this same technique in other places around the world, too.

In Balanga City, Bataan, Philippines, HERE geographic analysts trained 25 city government employees to use the HERE Map Creator. In just two hours of mapping, the employees had mapped Balanga City and updated 312 kilometres of streets and highways.

They didn’t just map the roads, but also the street names, 1,300 places of interest including schools, hospitals, government offices, shopping malls, churches, restaurants and much more.

As a result, locals and visitors to the city are able to navigate from one place to another with ease. Balanga City is now firmly on the map and staked to a high-standard like any major city across the globe – thanks to local support using the HERE Map Creator.

Communities in other countries, such as Colombia, Indonesia, Greece, and Peru are also using the HERE Map Creator to map their surroundings, and then these changes are added to the wide range of HERE services to make the map richer for everybody. It’s not just important at a local level, but also at an international one, too.

Of course, creating a local map is one thing, but programs like this also help people to craft and refine their cartography skills. Most of the local cartographers are students with a passion for mapping. By working with these up-and-coming map makers, HERE is able to help them create real-world maps that are truly helping people find their way.