[Imports] Questions about importing data for University of Vermont campus

Andrew Guertin andrew.guertin at uvm.edu
Fri Jan 28 20:25:08 GMT 2011


The University of Vermont web team is working on updating our online
campus map, and right now an OpenLayers/OpenStreetMap-based solution is
looking like the option we'll probably choose. We have a few questions
about importing data and keeping it up to date.


First, some background. The University keeps quite a bit of very
detailed geospatial and other data about the campus, as you might
expect. However, this data is spread around various departments,
databases and non-database files, and formats. By far the largest
problem for the web team working on our new map is collecting this data
and getting access to it in such a way that we can keep it up to date.
Any technological implementation issues, in whatever framework we decide
to use, are comparatively minor.

However, assuming we have the data issues worked out, we do need an
implementation. Our most likely choice for this (mostly at my urging) is
OpenLayers with an OpenStreetMap base layer. To do this, we need to get
the data into the OpenStreetMap database.


The major questions, then, are:

For an initial import, what's the best way to accomplish it for various
pieces of data?
We have (at least) very high quality building outline, sidewalk, and
road data. Currently in the OSM db is incomplete and somewhat low
quality building and sidewalk data for the campus. The road data is
pretty good, but probably not as good as we have. For an initial import,
can we blow away the buildings and sidewalks and replace them with our
own? Can we blow away the roads and replace them with our own? Some
other datasets might have similar questions (parking lots, e.g.).
Also, how would such an import be done, technically (for a set of >200
buildings, plus other data).
(Link to UVM in OSM: http://osm.org/go/Zd_6Cl9d--)

How can we keep this data up to date?
Would any sort of automated process be acceptable, considering that our
data would be both authoritative and accurate? Or would we have to watch
for when our data changed and make changes to OSM manually?

How can we watch for changes other users make to the data?
I've found
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OWL_%28OpenStreetMap_Watch_List%29
and the rss feeds you can get from there. Is that the best way?

What are our options in the case someone adds valid data that we don't
want displayed on our base map tiles?
For example, suppose someone adds every single emergency phone
(http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:emergency%3Dphone) on campus to
OSM (there are a lot), but we'd prefer to have that data in an overlay
on our map so it can be turned on and off. Would we be forced to render
our own tiles?


All of this is still dependent on confirmation we can release the data,
and, in fact, on the data itself (which we're still waiting on access
to). Having the answers to these questions ahead of time will help make
sure the OpenStreetMap implementation is the one we use.

Thanks,
Andrew Guertin
University of Vermont Web Team



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