The Mail Drop Box preset (amenity=post_box) should have a field for indicating the specific design or model of the postbox to supplement the existing Type field (post_box:type).
The post_box:type key primarily indicates the box’s support structure. It essentially duplicates support (Support) but with fewer options, and the options correspond to raw values such as pillar that can be misleading when read literally. Consequently, it isn’t very meaningful for describing the “type” of a postbox in regions where freestanding boxes can come in different shapes and sizes, or where there’s a lot of variation in wall-mounted boxes: https://github.com/openstreetmap/id-tagging-schema/pull/805#issuecomment-1455062283.
post_box:type was originally popularized in the UK alongside a more detailed, freeform post_box:design key. The latter key has gotten a lot of traction in both the UK and Belarus, but little usage elsewhere. Still, given the strong connection between both keys, it might make sense to add a Design field for post_box:design in the regions where it’s well-established. There are already country-specific versions of the Mail Drop Box preset. The UK version includes a field for the royal_cypher key, which the UK community consistently pairs with post_box:design and post_box:type.
More broadly, we could add the existing Model field (model) to the Mail Drop Box preset. The model key was recently approved for use on basically any unnatural object. Unfortunately, it has yet to be used on any postboxes, probably because post_box:design satisfies this need, but the model proposal clearly intended to supplant feature-specific keys such as post_box:design. Over time, as certain values become popular for postboxes, we could split out a postbox-specific version of this field or even a country-specific version, to offer suggested values with icons.
The Mail Drop Box preset (
amenity=post_box
) should have a field for indicating the specific design or model of the postbox to supplement the existing Type field (post_box:type
).The
post_box:type
key primarily indicates the box’s support structure. It essentially duplicatessupport
(Support) but with fewer options, and the options correspond to raw values such aspillar
that can be misleading when read literally. Consequently, it isn’t very meaningful for describing the “type” of a postbox in regions where freestanding boxes can come in different shapes and sizes, or where there’s a lot of variation in wall-mounted boxes: https://github.com/openstreetmap/id-tagging-schema/pull/805#issuecomment-1455062283.post_box:type
was originally popularized in the UK alongside a more detailed, freeformpost_box:design
key. The latter key has gotten a lot of traction in both the UK and Belarus, but little usage elsewhere. Still, given the strong connection between both keys, it might make sense to add a Design field forpost_box:design
in the regions where it’s well-established. There are already country-specific versions of the Mail Drop Box preset. The UK version includes a field for theroyal_cypher
key, which the UK community consistently pairs withpost_box:design
andpost_box:type
.More broadly, we could add the existing Model field (
model
) to the Mail Drop Box preset. Themodel
key was recently approved for use on basically any unnatural object. Unfortunately, it has yet to be used on any postboxes, probably becausepost_box:design
satisfies this need, but themodel
proposal clearly intended to supplant feature-specific keys such aspost_box:design
. Over time, as certain values become popular for postboxes, we could split out a postbox-specific version of this field or even a country-specific version, to offer suggested values with icons.