[Tagging] Historic building usage

[Tom Pfeifer]

On 29.03.2018 15:38, Dave F wrote:
>> The building=train_station tag remains, since it describes the building type, independent of the 
>> current usage.
> 
> No. The building tag is for current usage. OSM maps the present with its primary tags. If 
> contributors want to indicate it had previous use, as I do in this case, it should be tagged with 
> clearly defined sub tags.

We understand that you have strong personal opinions, and remember the debate about exit nodes in 
roundabouts.

However the consensus with many other mappers in OSM is, as descried in the wiki:

"the [building=*] value may be used to classify the _type_ of building. Note that it may be not the 
same as the building's current use (tagged using building:use=*). For example, a hospital building 
that is abandoned or repurposed to be a marketplace is still a building=hospital, and to mark active 
hospitals amenity=hospital is used. "

It also perfectly reflects common language. Imagine the following BrE example:
"Do you see the church building over there? It is now used as a climbing hall!"

> The building:use tag is inaccurately used. (I believe it shouldn't be used at all).

Again this is your personal opinion. building:use is well defined in the wiki, and used 630000 times.

> IMO this is poor tagging. If a building is now used as a place for people to live then it clearly 
> isn't a warehouse any more.

No, but it has the building type of a warehouse. Ans some people like it, and say:
"Hey, I have an new loft in the old warehouse."

> A separate tag is required.

We have two separate tags, building=* and building:use=, they are well defined and serve their 
intention. If your intention is different, I understand that, but that will not change our minds.

On 29.03.2018 16:26, Dave F wrote:
 > On 29/03/2018 09:05, Johnparis wrote:
 >> Interesting. Musée d'Orsay in Paris offers another possibility: building=disused:train_station
 >
 > But that doesn't account for what it currently is.

Correct, that's what people use building:use for.

tom