[Talk-us] [Imports] Zipcode Import

[Anthony]

On Sun, Dec 20, 2009 at 10:46 AM, Jeff Barlow <Jeff at wb6csv.net> wrote:

> Anthony <osm at inbox.org>  wrote:
>
> >No.  Zip codes do not represent geographic regions.  They should not be in
> a
> >the map data, but in a separate database.
>
> Please explain your reasoning. This claim seems quite
> counterintuitive to me.
>
> A Zip is part of everyone's address just like city and state.
> I've seen them on many commercial printed maps.
>

A zip code is part of every USPS address, yes.  But unless you are going to
map zip codes as huge multipolygons of thousands of individual buildings
each (in some cases probably overlapping), that doesn't make them geographic
areas.

http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/tigermap.html#ZIP

If you *really really* want zip codes in OSM, then put them in
addr:postcode, on buildings or nodes (by themselves or as part of an
interpolation way).  Or better yet use a relation (since a zip code is
actually a relation, not an area).  But personally I think even that is
better stored in an external database.
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