In November 2024, we took a bold step in open-sourcing our Places dataset with a hypothesis that a community driven approach is the only way to create a sustainable and robust places dataset that can serve the needs of diverse problem domains. Our thesis has been validated with the tremendous progress we have been able to make in improving this open dataset since its inception.
Today, we’re taking the next step in that journey with updates that will strengthen our collaborative ecosystem and unlock even greater potential for data improvement.
At the heart of our community-driven approach are our Placemaker Tools, which enable anyone to contribute to and improve the OS Places dataset. Through these tools, contributors can:
These tools have proven that when given accessible ways to contribute, people eagerly improve the data that powers their favorite applications. The 27 million edits proposed through Placemaker Tools demonstrate the power of community-driven data maintenance at scale. As we evolve our approach, Placemaker Tools remain central to our strategy. By creating stronger connections between dataset consumers and the improvement ecosystem, we can channel community efforts where they matter most, whether that’s improving coverage in underserved regions, updating time-sensitive information, or enriching place details for specific use cases.
Our October release transitions FSQ OS Places from public S3 bucket access to our new Places portal. Users can register, generate an access token, and retrieve the data through an Iceberg catalog. The data remains completely free with proper attribution under our Apache 2.0 license.
Over the past year, we’ve seen incredible adoption of our dataset across diverse industries and use cases. But despite the widespread adoption of our OS Places dataset, the end users of applications built on this dataset rarely know it is even sourced from Foursquare or that they have an opportunity to improve it using our Placemaker Tools. In our current anonymous distribution model, there’s no path from “using an app with great location data” to “helping improve that location data.”
A root cause here is a lack of awareness. When users discover that their favorite applications are powered by a community-driven dataset, many become eager contributors through our Placemaker Tools. This creates a virtuous cycle: better data enables better applications, which reach more users, who contribute more improvements, creating even better data.
That is why we’re introducing this new approach to build connections with the direct consumers of our dataset and work together to spread awareness of FSQ OS Places and empower their user communities to contribute through Placemaker Tools.
FSQ OS Places will now be accessible through three primary channels:
The data remains completely free with proper attribution under the Apache 2.0 license. To ensure required attribution, we recommend the following:
This new approach creates direct connections between you, the dataset consumers, and our Placemaker community. When we know which applications are powered by FSQ OS Places, we can help you surface improvement opportunities to your end users, empowering them to become contributors who enhance the data that powers their favorite applications.
When we understand what matters to you — accurate business closures, comprehensive category coverage, and more — we can channel the community’s efforts where they will have the greatest impact. Your needs inform community priorities, their contributions power your applications, and your users become their fellow contributors. The cycle strengthens itself. Join our Placemaker Discord to connect directly with the community and collaborate on data improvements.
We are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for everyone. You can access the OS Places data from the past releases through our public S3 bucket but all future releases (starting from October 2025) will only be accessible through the three supported channels.
The September 2025 release is already available through our new portal, giving you immediate access to our latest data while you plan your transition. If you have production workloads built on top of our public S3 dataset, please join our open source slack and reach out to us at os-places@foursquare.com and we will work with you to ensure continuity of business operations.
This next chapter strengthens everything that makes FSQ OS Places powerful: community collaboration, open access, and continuous improvement. By understanding real-world usage patterns, we can identify data gaps and connect users directly with Placemaker Tools. Every application becomes a gateway for new contributors, and every contribution amplifies the value for all users.
Together, we’re building not just a dataset, but a sustainable ecosystem where location data gets better every day through the collective efforts of a global community.
Visit the new Places Portal to get started.
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