User:SamuelLB/Poor Mans Address Mapping

This is a way of adding road names or house numbers, if you only have a pen and a paper. The roads and buildings must be added to OSM, if they don't exist already, as a separate step.

Instructions

When you encounter an unmapped road, write the road name on the left. Make a line on the right, for example like this:

Lindevägen       ____________________________

Make sure there's free space both above and below the line, so you can add house numbers and other POIs on both sides.

Now the point where you are, is represented by the start of the line (the left side). Things on the left side of the road will be written above the line, and things on the right will be written below the line. Let's say there are six houses on the left, two which you can't see the house number on, and then odd numbers from 5 to 11. And then there's a road on the right. Then you write that like this:

                  ?  ?  5    11
Lindevägen       ____________________________

And then there's the right side, with five houses, numbered 2A, 2B, 4, and 10. One of the houses is facing another direction (and does not belong to this street).

                  ?  ?  5     11
Lindevägen       ____________________________
                  2A B  4  x  10

Now let's mark the crossing on the right:

                  ?  ?  5     11  
Lindevägen       ____________________________
                  2A B  4  x  10  |

You might also want to write the road's name:

                  ?  ?  5     11  
Lindevägen       ____________________________
                  2A B  4  x  10  |
                                  |
                                Glädjegången

Let's assume this road was already mapped (or that we don't want to map it yet for some reason). Let's continue along the road:

                  ?  ?  5     11      |
Lindevägen       _____________________|______
                  2A B  4  x  10  | ? 14
                                  |
                                Glädjegången

Another road! Let's continue with this road. It's a dead end anyway, so we'll get back.

                                  Gunbovägen
                  ?  ?  5     11      |
Lindevägen       _____________________|______
                  2A B  4  x  10  | ? 14
                                  |
                                Glädjegången


Gunbovägen       ____________________________

And fill in the house numbers as you walk along it.

                                  Gunbovägen
                  ?  ?  5     11      |  
Lindevägen       _____________________|______________
                  2A B  4  x  10  | ? 14
                                  |
                                Glädjegången

                      6B 6A  4  :  3
Gunbovägen       _______________:____________...
                  x |  7B  7A   v   5B   ?
                    |               5C
                 Alpstigen

The v means there's a bend on the road. The dots indicate where there are foot paths. Let's go back to Lindvägen and continue from number 13/14. (And remember, when you go back a road -- the left/right will be reversed on the way back, in case you want to make corrections)

                                  Gunbovägen      Mellangårdsvägen    Lindevägen
                  ?  ?  5     11      |    13 15 17  x  |  x 23       |
Lindevägen       _____________________|_________O_/_____|_____________|
                  2A B  4  x  10  | ? 14  16     /      ?  28 30 32   |
                                  |           garages                 |
                                Glädjegången                        Triangelvägen

                      6B 6A  4  :  3
Gunbovägen       _______________:____________...
                  x |  7B  7A   v   5B   ?
                    |               5C
                 Alpstigen

The O means there's a turning circle. And the / means there's a barrier on the road that's preventing cars from passing.

Now, assuming that the road and the buildings have been traced and added to OSM already (perhaps from Bing aerial imagery), you can add their names and numbers. If you missed some house numbers, you can go back at a later time (perhaps they are only visible from the other direction). Or you can make educated guesses. Perhaps the house number after 5C and 5B, was 5A?

Result

You can see the result of the example above, here:

https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=18/59.21453/18.21340

List of suggested symbols

?

unknown house number

x

house belongs to another road

O

turning circle

/

barrier

v

bend

...

footpath/cyclepath/track