Kate,<div><br></div><div>What was the source for the building footprint import ?<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Apr 2, 2012 at 6:58 PM, Kate Chapman <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:kate@maploser.com">kate@maploser.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">We did an imperfect import of building footprints in Washington D.C. a<br>
while ago. I personally find it makes the map far more usable for<br>
adding other information. With the buildings in I am able to add<br>
stores and other details easily without using a GPS, simply by<br>
printing Walking Papers.<br>
<br>
Personally for me I enjoy outlining buildings, but there are plenty of<br>
other places without footprints where I could do that if I had the<br>
urge.<br>
<br>
-Kate<br>
<div><div class="h5"><br>
On Mon, Apr 2, 2012 at 9:18 AM, Richard Weait <<a href="mailto:richard@weait.com">richard@weait.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> On Mon, Apr 2, 2012 at 11:46 AM, William Morris<br>
> <<a href="mailto:wboykinm@geosprocket.com">wboykinm@geosprocket.com</a>> wrote:<br>
>> So here's something to mull over while we all wait for the license upgrade:<br>
>><br>
>> <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23616645/Geosprocket_Share/umd_subset.osm" target="_blank">http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23616645/Geosprocket_Share/umd_subset.osm</a><br>
>><br>
>> That's an extract of the UVM-SAL building footprints I'd like to<br>
>> import for swathes of MD and PA. My workflow for killing existing<br>
>> feature conflicts actually went best without involving ESRI at all:<br>
>><br>
>> 1.) In QGIS, Set up 0.2-degree import grid over new building coverage areas<br>
>> 2.) Pull down one grid cell worth of OSM data using the QGIS OSM plugin<br>
>> 3.) Add building footprint .shp, select all footprints that intersect<br>
>> OSM lines or polygons<br>
>> 4.) Switch selection, save as new .shp<br>
>> 5.) Run ogr2osm.py on new .shp (Special thanks to Andrew Guertin for<br>
>> running me through that process)<br>
>> 6.) Open new .osm file in JOSM, add building tags, upload.<br>
>> 7.) Repeat for next import grid cell<br>
>><br>
>> Tedious, but it'll get the job done. And a reminder: I do not intend<br>
>> to add any building footprint that conflicts with an existing feature,<br>
>> adhering to the OSM preference for user-added features over imports.<br>
>> Now soliciting thoughts, roadblocks, expressions of ennui, etc.<br>
>> Thanks!<br>
>><br>
>> -Bill Morris<br>
><br>
> My objection is a generic one and one that has been heard before on<br>
> this channel. To be clear, I do not wish to criticise Bill; he<br>
> appears to be following the bulk edit guidelines and he is engaging in<br>
> the discussions here. That's fantastic. Bill, welcome to the<br>
> community.<br>
><br>
> I think imports (taking a large number of objects from an external<br>
> source and placing them in OSM all at once) is bad for the community.<br>
> Most of you have heard me say this before. I still have no hard<br>
> evidence to prove it. There is also no hard counter-evidence. At<br>
> best, imported data will be unmaintained. I glibly offer most TIGER<br>
> ways as evidence.<br>
><br>
> I ask you to suspend disbelief for a moment, and presume that imports<br>
> are generally bad, and presume that adding new mappers is generally<br>
> good.<br>
><br>
> Can we try something new? Can we use this building data as motivation<br>
> to get new mappers in those areas so that specific mappers will have a<br>
> stronger connection to the data in specific areas?<br>
><br>
> Something like this:<br>
> - Let's set a smaller grid. Something like a large suburban arterial<br>
> block, say 1.5km / 1 mi square.<br>
> - If you want to import the buildings in one grid square, you have to<br>
> find a new mapper in that area, and they have to do an on the ground<br>
> survey of some part of that area.<br>
> - You can only do so in areas that are no more than four grid squares<br>
> from your home location (or work location).<br>
><br>
> This is a cross between "adding game-features to OSM", "banning<br>
> imports" and "having users adopt part of the map". :-)<br>
><br>
> This could be really beneficial to a new mapper. They could survey<br>
> the local fire station, police station, hospital and schools, and<br>
> perhaps the businesses on the main street, and a few local shopping<br>
> malls. They get all of those business names, and they'll be<br>
> completely up to date. They'll add them to the map, and they don't<br>
> have to trace as many building outlines, because they have the<br>
> external source available.<br>
><br>
> What I hope this will encourage is:<br>
> - new mappers in those areas<br>
> - who will do new foot surveys of interesting things<br>
> - and will feel attached to the data<br>
> - and keep it up to date over time.<br>
><br>
> And, if the new mapper understands that the building data for their<br>
> area is a "reward", they are unlikely to be frustrated or discouraged<br>
> by it if some buildings end up in the wrong place. the new mapper<br>
> will just fix them. And carry on mapping.<br>
><br>
> I know that what I suggest is much harder than simply importing the<br>
> data from one or two accounts. I suggest that the benefit of finding<br>
> and encouraging new mappers in your area is much greater than just<br>
> having new building outlines in your area.<br>
><br>
> Now the Negative Army will jump in and say, "That's too hard.", "That<br>
> will never work.", "I want buildings now."<br>
><br>
> You can take leadership on this. Are you the only active mapper in<br>
> your city or region, or one of only a few? Do this. Be a leader.<br>
> Grow the community and then you won't be able to keep up with the<br>
> growth of the map. Build new contributors. (And host local OSM<br>
> groups.)<br>
><br>
> Thanks for letting me hijack your thread, Bill. :-)<br>
><br>
> Best regards,<br>
> Richard.<br>
><br>
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