Mapnik - The Missing Manual

7.1. Mapnik styles

This is an (incomplete) list of styles for Mapnik that are available under an open source license. The list includes 'pure' Mapnik XML styles, and styles that can easily be converted to Mapnik XML, like those using CartoCSS.

Most Styles fall into two basic categories when it comes to their main data source, they either use derivations of the osm2pgsql schema used by the OpenStreetMap CartoCSS style, or customized imposm import schemas.

Most styles also use shapefiles for some of their layers, openly available shapefiles are list in the Shapefiles section.

Some styles are base map styles that aim at providing a full featured map, while others are only meant to be used to generated overlays that add some specific type of information on top of the output of another base style as an overlay.

Table 34. Mapnik Styles
Name	Type	Maintained	Language	Data source	License	Description
OpenStreetMap Carto	base	yes	Carto CSS	`osm2pgsql`, shapefiles	CC0	The current default OpenStreetMap style
Mapnik OSM	base	no	MapnikXML	`osm2pgsql`, shapefiles	?	Older OpenStreetMap style that was eventually replaced by OpenStreetMap Carto
Alternative Colors	base	yes	CartoCSS	`osm2pgsql`, shapefiles	CC0	Based on OSM Carto, but with an alternative color scheme
OpenArdenne	base	yes	Carto CSS	`osm2pgsql` or `imposm`, shapefiles	CC-BY-SA	A topographic style focused on the Ardenne area in Belgium
Belgian	base	yes	CartoCSS	`osm2pgsql`, shapefiles	CC0	Belgian variant of OSM Carto, also comes with all-dutch and all-french variants
Blossom	base	no	Carto CSS	`osm2pgsql` or `imposm`, shapefiles	BSD?	A low contrast style based on OSM Bright and Pandonia
CyclOSM	base	yes	Carto CSS	`osm2pgsql`, shapefiles	BSD	A map style focused on cyclists
French	base
German	base	yes	Carto CSS	`osm2pgsql`, shapefiles	CC0	Based on OSM Carto, but using colors and symbols more common to German maps
HikeBike	base	no	Carto CSS	`osm2pgsql`, shapefiles	CC0	A map style focused on cyclists
Humanitarian	base	yes	Carto CSS			The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap style
MapQuest	base	no	Mapnik XML	`osm2pgsql`, shapefiles	MIT	Old MapQuest styles from around 2010
OpenRiverBoat	base	no	Carto CSS	`osm2pgsql`, shapefiles	WTFPL	A map for navigating waterways
OsmBright	base	no?	Carto CSS	`osm2pgsql` or `imposm`, shapefiles	BSD	A rather low contrast style, meant to be used as base for own styles
Pandonia	base	no	Carto CSS	`osm2pgsql`, shapefiles	BSD?	A low contrast style based on OSM Bright, originally created by Flickr
Pencil	base	no	Carto CSS	Mapbox Studio	BSD	Artistic style looking like hand drawn with a pencil (a https://github.com/hholzgra/mapbox-studio-pencil.tm2/commits/dev-osm2pgsql[fork using `osm2pgsql` db as data source exists)
PisteMap	base	no?	Mapnik XML	`osm2pgsql`, shapefiles	?	A style optimized for winter sports
RouteXL	base	yes?	Carto CSS	`osm2pgsql` or `imposm`, shapefiles	BSD	Another low contrast style based on OSM Bright
Swiss	base	no	Carto CSS	`osm2pgsql`, shapefiles	CC-BY-SA	A style specific to Switzerland, based on OSM Bright
Toner	base	yes	Carto CSS	`osm2pgsql`, shapefiles	ISC	A high contrast pure black&white style, originaly created by Stamen and now maintained by Geofabrik
Veloroad	base	yes?	Carto CSS	`osm2pgsql`, shapefiles	WTFPL	A style focussing on bike infrastructure in Russia
Space Station	base	no	Carto CSS	Mapbox Studio	BSD	Artistic style meant to look like space station surface (a https://github.com/hholzgra/mapbox-studio-space-station.tm2/tree/dev-osm2pgsql[fork using `osm2pgsql` db as data source exists)