Tag:area:highway=footway

An area representation of a highway=footway which is separately mapped with a linear way.

Background

Some footways take up a significant areas - or mappers are interested in super-accurate mapping - so this tag was developed to precisely map this, in addition to highway=footway way tagged through their middle.

This tag is not the same as highway=footway + area=yes which represents a non-linear feature such as a square or plaza where multi-directional travel is possible.

How to map

Correct tagging

• If it's a simple footway area, just draw an outline around it, and add tag area:highway=footway.
• If it's a more complicated one, draw an outline around it, draw all inner parts, then select all elements and make a multipolygon relation from it. Add tag area:highway=footway to multipolygon.
• Remember about joining area's edges to surrounding buildings, walls, etc.

Optional tags:

• surface=* (What is the footway made of? E.g. concrete, asphalt)

Tagging mistakes to avoid

• Don't create an area:highway=footway area without also creating a linear highway=footway way along the centerline of the footway.
• Don't use an area:highway=footway tag for narrow paths. Draw only a linear way through its middle.
• Don't use an area:highway=footway tag for areas which are wide enough for vehicles to enter, such as pedestrian streets. Use area:highway=pedestrian for them.
• Don't use an area:highway=footway tag for stairs. Use area:highway=steps for them.
• Don't use an area:highway=footway tag for cycleway areas. Use area:highway=cycleway for them.
• Don't use an area:highway=footway tag for non-segregated "foot & bicycle" path areas. Use either area:highway=path (if the main way is tagged path) or area:highway=cycleway (if the main way is tagged cycleway) for them.
• Don't use an area:highway=footway tag for pedestrian crossings. Correct tagging of them is explained in a second table below.
• Don't use an area:highway=footway tag for traffic calming islands without any crosswalk connection. Use only the traffic_calming=island tag instead.

Example tagging

Case	Area tags	Mapping examples
Polygon	area:highway=footway
Multipolygon	area:highway=footway + type=multipolygon Correct tagging of footway multipolygon depends on character of place, you can: draw a multipolygon on a larger landcover area (eg. leisure=park) or add proper landcover tag to every inner element or complete empty inner parts with proper landcover areas (eg. building=yes)

Example tagging of connected objects

Case	Way tags			Area tags	Diagrams	Mapping examples
Pedestrian crossing	highway=footway + footway=crossing			Draw an area around streets intersection, treating stop lines and crossings as its edges and tag it with: area:highway=* (class of highway, eg. area:highway=primary) + junction=yes If it's a single crossing being far away from streets intersection, draw it just as a linear way crossing street area without junction=yes tag.
Non-segregated "foot & bicycle" crossing	highway=path + path=crossing + foot=designated + bicycle=designated + segregated=no			Draw an area around streets intersection, treating stop lines and crossings as its edges and tag it with: area:highway=* (class of highway, eg. area:highway=primary) + junction=yes If it's a single crossing being far away from streets intersection, draw it just as a linear way crossing street area without junction=yes tag.
Segregated "foot & bicycle" crossing	Method 1 (one linear way): highway=path + path=crossing + foot=designated + bicycle=designated + segregated=yes			Draw an area around streets intersection, treating stop lines and crossings as its edges and tag it with: area:highway=* (class of highway, eg. area:highway=primary) + junction=yes If it's a single crossing being far away from streets intersection, draw it just as a linear way crossing street area without junction=yes tag.
	Method 2 (two linear ways): Through foot part: highway=footway + footway=crossing Through bicycle part: highway=cycleway + cycleway=crossing
Segregated "foot & bicycle" crossing with traffic calming island	Method 1 (one linear way):			Street area: Draw an area around streets intersection, treating stop lines and crossings as its edges and tag it with: area:highway=* (class of highway, eg. area:highway=primary) + junction=yes If it's a single crossing being far away from streets intersection, draw it just as a linear way crossing street area without junction=yes tag. Foot part of the island: area:highway=footway Bicycle part of the island: area:highway=cycleway Side parts of the island: landuse=grass or leisure=garden or traffic_calming=island
	highway=path + path=crossing + foot=designated + bicycle=designated + segregated=yes	highway=path + foot=designated + bicycle=designated + segregated=yes	highway=path + path=crossing + foot=designated + bicycle=designated + segregated=yes
	Method 2 (two linear ways): Through foot part:
	highway=footway + footway=crossing	highway=footway	highway=footway + footway=crossing
	Through bicycle part:
	highway=cycleway + cycleway=crossing	highway=cycleway	highway=cycleway + cycleway=crossing
Segregated "foot & bicycle" path	Method 1 (one linear way): highway=path + foot=designated + bicycle=designated + segregated=yes (path way should be joined through a mutal part of the footway/ cycleway areas, see example screenshot)			Foot part: area:highway=footway Bicycle part: area:highway=cycleway (both areas should be joined to each other if there is no physical barrier between them, see example screenshot)
	Method 2 (two linear ways): Through foot part: highway=footway Through bicycle part: highway=cycleway
Traffic calming paving on a street edge (This element should be treaten as kind of a traffic calming area, not footway)				traffic_calming=island

See also

• Proposed features/Street area
• area:highway=path - An area representation of paths
• area:highway=cycleway - An area representation of cycleways
• area:highway=pedestrian - An area representation of pedestrian zones
• area:highway=traffic_island - An area representation of pedestrian zones
• traffic_calming=island - A traffic calming island is a structure for the purpose of slowing down traffic, temporarily separating two different traffic directions