Open UK Address Data

[Alex-P]

@rskedgell

I find it easier to add it as another layer in JOSM and switch between it and aerial imagery. It almost always needs slight realignment to the Land Registry INSPIRE layer.

Could you help me understand how to do that in JOSM?

[Alex-P]

I understand that the gold standard is tracing all buildings and assigning individual addresses (with terracer plugin or the housenumber tagging tool).

Am I correct in saying that if one’s #1 priority is improving the findability of addresses in OSM, address interpolation based on public domain address data (like https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=19.1&lat=51.41828&lon=-0.30135&layers=170&b=22&o=100) is the fastest way to achieve this goal? I understand it’s not 100% accurate, but given it’s 1/10th of the effort I’m thinking - is there any harm in using address interpolation as in Way: 40422571 | OpenStreetMap ?

EDIT: After writing this, I noticed that downstream apps like CoMaps and Magic Earth are unable to lookup interpolated addresses, while Nominatim can find the exact address with no issues. Anyone know why? It sadly looks like right now, only individually tagged addresses are universally “findable”.

[InsertUser]

@Alex-P

Could you help me understand how to do that in JOSM?

My JOSM Install lists: - HISTORICMAP GB NLS - OS 1:1,250 National Grid Maps Ed. A SH - TL[GB] ('United Kingdom)

• HISTORICMAP GB NLS - OS 1:1,250 National Grid Maps Ed. A TL - TR[GB] ('United Kingdom)
• HISTORICMAP GB NLS - OS 1:1,250 National Grid Maps Ed. B SJ - TR[GB] ('United Kingdom)
• HISTORICMAP GB NLS - OS 1:1,250 National Grid Maps Ed. C[GB] ('United Kingdom)
• HISTORICMAP GB NLS - OS 1:1,250 National Grid Maps, 1940s-1960s[GB] ('United Kingdom)
• HISTORICMAP GB NLS - OS 1:1,250/1:2,500 National Grid Maps, 1947-63 - TQ[GB] ('United Kingdom)

Which turn up under Imagery > Historic or otherwise outdated map. If I’m zoomed into a relevant area.

The coverage is a lot patchier than the layer that appears on the NLS website though, with more “Error: No tiles at this zoom level” tiles than actual map images. I don’t know if the JOSM list needs updating or if there’s a lingering rights issue with a subset of the scans.

[LordGarySugar]

With the fact you can have a mixture of A,B & C editions being the most recent in some areas, I find it easiest just to have NLS open in a browser and that allows me to flip between the different sets. You can even overlay OS over OSM to check you’re assigning the correct housenumber to the correct house.

@Alex-P

is there any harm in using address interpolation

I would say that where you’re copying from an OOC map it’s better to fill out all the addresses. Address interpolation is usually an intermediate step as part of an initial survey when all buildings are not mapped. If there are parts of a street where new houses have been built or something has changed, address interpolation ways cannot be converted into individually addressed buildings due to the ambiguity. As with everything in OSM I would say quality > speed, there’s no reason to map in a less detailed way if you have all the housenumbers in front of you. OS is also pretty good with marking when there is or isn’t a number 13, which is another thing that can make an address interpolation ambiguous.

@Alex-P

I noticed that downstream apps like CoMaps and Magic Earth are unable to lookup interpolated addresses

Correct, but they should be able to really. When we have apartment buildings tagged with a range of flats or housenumbers, they should be able to pick up on those. We shouldn’t have to make individual nodes in those scenarios.