Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 6, 2026

Potlatch (software)

Potlatch is an editing tool for OpenStreetMap using Adobe AIR. For many years embedded directly within the OpenStreetMap website using Adobe Flash, it was rebuilt as a desktop application following the end-of-lifing of Flash.

Last revised
Jun 6, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
447 w
Citations
12
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Potlatch
DeveloperRichard Fairhurst
Stable release
3.0 / December 30, 2020 (2020-12-30)
Written inActionScript
PlatformAdobe AIR
Available in94 languages
TypeGIS software
LicenseWTFPL
Websitewww.systemed.net/potlatch/
Repository

Potlatch is an editing tool for OpenStreetMap using Adobe AIR.1 For many years embedded directly within the OpenStreetMap website using Adobe Flash,2 it was rebuilt as a desktop application following the end-of-lifing of Flash.

History

Potlatch 1 was released mid 2006 and was the default editor on the main OpenStreetMap site until it was replaced by Potlatch 2 in April 2011. The name Potlatch came from the name of newsletter of the Lettrist International art collective.3

Tim Berners-Lee demonstrated editing OpenStreetMap using Potlatch during his TED The next web talk in 2009.4

An alpha version of Potlatch 2, a complete reimplementation of the software, was published in summer 2010.5 In April 2011, Potlatch 2 was released for general use.67 After Microsoft had granted OpenStreetMap permission to use aerial imagery from their Bing Maps service for tracing, Potlatch 2 was extended to display these images in the background.

iD began as a reimplementation of Potlatch 2 architecture in JavaScript.389 It replaced Potlatch 2 as the default editor on the OpenStreetMap-Website in 2013.10

In 2020, the OpenStreetMap Foundation provided €2,500 funding for Potlatch to be ported to Adobe AIR, so that it could continue to run as a desktop application for Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh after Flash was disabled in web browsers. The desktop version was subsequently released as Potlatch 3.11

References

References

  1. Günther, Karsten. "Potlatch 2: OpenStreetMap Editor » Linux Magazine". Linux Magazine. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  2. Yang, Anran; Fan, Hongchao; Jing, Ning (2016-02-22). "Amateur or Professional: Assessing the Expertise of Major Contributors in OpenStreetMap Based on Contributing Behaviors". ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information. 5 (2): 21. Bibcode:2016IJGI....5...21Y. doi:10.3390/ijgi5020021. ISSN 2220-9964.
  3. Fairhurst, Richard (14 October 2012). "It all starts with an editor". Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  4. Berners-Lee, Tim (13 March 2009). "The next web". www.ted.com. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  5. "OpenStreetMap editor Potlatch 2 launched | OpenStreetMap Blog". 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  6. "Golem.de: IT-News für Profis". www.golem.de. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  7. HarryWood (2011-04-05). "Potlatch 2 is here | OpenStreetMap Blog". Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  8. MacWright, Tom. "iD Updates". MapBox. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  9. Dubowy, Liane M. (6 February 2013). "Neuer Editor für OpenStreetMap" [New editor for OpenStreetMap]. heise online (in German). Heise Gruppe GmbH & Co. KG. Retrieved 22 July 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. "iD In-Browser Editor Now Default on OpenStreetMap". 2013-08-23. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  11. "Potlatch - the OpenStreetMap editor". www.systemed.net. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
Further reading

Further reading