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We have a use case where customers give us large numbers of postal addresses (Canada, US and Europe), and we need to sit and examine these addresses to ascertain the logistics of covering these areas from a support perspective (emergency support, etc).

Sometimes we get these addresses as KML/KMZ files. About half or more of the time, we get these addresses as Excel files.

We have one guy who loads these into MS Streets and Maps and produces a map with push-pin markers in them. But, we cannot get approval to purchase this software for everyone who would like to generate a map like this.

From reading the forums and spending some time on the software, I don't see a way to bulk import postal addresses to generate this kind of map in OpenStreetMap. This can be done...can't it?

asked 13 Aug '13, 15:47

Alta-Mapper1's gravatar image

Alta-Mapper1
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There are many solutions for creating maps with push-pins, but if your Excel files don't include longitude and latitude, then your main problem is geocoding.

Try googleing "batch geocoding"

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answered 13 Aug '13, 18:36

Dymo12's gravatar image

Dymo12
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There is an OpenData plugin for JOSM, the Java based editor. This plugin allows you to import csv files with longitude and latitude and in different projections. (see http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/JOSM/Plugins/OpenData)

I assume the data does not have the right license to be uploaded to the central OSM database. but from JOSM, you can write a GeoJSON file which can be displayed with Leaflet or OpenLayers (links see stephan75's answer)

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answered 13 Aug '13, 17:19

escada's gravatar image

escada
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accept rate: 21%

edited 13 Aug '13, 17:20

If you want a professional solution by a company who seems to be quite up to date in visualizing data and map graphics, have a look at Mapbox.

They are only one among others according to Commercial_OSM_Software_and_Services

Or try frameworks like CartoDB or kartograph.org

In general, you can display maps as tile graphics via leaflet or openlayers ... I assume (not sure) they have some example code to display markers loaded from a CSV file. But maybe you would have to process too many markers?

Tell us about success or failure.

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answered 13 Aug '13, 17:06

stephan75's gravatar image

stephan75
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accept rate: 6%

edited 13 Aug '13, 17:15

SomeoneElse's gravatar image

SomeoneElse ♦
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question asked: 13 Aug '13, 15:47

question was seen: 9,814 times

last updated: 13 Aug '13, 18:36

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