[OSM-talk] Proposal -- OpenFootpaths, a dedicated WMS layer for paths

Martyn Welch martyn at welchs.me.uk
Sat Jun 10 22:06:32 BST 2006


Sorry, but I fail to see any advantage in separating off footpaths and 
bridleways. The Map_Features[1] wiki page suggests tags to include this 
information within the open street map database, though the name "open street 
map" suggests that this is primarily a project based on mapping roads, I feel 
that the inclusion of foot and bridle paths is of significant importance, I 
guess that I think of it as more of an open ordinance survey :-)

At any rate, having the location of an roads that intersect the path I would 
have thought to be of significant interest, thus this data will either need 
replicating or imported from open street map. If these roads are missing from 
open street map having any data added to a different database will just split 
the effort. Also, any paths added to OSM might not easily get added straight 
into a separate project.

The same goes for points of interest, some of these would be very good to have 
in open street map, for example churches, pubs, train stations, viewing 
points, etc. These things that may be of significant interest and value for 
those creating maps of some kind from OSM. 

I do however see some milage in a database holding extended information 
provided for these points of interest. Maybe it would be possible to have a 
tag on relevant OSM data. I envisage a modified viewer/editor, which uses and 
edits OSM data, but can save extended data somewhere else (such as pub 
reviews, verbose information about a specific trail) and linked to the OSM 
data via a special tag. This editor could also utilise the below mentioned 
contour information where available. This would allow the road data still to 
be seen, but not to take overall priority.

Martyn


[1] http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/Map_Features

On Friday 09 June 2006 21:49, nick at hogweed.org wrote:
> Been thinking further about the whole idea of open countryside mapping and
> it occurred to me that it might be a good idea to develop an independent
> WMS layer dedicated to UK footpaths, bridleways and other countryside
> rights of way.  It would not contain any road data whatsoever. It would
> contain only This has a number of advantages:
>
> a) This new "OpenFootpaths" layer could be combined with OpenStreetMap and
> NASA SRTM contour data by default. However if desired it could be overlain
> on out-of-copyright Ordnance Survey maps, which are largely still useful in
> countryside areas (used one to navigate back from Godshill to Brighstone on
> the IoW for instance....) IIRC, Richard is working on making the out of
> copyright maps available through a web (WMS?) interface.
>
> b) An integrated web front end (www.openfootpaths.org say), affiliated to
> OpenStreetMap (and maybe with the same look and feel.... Steve?) which was
> tailored for countryside data, including not only the aforementioned
> "OpenFootpaths" layer but also a points of interest layer of the type I
> have described in previous emails (points of interest/path blockages etc).
> This might help form a community of countryside users of open geodata. I
> would gear this web front end specifically to the needs of walkers. Walkers
> who also wanted to survey city areas (like myself with OSM) would be sent
> straight to the main OSM site.
>
> c) Interest from walking groups?The Ramblers' Association have a campaign
> to "walk every grid square" by October 2007. This does not, right now,
> include any GPS surveying; it's more a footpath survey for blockages etc,
> but if participants could be encouraged to take GPS units out (and
> discouraged of course from copying from OS maps...) a lot of data could be
> obtained quite quickly.
>
>
> Of course there is a disadvantage... the separation of rural footpath data
> from the main OSM database. However it would *only* be rural footpath data,
> the "OpenFootpaths" data would not seek to contain roads of any
> description, or even urban footpaths/alleyways.
>
> Before going ahead with this it would be good to get any feedback....
> positive or negative. If it's seen as too detrimental to OSM as a whole, I
> would not carry the idea forward.
>
> Nick
>
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-- 

Martyn Welch (martyn at welchs.me.uk)

PGP Key : http://www.welchs.me.uk/martyn/pgpkey/
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