Foursquare is parting ways with Google Maps in favor of crowdsourced maps created by the OpenStreetMap project.

Foursquare announced the change in a blog post Wednesday, explaining its decision to make the big API switch. To power the new maps, Foursquare is partnering with MapBox, a startup which calls itself "a beautiful alternative to Google Maps" and uses data from OpenStreetMap.

"As a startup, we also often think about how we can make life easier for other startups," the Foursquare blog explains.

Foursquare says it chose MapBox for three reasons: its use of OpenStreetMap, which will continue to get better; it allows for design flexibility, so Foursquare can pick fonts and colors to match the rest of the app; and it's powered by the open-source Leaflet java script library.

During the company's January hackathon, one engineer proposed the question "What would the world look like if we made our own maps?" and answered it using data from OpenStreetMap, a crowdsourced global atlas.

Foursquare also sited Google Maps' pricing as a reason they were looking to make a switch.

OpenStreetMap is one of the largest online group projects on the web. Google's relationship with the project has thus far been tumultuous. For instance, someone with a Google IP address was found to be vandalizing the project, inputting false information in several cities, such as directing one-way street signs in the wrong direction.

What do you think Foursquare's departure from Google Maps suggests for the future of digital maps? Do you think this decision will pave the way for more new players to gain traction? Let us know in the comments.

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