[OSM-talk] Mapping everything as areas

[Jean-Marc Liotier]

Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason's diary entry last week (http://j.mp/8ESP8o) 
stired my interest. Using a few examples, he showed how mapping 
everything as an area - or as a volume - makes ultimate sense. Should we 
go for it now ?

Mapping the crossing of two roads, four cycleways and four sidewalks all 
as surfaces requires about twenty times as many nodes as mapping the 
crossing of two linear roads. That is a hefty increase in complexity, 
especially when having to deal with the modification of existing ways. 
Should that be put forward as a best practice ?

When dealing with pedestrian plazas and their surroundings, the value 
added by area mapping makes it worthwhile, but for more standard street 
grids I'm not sure if that should be a priority. My geeky nitpicky self 
makes me want to do it, but maybe I should focus my energy somewhere 
else where it would be more useful. And maintaining that complexity may 
be more costly than what we have now.

So what is your opinion ? Generalized area mapping is the future, but 
should we wholeheartedly embrace it right now or wait for more 
sophisticated tools for maintaining it and a clearer "business case" ?