<div dir="ltr"><div>All of those appear to have been added <a href="https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/w/index.php?title=Access_provisions_in_the_United_Kingdom&type=revision&diff=2084718&oldid=2014626">quite recently</a>, and probably conflict with actual widespread usage. I'd look to SomeoneElse, nickw, dudone etc., who have all systematically mapped footpaths on OSM over a considerable period (10-17 years) for best practice rather than the wiki. Historically, the wiki always had a so-called "alternative scheme" (based on highway=path etc) which was favoured by some, but not AFAIK the really dedicated footpath mappers. A reluctance to remove this undoubtedly has further contributed to multiple ways of tagging.</div><div><br></div><div>Prior to widespread introduction of the designation key, foot=designated often, but not always, meant that it was a PRoW.</div><div><br></div><div>The problems are that designated can mean one of several things:</div><div><br></div><div>* Designated for a specific purpose, such as paths for golfers (the example which started it)<br></div><div>* A path which it is required that users of that mode use in contradistinction to other paths/highways (no usage I'm aware of in UK, but this is the common usage on, for instance cycleways in Germany, where it is not permitted to cycle on the main road if there is adjacent cycleway provision). In some sense "mandatory"<br></div><div>* The path is a public right of way (earlier usage)</div><div>* The path is explicitly intended for the modes of travel with the designated tag</div><div><br></div><div>My personal view is that it should largely be reserved for the 2nd case: in all others the tags meaning is either not particularly helpful nor easy to interpret. <br></div><div><br></div><div>Note also, that one may come across permissive paths which require particular transport modes to use them (for instance, perhaps through military areas).</div><div><br></div><div>Jerry<br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, 26 Nov 2021 at 13:55, Chris Hodges <<a href="mailto:chris@c-hodges.co.uk">chris@c-hodges.co.uk</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div>
<p>I see where you're coming from with that, but if that's the
settled view it suggests that the examples in the <a href="https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:access%3Ddesignated" target="_blank">wiki
page for tag:designated </a>need to be updated (the "UK"
example on that page also conflict with the<a href="https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Access_provisions_in_the_United_Kingdom#Public_Rights_of_Way" target="_blank">
ProW section of Access provisions in the United Kingdom</a> on
this point). I'm still logged in and do tend to use designation=
when mapping. It's also a shame that my example is in Gwent,
which isn't on RoWmaps. I'd like to try to trace the official
route through the entrance.<br>
</p>
<p>On 26/11/2021 13:31, Andy Townsend wrote:<br>
</p>
<blockquote type="cite">
<p><br>
</p>
<div>On 26/11/2021 13:00, Chris Hodges
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"><br>
But your comment prompted me to check a local example I'd mapped
a few years ago - and got wrong, using "yes" for the public
footpath instead of "designated". <br>
</blockquote>
<p>I'd argue (in line with what Jerry said earlier) that neither
"yes" nor "designated" are wrong here; in England and Wales at
least, the use of "designated" is so confused that it only
really means "yes", together with either "this might also be a
public footpath/bridleway", or someone's used the original
meaning of "designation" which was "this mode of traffic (in
this case 'foot') should use perfectly legal way (a) as opposed
to perfectly legal way (b), for reasons unrelated to legal
access (such as crossing a road via a bridge to avoid getting
run over)".</p>
<p>If something's in England and Wales is a public footpath please
tag with "<b>designation=public_footpath</b>" (or as appropriate
<b>designation=public_bridleway</b>, <b>byway_open_to_all_traffic</b>,
<b>restricted_byway</b>, <b>unclassified_highway</b> *) so that
there's no doubt about the PRoW status. "<b>designation=core_path</b>"
is widely used in Scotland for Scottish Core Paths**. Not that
it's relevant to GB, but for UK completeness the NI situation
seems to be <a href="https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/public-rights-way" target="_blank">https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/public-rights-way</a>
, and there's relatively little use of designation for this
purpose there:
<a href="https://taginfo.geofabrik.de/europe/ireland-and-northern-ireland/keys/designation#values" target="_blank">https://taginfo.geofabrik.de/europe/ireland-and-northern-ireland/keys/designation#values</a>
.<br>
</p>
<p>Best Regards,</p>
<p>Andy<br>
</p>
<p>* there are occasional exceptions, such as ways where the exact
legal status is unclear but there is definitely a public right
of way; "designation=public_right_of_way" can be used for those.<br>
</p>
<p>**
<a href="https://www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot/act-and-access-code/core-paths-plans" target="_blank">https://www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot/act-and-access-code/core-paths-plans</a><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<br>
<fieldset></fieldset>
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