diff --git a/app/Place.php b/app/Place.php
index 0e1e0c9b..52576b81 100644
--- a/app/Place.php
+++ b/app/Place.php
@@ -76,6 +76,19 @@ class Place extends Model
         return $query->where($field, '<=', $distance)->orderBy($field);
     }
 
+    public function scopeWhereExternalURL(Builder $query, string $url)
+    {
+        $type = $this->getType($url);
+        if ($type === null) {
+            // we haven’t set a type, therefore result must be empty set
+            // id can’t be null, so this will return empty set
+            return $query->whereNull('id');
+        }
+        return $query->where('external_urls', '@>', json_encode([
+            $type => $url
+        ]));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Get the latitude from the `location` property.
      *
@@ -115,4 +128,31 @@ class Place extends Model
     {
         return config('app.shorturl') . '/places/' . $this->slug;
     }
+
+    public function setExternalUrlsAttribute($value)
+    {
+        $type = $this->getType($value);
+        if ($type === null) {
+            throw new \Exception('Unkown external url type');
+        }
+        $already = [];
+        if (array_key_exists('external_urls', $this->attributes)) {
+            $already = json_decode($this->attributes['external_urls'], true);
+        }
+        $already[$type] = $value;
+        $this->attributes['external_urls'] = json_encode($already);
+    }
+
+    private function getType(string $url): ?string
+    {
+        $host = parse_url($url, PHP_URL_HOST);
+        if (ends_with($host, 'foursquare.com') === true) {
+            return 'foursquare';
+        }
+        if (ends_with($host, 'openstreetmap.org') === true) {
+            return 'osm';
+        }
+
+        return null;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/app/Services/PlaceService.php b/app/Services/PlaceService.php
index 98158167..2a823f33 100644
--- a/app/Services/PlaceService.php
+++ b/app/Services/PlaceService.php
@@ -46,12 +46,8 @@ class PlaceService
     public function createPlaceFromCheckin(array $checkin): Place
     {
         //check if the place exists if from swarm
-        if (array_key_exists('url', $checkin['properties']) && ends_with(parse_url($checkin['properties']['url'][0], PHP_URL_HOST), 'foursquare.com')) {
-            $place = Place::where(
-                'external_urls',
-                '@>',
-                json_encode(['foursquare' => $checkin['properties']['url'][0]])
-            )->get();
+        if (array_key_exists('url', $checkin['properties'])) {
+            $place = Place::whereExternalURL($checkin['properties']['url'][0])->get();
             if (count($place) === 1) {
                 return $place->first();
             }
@@ -64,9 +60,7 @@ class PlaceService
         }
         $place = new Place();
         $place->name = $checkin['properties']['name'][0];
-        if (ends_with(parse_url($checkin['properties']['url'][0], PHP_URL_HOST), 'foursquare.com')) {
-            $place->foursquare = $checkin['properties']['url'][0];
-        }
+        $place->external_urls = $checkin['properties']['url'][0];
         $place->location = new Point(
             (float) $checkin['properties']['latitude'][0],
             (float) $checkin['properties']['longitude'][0]
diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index 29a0c216..8a1cd4d1 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## Version {next}
+  - Transition to using a JSON column for external urls of places
+
 ## Version 0.5.19 (2017-06-27)
   - Fix error in App\\WebMention.php
 
diff --git a/tests/Feature/SwarmTest.php b/tests/Feature/SwarmTest.php
index 16ae8cbe..9f395adf 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/SwarmTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/SwarmTest.php
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class SwarmTest extends TestCase
             ->assertStatus(201)
             ->assertJson(['response' => 'created']);
         $this->assertDatabaseHas('places', [
-            'foursquare' => 'https://foursquare.com/v/123456'
+            'external_urls' => '{"foursquare": "https://foursquare.com/v/123456"}'
         ]);
         $this->assertDatabaseHas('notes', [
             'swarm_url' => 'https://www.swarmapp.com/checkin/abc'