[OSM-newbies] Defining adjacent areas.

[James Ewen]

What is the proper way to define two adjacent areas?

To make this simple, let's say I have 2 squares that share a common
side. Do I define two areas with 4 sides, defining 2 ways between the
two common points, one way being the perimeter of square 1 and the
second way being the perimeter of square 2?

Or do I define a single way between the two common nodes, and then
somehow define the area of square 1 as being the three unique ways,
and the common way, and similar for area 2?

If you define 2 four sided ways, you end up with two ways along the
common edge, which is hard to see in the editors. If that common edge
is also a roadway, then you can have 3 ways all defined between the 2
points. It gets even worse when you have two areas that share a common
border for many miles, and that common border is also a roadway. I
have tried editing that area, and it can be very difficult trying to
pick the element that you are looking for.

James