Geospatial origins: Peter Batty, the evolution of geospatial technology

In this episode, Ian Muehlenhaus revisits the concept of disputation to explore the impact of AI on cartography, mapmaking, and the future of geographic visualization. Steven and Ian discuss the history of disputations, the evolution of mapmaking, and the ethical considerations of AI-generated maps. Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Ed and Steven discuss Geomob swag, the upcoming London event, the return of the Mappery map, Steven’s appearance on Hacker News, possibilities for the OpenCage team event, and much more. Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Alastair Graham and Ed Freyfogle sit down to discuss the challenge of securing sponsorship for geospatial and open-source events. Sponsors help keep ticket prices affordable, but organizers often rely on the same companies repeatedly and need to offer clearer, more distinctive benefits. They suggest longer-term and more creative sponsorship strategies, while encouraging larger companies that benefit from geospatial technology to give back through sponsorship, volunteering, and community support. Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Today Jeremy speaks with Professor Mike Batty about his extensive journey through the evolution of geospatial science, city modeling, and the impact of digital transformation on planning. Discover insights from his early career in urban design to his leadership in geospatial research and practical applications in city planning. Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Steven hosts Tom Armitage and Aires Loutsaris to discuss Reading Maps, a fascinating project that visualizes journeys and places from books and movies on real maps. They explore the inspiration, technical background, and potential applications of this innovative visualization tool. Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Dennis Luxen joins the show to discuss the history, technical and community-driven development of OSRM (Open Source Routing Machine), an open-source routing engine based on OpenStreetMap. We chat about the state of OSM-based routing generally and OSRM specifically. Dennis, who will be speaking about the project at the upcoming State of the Map in Paris, shares insights on data quality, competition, and future plans for improving the routing service. Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Jeremy hosts Peter Batty to explore the transformative journey of geospatial systems from the 1980s desktop GIS, through the rise of open source and cloud-based mapping, to the cutting-edge applications of AI in geospatial analysis. Discover how industry pioneers navigated technological shifts, market challenges, and innovations that continue to shape the industry today. Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Timbo Drayson, CEO of OkHi, discusses innovative solutions to address the lack of formal physical addresses in Africa and emerging markets. He explains how their technology maps people, not places, to improve access to services, reduce fraud, and enable financial inclusion. Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Ed and Steven give us a summer update and discuss the recent Geomob Berlin and their recent projects. Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Ed sits down with Lukas Martinelli, founder and CEO of Reprompt and former Mapbox engineer, to discuss the future of geospatial data and AI. Lukas shares his journey from building large scale mapping technology to launching Reprompt, a company rethinking how points of interest (POI) data is collected and maintained. They explore why traditional approaches, from manual surveys to crowdsourcing and collaborative datasets like Overture and OpenStreetMap, are not enough, how Reprompt addresses challenges such as data quality and deduplication, and what excites Lukas most about the next wave of geospatial innovation. They also talk about his move from Europe to Silicon Valley and why he believes now is the right time to build a geospatial startup. Show notes on the Geomob website, where you can also learn more about Geomob events and sign up for our monthly newsletter.