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What information would it take in the osm dataset to allow www.openstreetmap.org to geoquery an address?

I downloaded a segment of the XML covering a large parts of Fremont, CA. USA via the HTTP API using a bounding box. I realized that there are not many house number included in the OSM file. However, openstreetmap.org map and also Mapquest is able to locate address where I used to live, even when no house on that street is labeled inside the XML. How is geocoding done in this case?

I also noticed that where I live right now in Taipei, Taiwan, no address is searchable. What would the OSM have to include to make an area geocode-able?

asked 22 Jul '12, 07:03

huggie's gravatar image

huggie
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edited 22 Jul '12, 11:15

SomeoneElse's gravatar image

SomeoneElse ♦
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1

Please show us your query which you expect to fail but does succeed instead.

(22 Jul '12, 13:46) scai ♦

Well basically almost all street addresses in Fremont, because I close to finding nothing.

(25 Jul '12, 17:02) huggie

Nominatim can find the one place that I know in Fremont without problems. Searches of the form "streetname, fremont" also work, but as stephan75 has said, without extra addressing data there's no way to do better than that.

To add more info, have a look here, here and here - but don't underestimate the work involved.

(25 Jul '12, 17:13) SomeoneElse ♦

Nominatim, the OSM search engine, uses the TIGER data in the US to augment the OSM address data (see also this question). If similar datasets exist in the public domain for other countries, there might be a way to use them for search as well.

But ultimately, the address search is best improved by mapping addresses in OSM.

permanent link

answered 22 Jul '12, 20:25

lonvia's gravatar image

lonvia
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accept rate: 40%

... with the help of http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:addr on each object.

(24 Jul '12, 16:23) stephan75

And this addr tag is suppose to apply to nodes?

(25 Jul '12, 17:01) huggie
1

You can add this tag to nodes or to buildings that are a polygon / little area as well.

(25 Jul '12, 19:58) stephan75

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question asked: 22 Jul '12, 07:03

question was seen: 4,556 times

last updated: 25 Jul '12, 19:58

NOTICE: help.openstreetmap.org is no longer in use from 1st March 2024. Please use the OpenStreetMap Community Forum