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I work for a small city and would like to batch upload all our address data to OSM where there currently isn't any. |
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We don't do "batch uploads". Even if there really isn't any address data in OSM for your city (which I find unlikely - I would guess there is some at least), a "batch upload" would risk being at odds with other data that is there already - address points you upload might end up in the middle (or on the wrong side of) a road, or in a lake, or something like that. So there is no way around a manual review of any data you import into OSM. Generally, we also recommend involving local mappers in the effort. See https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Import for more information. |
Different OSM communities around the world have different approaches to imported data. Some (US, NL) love it; some (DE, GB) don't. Data to be imported can vary hugely in quality; nothing is 100% correct (even if it is allegedly "authoritative"), it can still be verifiably wrong if it says "there is a house at XYZ" and there isn't. With an address import there is less margin for error than with something more complicated; like landuse. Many communities around the world have imported address data, included in the US, and there are several possible approaches that you could take (address nodes, interpolated address information, apply address information to buildings...) - you'll need to discuss what's best in your area with your local OSM community. That discussion process is part of what https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Import takes you through. Follow that, including talking to your local OSM community (see https://openstreetmap.community/ to find that) - I'm sure you'll find people who can help. |
About 50% of our city is missing addresses and some of them are inaccurate. In the U.S. most city governments are definitive sources of all GIS data, particularly for parcels and addressing.
Why doesn't the OSM community entertain a city that generously offers to batch upload definitive data, especially where OSM has only partial coverage?
Does OSM actually believe having a group of volunteers piece meal uploading city data will somehow be more accurate and efficient?
The community does entertain offers like that, but there are caveats that need to be addressed before such an import can be undertaken, such as:
-Whether the license on that data is compatible with the OSM database
-The accuracy of the location information
-How to convert the city's address data into appropriate OSM tags
-Conflation, to make sure imported data doesn't duplicate already-existing addresses in the OSM database
...plus a number of other factors. That's why imports like these need to follow the Import guidelines linked to by Frederik. It isn't as simple as taking a bunch of data and blindly importing it.
Similar question at the same time elsewhere https://forum.openstreetmap.org/viewtopic.php?id=75217
@PRussell Do you know you can actually use that data together on your side without uploading to OSM directly? Land lot is another topic, since some don't aim to have a land cadastre here.