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Esri ArcGIS FAQ

Ben Clark edited this page Nov 10, 2021 · 3 revisions

What is this announcement all about?

The Facebook Map with AI Team is adding Esri ArcGIS data to both RapiD and JOSM. This means that any RapiD / JOSM user can add Esri-approved data features from the ArcGIS user community to OpenStreetMap, all while using the existing RapiD workflow. This release is the conclusion of a successful trial version of RapiD which allowed us to validate the data quality and editing process for this functionality.

Background reading:

https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-living-atlas/mapping/arcgis-data-support-in-osm-editors/

https://tech.fb.com/osm-ready-data-sets/

Where can I go to use this data?

RapiD users can go to https://mapwith.ai/rapid like they always have. JOSM users will need to download the latest Map with AI plugin (download | plugin details).

How do I add these features to the map?

We have an Esri-specific section in our self-service training document. **

What kind of data is there?

For right now, the data includes millions of address points and buildings around the United States, spread out among over a hundred different data sets. More datasets are under review and we expect them to be included soon.

Where does the data come from?

Cities, Counties and other government agencies create authoritative data for their local communities. Esri works with these government entities to acquire their open data and helps prepare and curate their contributions for inclusion in OSM. For example, if a dataset doesn’t have the appropriate OSM tags, Esri will work with the data publisher to ensure that the correct tagging is done.

Can I view these Esri datasets outside of RapiD / JOSM?

Yes! There are two places to look for more information:

Are these datasets compatibly licensed for use in OpenStreetMap?

Yes — this is covered in the ‘license’ column of the OSM Wiki page for these datasets. Esri handles this end of things- they make sure that either the dataset was originally released under licensing that’s compatible with OSM, or they procure an explicit permission from the publisher allowing use under OSM’s licensing guidelines.

Does this functionality conform to the import guidelines?

Traditional imports involve moving lots of data wholesale into OpenStreetMap without much user involvement — the import takes place in one big series of operations. This Esri workflow falls well short of being a full-blown import because each feature is added to the map only if a user decides to include each feature, not as a single bulk operation. That said, Esri does follow many of the import guidelines in terms of verifying license compatibility, documenting potential data sources, preparing plans for incorporation of data, and sharing plans and processed datasets with the OSM community for review. It is then up to OSM mappers to use the RapiD and JOSM tools to manually review, edit, and submit individual features to OSM.

If you do want to get involved, you can provide feedback to Esri directly on their OSM Wiki page for these datasets. All the datasets not marked as ‘Available to Edit’ are open to review by the OSM Community.

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