Use the REST services to extract data from the OpenAddresses database.
If you want, for example, all the addresses of a city, make a simple URL like:
http://www.openaddresses.org/addresses.csv?city=Bottens&attrs=street,city,postcode,housenumber
It's also possible to create a zip file to reduce data transfer amount:
http://www.openaddresses.org/addresses.zip?city=Bottens&attrs=street,city,postcode,housenumber
As query parameter, you can use all the string and number attributes mentionned here.
So, don't hesitate to create new addresses, it's then easy to extract and use them ;-)
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Presentation about OpenAddresses.org
Hans-Jörg Stark created a presentation about the OpenAddresses.org project.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
100,156 addresses more: Thanks to Vancouver
With the open data initiative of Vancouver, we were able to import some addresses more.
Monday, May 17, 2010
12 millions... 13 millions addresses !
More than 2 millions new addresses with the import of the State of Indiana in USA. Thanks to the The Indiana Geographic Information Council (IGIC) !
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The list of address donators growths !
Have a look at the 15 cities that just donated their addresses.
Here are the reasons that convinced these donators:
1. Spatial information is a key success
For companies, governments or private persons, the spatial information allows to make powerful analysis. Typically, companies can make geomarketing analysis, governments can make geostatistics, private persons can search for locations. The adress is the base information for a large amount of spatial analysis.International studies have shown that there is a huge potential in spatial data for economic growth http://www.crcsi.com.au/uploads/publications/PUBLICATION_324.pdf
If the address data are free, it unleashes a potential of innovation and creativity that has not been possible yet. Think of GPS: everybody uses it for free! If the US had not provided this service for free a lot of what we take for granted today would not be reality!
2. You search regularly for addresses
Who has never searched for an address ? NOBODY. We all need addresses and unfortunately, it's difficult to access them or they are provided by advertisement companies that have other ideas in mind and you are always dependent on their websites or services.
3. You are using geocoding tools ...
OpenAddresses provides geocoding functions that you can freely use and implement in your own solutions.
4. .. and also reverse geocoding tools
OpenAddresses provides reverse geocoding functions that you can freely use and implement in your own solutions.
5. You don't want to buy a license or have a maintenance contract
Do you ?
6. You believe in solidarity
Think that if you provide an address in your area, you could maybe use an address provided by someone else on the other side of the earth.
7. You dream of a free navigation system
When you buy a navigation system, an important part of the price is due to the price of the data stored inside. If addresses are free and open, the price of the navigation systems will be reduced.
It is still not possible to create open and free navigation systems. Together with the data of OpenStreetMap, OpenAddresses allows the creation of fantastic orientation tools.
8. You agree with the Open Source philosophy
There are several aspects of Open Source that are widely recognized. Let's take for example the points mentionned in 2009 by the DoD:
- The continuous and broad peer-review enabled by publicly available source code supports software reliability and security efforts through the identification and elimination of defects that might otherwise go unrecognized by a more limited core development team.
- The unrestricted ability to modify software source code enables the Department to respond more rapidly to changing situations, missions, and future threats.
- Reliance on a particular software developer or vendor due to proprietary restrictions may be reduced by the use of OSS, which can be operated and maintained by multiple vendors, thus reducing barriers to entry and exit.
- Open source licenses do not restrict who can use the software or the fields of endeavor in which the software can be used. Therefore, OSS provides a net-centric licensing model that enables rapid provisioning of both known and unanticipated users.
- Since OSS typically does not have a per-seat licensing cost, it can provide a cost advantage in situations where many copies of the software may be required, and can mitigate risk of cost growth due to licensing in situations where the total number of users may not be known in advance.
- By sharing the responsibility for maintenance of OSS with other users, the Department can benefit by reducing the total cost of ownership for software, particularly compared with software for which the Department has sole responsibility for maintenance (e.g., GOTS).
- OSS is particularly suitable for rapid prototyping and experimentation, where the ability to “test drive” the software with minimal costs and administrative delays can be important.
9. You wish to check your existing address data
By giving your addresses to OpenAddresses, you get in return the possibility:
- To compare your data with other addresses previously captured
- To be able to use a simple, yet powerful user interface to update them 3. to ask the community (the inhabitants) to check themselves if their address is correct
10. You need more addresses for your everyday tasks, but can't afford the large commercial datasets
... however, you may have some workforce available to capture and update local data. For example firefighters or electricity inspectors have a very good local knowledge of addresses, but it is very hard to have these addresses structured. By using OpenAddresses, all members of your organization work on a similar data structure and, in return for giving your addresses, you'll get the ones captured by others. Last but not least, in comparison to the commercial datasets providers, you decide how often you want your data to be updated.
Here are the reasons that convinced these donators:
1. Spatial information is a key success
For companies, governments or private persons, the spatial information allows to make powerful analysis. Typically, companies can make geomarketing analysis, governments can make geostatistics, private persons can search for locations. The adress is the base information for a large amount of spatial analysis.International studies have shown that there is a huge potential in spatial data for economic growth http://www.crcsi.com.au/uploads/publications/PUBLICATION_324.pdf
If the address data are free, it unleashes a potential of innovation and creativity that has not been possible yet. Think of GPS: everybody uses it for free! If the US had not provided this service for free a lot of what we take for granted today would not be reality!
2. You search regularly for addresses
Who has never searched for an address ? NOBODY. We all need addresses and unfortunately, it's difficult to access them or they are provided by advertisement companies that have other ideas in mind and you are always dependent on their websites or services.
3. You are using geocoding tools ...
OpenAddresses provides geocoding functions that you can freely use and implement in your own solutions.
4. .. and also reverse geocoding tools
OpenAddresses provides reverse geocoding functions that you can freely use and implement in your own solutions.
5. You don't want to buy a license or have a maintenance contract
Do you ?
6. You believe in solidarity
Think that if you provide an address in your area, you could maybe use an address provided by someone else on the other side of the earth.
7. You dream of a free navigation system
When you buy a navigation system, an important part of the price is due to the price of the data stored inside. If addresses are free and open, the price of the navigation systems will be reduced.
It is still not possible to create open and free navigation systems. Together with the data of OpenStreetMap, OpenAddresses allows the creation of fantastic orientation tools.
8. You agree with the Open Source philosophy
There are several aspects of Open Source that are widely recognized. Let's take for example the points mentionned in 2009 by the DoD:
- The continuous and broad peer-review enabled by publicly available source code supports software reliability and security efforts through the identification and elimination of defects that might otherwise go unrecognized by a more limited core development team.
- The unrestricted ability to modify software source code enables the Department to respond more rapidly to changing situations, missions, and future threats.
- Reliance on a particular software developer or vendor due to proprietary restrictions may be reduced by the use of OSS, which can be operated and maintained by multiple vendors, thus reducing barriers to entry and exit.
- Open source licenses do not restrict who can use the software or the fields of endeavor in which the software can be used. Therefore, OSS provides a net-centric licensing model that enables rapid provisioning of both known and unanticipated users.
- Since OSS typically does not have a per-seat licensing cost, it can provide a cost advantage in situations where many copies of the software may be required, and can mitigate risk of cost growth due to licensing in situations where the total number of users may not be known in advance.
- By sharing the responsibility for maintenance of OSS with other users, the Department can benefit by reducing the total cost of ownership for software, particularly compared with software for which the Department has sole responsibility for maintenance (e.g., GOTS).
- OSS is particularly suitable for rapid prototyping and experimentation, where the ability to “test drive” the software with minimal costs and administrative delays can be important.
9. You wish to check your existing address data
By giving your addresses to OpenAddresses, you get in return the possibility:
- To compare your data with other addresses previously captured
- To be able to use a simple, yet powerful user interface to update them 3. to ask the community (the inhabitants) to check themselves if their address is correct
10. You need more addresses for your everyday tasks, but can't afford the large commercial datasets
... however, you may have some workforce available to capture and update local data. For example firefighters or electricity inspectors have a very good local knowledge of addresses, but it is very hard to have these addresses structured. By using OpenAddresses, all members of your organization work on a similar data structure and, in return for giving your addresses, you'll get the ones captured by others. Last but not least, in comparison to the commercial datasets providers, you decide how often you want your data to be updated.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Why not use Google ?
Ovum's blog about that topic is particularly interesting.
Do you assume the risks of using proprietary plattforms ?
Keep in mind the following points about using proprietary plattforms:
* lack of assurances regarding the continuous provision or reliability of the service or that it will remain available for free in the future
* lack of control over the content displayed by the vendors on the platform - particularly advertisements
* lack of control over how the vendors use data that is provided by agencies
* the requirement to indemnify the vendors from any claims arising from the agency's use of the service.
* service interruption or unexpected termination
* inappropriate information or advertising being displayed on a map
* confidential information arising from the delivery of the service being used by the vendor in an inappropriate manner elsewhere in its services
* the agency's brand being used in an unwelcome manner
* the agency inadvertently being in breach of the terms of use of the free versions of the platforms.
And of course, data behind these services are never open and can be used only with the terms of services.
Do you assume the risks of using proprietary plattforms ?
Keep in mind the following points about using proprietary plattforms:
* lack of assurances regarding the continuous provision or reliability of the service or that it will remain available for free in the future
* lack of control over the content displayed by the vendors on the platform - particularly advertisements
* lack of control over how the vendors use data that is provided by agencies
* the requirement to indemnify the vendors from any claims arising from the agency's use of the service.
* service interruption or unexpected termination
* inappropriate information or advertising being displayed on a map
* confidential information arising from the delivery of the service being used by the vendor in an inappropriate manner elsewhere in its services
* the agency's brand being used in an unwelcome manner
* the agency inadvertently being in breach of the terms of use of the free versions of the platforms.
And of course, data behind these services are never open and can be used only with the terms of services.
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