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

There are a number of places (in the US at least) where there is a named development that includes a mix of large standalone stores ("big box" stores), rows of storefronts, and standalone smaller stores or restaurants ("outlot" buildings), typically with a large sea of asphalt parking lot connecting them all. Smaller versions of this could be called a "strip mall".

It's no problem mapping and tagging the buildings and parking lots, but how should I tag the overall development? landuse=retail would seem to be more about zoning or a general area of a town, either unnamed or with a general name like "Downtown Farmville". But if I choose the tag marked "Shopping centre" in Potlatch2, it gets tagged shop=mall, which seems to be a different sort of thing (often indoors, or if outdoors, with inward-facing shops and pedestrian streets connecting them). More importantly, if it were tagging an actual (indoor) mall, I'd expect the tag to be on the building and exclude the parking lots, but the tag I'm seeking would be for the entire area of the development, including the parking.

So neither seems a perfect fit. Which is correct?

asked 28 Oct '12, 22:53

blahedo's gravatar image

blahedo
736111928
accept rate: 50%


I think an area tagged as landuse=retail is the best way of mapping this sort of thing. This tag can be used for any area that is mostly shops (along with associated car parking etc).

So it may be a general area of the town centre, containing a number of individual shops or shopping malls. Or it may be a distinct shopping development, with its own name and its own car park etc. Or it may even be a single out-of-town supermarket.

If the retail area has its own name, then tag that with name=*

And of course you can map the individual shops within the shopping development. ie use the appropriate shop=* tag. Plus you can map building outlines, and any car parks or service roads etc.

permanent link

answered 29 Oct '12, 22:10

Vclaw's gravatar image

Vclaw
9.2k895141
accept rate: 22%

-3

Hi Blahedo, This question looks more or less at the earlier one, accidently ? But try to tag the area as follows landuse - commercial, thast should solve your problem. And please use multipolygones inner and outer just to make room for the shops or buildings. Happy cartering and ad all the different shops and developments later just as parking spaces. Hendrik

permanent link

answered 29 Oct '12, 21:08

Hendrikklaas's gravatar image

Hendrikklaas
9.3k207238387
accept rate: 5%

Follow this question

By Email:

Once you sign in you will be able to subscribe for any updates here

By RSS:

Answers

Answers and Comments

Markdown Basics

  • *italic* or _italic_
  • **bold** or __bold__
  • link:[text](http://url.com/ "title")
  • image?![alt text](/path/img.jpg "title")
  • numbered list: 1. Foo 2. Bar
  • to add a line break simply add two spaces to where you would like the new line to be.
  • basic HTML tags are also supported

Question tags:

×213
×9
×7

question asked: 28 Oct '12, 22:53

question was seen: 6,520 times

last updated: 29 Oct '12, 22:10

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