How can I display OSM tiles using Python?

gis, openstreetmap, python

Solution

You can look/edit your map using a desktop application like Tilemill or QGIS (I can't really guess why are you generating tiles if it is not for a web application).

Tilestache has an internal webserver you can use for testing, it's easy to get it running just using config files.

A few pointers to get you started (or keep you busy for a few weeks):

Server side libraries and applications

- TileStache: very easy to use tile server and tile cache

- Mapnik: underlying library behind tilestache and tilemill

- TileLite: lightweight Python tile-server

- MapOSMatic: written in Python/Django + mapnik ?

Client side libraries

- Leaflet: client side library a lot like Google Maps API

- OpenLayers: makes it easy to put a dynamic map in any web page

- Wax: adds common utilities to minimal mapping libraries

- Modest maps: a simple platform to build upon

- Mapstraction: common interface for numerous javascript mapping libraries

Tools for custom map creation

- Tilemill: like css for maps (awesome)

- OSGeo4W: must have geospatial toolbox for windows

Markers

- MakiIcons: A clean point of interest icon set made for web cartography

- Map Icons Collection: 700 free icons to use as placemarks

Some related videos from PyCon2012

- A gentle introduction to GIS

- Making maps with Python

- Spatial data and web mapping with Python

- Making interactive maps for the web

Some interesting applications to get you inspired:

- 8bitcity: if Google Maps was running into an Atari 2600 River Raid cartridge

- OpenWhateverMap: a patchwork of different rendering styles

Problem

I'm in the process of generating tiles with generate_tiles.py and I'd like to write a Python app to display them instead of having a web interface. Does anything like that already exist or is there information somewhere on how to write such an app myself?

Original source