{"id":29599,"date":"2025-07-15T08:08:38","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T08:08:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.regio.ee\/?p=29599"},"modified":"2025-07-17T07:37:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T07:37:06","slug":"the-whole-worlds-already-mapped-or-is-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.regio.ee\/en\/the-whole-worlds-already-mapped-or-is-it\/","title":{"rendered":"The Whole World\u2019s Already Mapped\u2026 Or Is It?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\u201eWhat do you even do at Regio these days? Isn\u2019t everything already mapped and online?\u201c<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

We hear this question again and again. And sure, at first glance, it makes sense – maps are everywhere: in our pockets, on our screens, built into our cars. Streets appear to be mapped, cities are in place, and when in doubt – just Google it, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the world doesn\u2019t stand still<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

At Regio, we see changes happen every single day – new roads being built, old ones closed, new neighborhoods popping up, signs going up, addresses changing. And no, these things don\u2019t just magically show up on a map. Someone has to notice them, check them, and map them. That\u2019s what we do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maps and Geodata – our everyday world<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In short, we create, collect, enrich, and visualize map data. Yes – even in this digital age, we still work with paper maps too – atlases, wall maps, travel guides, and custom-made editions. We believe paper maps aren\u2019t going anywhere anytime soon. They have value, they have purpose, and yes, they have loyal fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three Baltic countries, one standardized Data Model<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Our second area of expertise is managing a database that covers the entire Baltic region – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are integrated into a uniform data structure that includes addresses, roads, navigation data, points of interest, and land use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This lets us offer far more detailed and up-to-date geospatial data than the big global data providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geospatial Data Expertise, when you need it most<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Our third and growing area is geospatial data expertise. We help organizations that don\u2019t have a GIS team or addressing the shortage of geoinformatics professionals. We handle everything from data collection and annotation to validation, correction, standardization, and analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of these activities – from initial data collection to the final map you see – are tightly interwoven. That\u2019s why we say: maps are never really finished. They grow and change with the world.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n

And this is just what we talked about with Raimu Hanson<\/em>, a journalist from Tartu Postimees<\/strong><\/em>. That lovely chat, published in May 2025, inspired this very blog post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least one new street\u2026 Every day!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Across the three Baltic countries, an average of 75 new street names appear every month. But just knowing the street name isn\u2019t enough – we need to verify it, check our sources, compare data, and only then can it be added to the database (and then the map).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lithuania gets the most new street names because all addresses – even in the countryside – must use a street name and house number. In Estonia and Latvia, rural addresses often use farm names instead of street names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s not all. We also remove not valid names and verify and adjust the extent of each street\u2019s alignment. Every street is checked: Where does it begin and end? Does the name still match reality? Because a good map starts with good data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Street name showdown: most common vs. most complicated<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Some fun facts: the most popular street name across the Baltics is some version of Garden Street (Aia<\/em> in Estonian) – it’s in the top five in all three countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Estonia, the leader of the pack is Pargi t\u00e4nav<\/em> (\u201cPark Street\u201d), appearing 140 times. Latvia\u2019s most common is Skolas iela<\/em> (\u201cSchool Street\u201d) with 222 instances, while Lithuania takes the crown with Liep\u0173 gatv\u0117<\/em> (\u201cLinden Street\u201d) – a name shared by an impressive 843 streets across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Longest name? Lithuania wins that one hands down: Apolonijos Dalevskyt\u0117s-Sierakauskien\u0117s skveras<\/em> \u2013 46 characters!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Estonia\u2019s longest: Johann Wilhelm Friedrich Hezeli t\u00e4nav<\/em> \u2013 37 characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now just imagine trying to fit either of those into the window of a standard envelope. Yeah\u2026 not happening. Not even with your best effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asphalt or gravel? Yes, we show the difference<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Our maps don\u2019t just show where roads go – they show what the road is actually like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We clearly distinguish between surface types, whether it\u2019s asphalt, gravel, or an unsurfaced road. That\u2019s the kind of detail you won\u2019t usually find in big international mapping apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also keep track of other road characteristics, like location and geometry, width, speed limits, and other features. Since multiple attributes can change at once on any given stretch of road, keeping this information up to date is a big part of our everyday work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Roads marked in red indicate segments where some attribute has been changed in Regio\u2019s database over the past year.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Precision navigation data you won\u2019t find anywhere else<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s something not everyone knows – Regio provides something no one else in Estonia does: unique, high-detail navigation data. And no, we\u2019re not just talking about street names and road signs. Our database includes the number of lanes, speed limits, turn restrictions, time-based access rules, direction signs, warning symbols, and even vehicle-specific limitations like height, weight, and width.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This kind of precision makes Regio maps a trusted companion not just for everyday drivers and bus operators, but also for logistics companies who need spot-on routing every single day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A hundred data sources, one map<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you think making a map is just a matter of \u201cdrawing a few lines and dots\u201d – well, it\u2019s not quite that simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We did the math: we use close to 100 different data sources to bring everything together – streets, roads, addresses, buildings, points of interest, and much more – into a single, unified database and map. One hundred sources!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not an easy job. Sometimes it feels like putting together a puzzle where the pieces are made from different materials, some are missing, and a few are even flipped backwards. Our job is to make them all fit – to check, compare, and fix where needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It takes precision, experience, and a sharp eye for detail. But our clients don\u2019t have to worry about any of that – we make sure the data is accurate, up to date, and reliable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Web Maps deserve style too<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

These days, digital maps are mostly used in the same easy way – pick a route from point A to point B and hit the road. Quick and practical, yes, but it means everything just off the path often goes unnoticed. A charming hiking trail, a small museum, a local bakery, a scenic lookout – all too easily hidden in plain sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Regio, we believe a map shouldn\u2019t just guide you – it should also inspire you.
For us, a map isn\u2019t just a tool, it\u2019s a way to understand and appreciate the world around us. A digital map can be meaningful, clear, and easy to read – and still be a pleasure to look at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We want to show that a map doesn\u2019t have to be a dull background cluttered with random points. A web map can be aesthetic, thoughtful, and user-friendly, something people use not just out of need, but out of curiosity. Regio maps have both substance and style; maps you can trust and enjoy looking at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping tourism info up to date might just be the toughest challenge<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If there\u2019s one thing that\u2019s genuinely hard to keep track of, it\u2019s tourism information. At Regio, our tourism data isn\u2019t just a list of attractions or services – it covers what you can actually see and do across the Baltics, from manor parks and hiking trails to farm shops and ice cream caf\u00e9s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When planning a trip, accurate info matters. One wrong opening time or a place that\u2019s suddenly closed can flip your whole itinerary upside down. And the truth is – tourism data changes fast. Today it\u2019s a cozy caf\u00e9, tomorrow it\u2019s a cocktail bar. Gas stations and shops pop up like mushrooms after the rain. Even the biggest attractions can slip off the radar overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our job is to keep this ever-changing tourism info up to date – to monitor what\u2019s changed and make sure what you see on the map reflects what\u2019s actually out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re one of the few who can maintain such a broad and detailed tourism dataset for all three Baltic countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why we check everything carefully – we read, compare, verify, and only then do we add it to our database. So, the map user doesn\u2019t have to wonder whether that hiking trail still exists or if the museum is actually open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For us, tourism info is like a good road sign: reliable, clear, and in the right place at the right time.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n

We make sure Estonia, and the Baltic region are represented on the map just as they are in real life. For us, mapping is never really finished – it\u2019s an ongoing process that requires a sharp eye, a flexible mindset, and a bit of persistence too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We love this work. So, the next time someone says, \u201cIsn\u2019t everything already mapped and online?\u201d, we\u2019ll simply say: \u201cMaybe it is. But a lot has changed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Map snapshots of Tartu<\/span> (2015 vs 2025), highlighting major changes around Raadi<\/span>: new neighborhoods, the Estonian National Museum, and the formation of Raadi<\/span> settlement<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201eWhat do you even do at Regio these days? Isn\u2019t everything already mapped and online?\u201c We hear this question again and\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29592,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[112,121],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-maps-and-atlases","category-navigation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.regio.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.regio.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.regio.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.regio.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.regio.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29599"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.regio.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29651,"href":"https:\/\/www.regio.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29599\/revisions\/29651"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.regio.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29592"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.regio.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.regio.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.regio.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}