A collaborative map of the future.

Sometimes, as I wander around Edinburgh, I entertain myself by knocking buildings down, digging up car parks, slicing off the edges of terraces to reveal allotments and playparks. (This only happens in my mind, if that wasn't already clear. But if it happened in enough other peoples' minds, it could become actuality).

I could make this process a little bit more actual by mapping it. What if?

And how?

• Using existing OpenStreetmap data, server and client code
• Not importing the whole of OSM (80Gb and growing) but only the parts that What-if?-mappers are interested in, a small shard of space at a time
• Some restrictions on the import process to stop robots going mad and overwriting the world

And why?

Might actually have a useful purpose for people on the "how the world could be Better" track, like

• http://www.ecba.org.uk/ - shared community backgreens
• http://www.greenerleith.org/ - local environmental and social repair organisers
• http://www.transitionedinburghsouth.org.uk/ - ground this stuff in actuality
• http://www.eacc.info/ - local community councils

But

• Should there be one What-if? Map, or many?
• If just one map, would edit wars result? Would that be fun?
• Can one realistically keep a version history of the future with the current OSM software?
• How/if to merge back gradual improvements to the "real-world" OSM data?
• Data pollution - might we accidentally convince robots that they actually are living in the What-if? world, and cause synthetic emergencies to happen?