Our Mapper of the Month for June 2025 is Paolo Frizzera (OSM username: GeoFrizz). Paolo is one of the first consultants who spearheaded the UN Maps project and has previously worked with UNGSC. In his volunteer time, he likes creating maps and generating open data that can used by anyone in various purposes such as planning and humanitarian action.
Paolo's is celebrating his 10th year as an OpenStreetMap mapper this year. Read below as he shares his OSM journey and valuable advice to new and young mappers.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I have a geological background. I like both cartography and GIS, but also free and open-source software and I like that the data are free and usable by anyone.
How did you know about UN Mappers?
I worked for UNGSC and I was one of the pioneer of this project some years ago. I started to map and then I followed a local copy of the OSM planet.
When do you map? (Weekends, free time, in your working time?)
I like to map but recently I'm not so regular in the mapping activity. Generally I am mapping during the weekend or in the evening but often I don't map for long time, but when I map, it's a strong mapping.
Why do you enjoy mapping? What are your motivations?
I like to map because I like cartography. Not only that, I like the idea of contributing to the creation of a map and I also like the idea of generating data that can be used by anyone for different purposes such as planning and knowledge of a territory, humanitarian purposes and relief in emergency situations. There's a real satisfaction to do that.
In which countries do you map the most?
I don't have preference about the country but as a geologist, I'm a bit more sensible in the natural disaster emergency and sometimes I give my time to contribute to the projects of UN Mappers.
You have been an OSM mapper since 2015, would you like to share any tips or tricks, or give advice especially to new and young contributors?
Just this year I celebrate 10 years as an OSM mapper. I suggest to those who are starting to map to do it gradually. Dedicate time to read the documentation (there is a lot of it!) especially on the use of tags. Tagging correctly allows you to create a quality map. For those who use the HOT Tasking Manager, read and follow the instructions. The important thing is not to do a lot but to do it well. Over time you acquire the confidence and you can map faster while maintaining good mapping quality.
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You could be the next Mapper of the Month!
Every month, we feature an exceptional contributor, our UN Mapper of the Month, who have distinguished themselves through mapping, training, community building, and other activities that contributes to the UN Mappers community goals and objectives. Read more about UN Mappers' Mapper of the Month: https://maps.un.org/mapper-month