Linux Foundation Announces Overture Maps to Build Interoperable Open Map Data

I wonder how this will affect OpenStreetMap. In a related article in Dutch newspaper NRC¹, TomTom (one of the partners in this consortium) mentions that OpenStreetMap is too inflexible, and Google Maps troublesome because of Google's tight control. For Meta and Amazon not having to depend on Google is desirable of course. This effort looks like an attempt to do what OpenStreetMap does, but without its community.

As an OpenStreetMap contributor I'm worried about the future of OpenStreetMap. The OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF) doesn't seem to stimulate or direct innovation. In fact, most innovations are done in apps like OsmAnd and OrganicMaps, and by individuals or small groups experimenting with one-off projects and demos or localised initiatives. There is little to no overarching development, and the main website (openstreetmap.org) while providing a good and mostly up-to-date map, is showing its age — including numerous bugs in the main style that won't be fixed because the handful of volunteer maintainers of that style can effectively block broadly adopted features if they don't like them, and the OSMF has no real recourse on handling that situation.

I really hope the hard work put in by the OpenStreetMap mappers won't be for naught. Local mappers are a boon to maps like these, and in places where local mappers are on the ball OpenStreetMap is as accurate as you can reasonably get.

1: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2022/12/15/tomtom-werkt-samen-micr... (Dutch)