Your address will be associated with you for most of your life. Have you ever wondered how the address came about?
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Recently we had a group of friends come and visit us for movie night for the first time and one of our friends, as he was coming over, ordered food and how to deliver it directly to us as he was making his way over. Some of you are going to be going out to Super Bowl parties and just in general going to a new restaurant or going to a new nightclub and we relied heavily on two things: one you address and two your GPS system. Take a listen to this episode titled your address.
*Transcript lightly edited for clarity*
GPS Signal Lost!
Have you ever had an experience where you got directions typed into your GPS only to end up in a completely different place? Have you ever given directions to your Uber driver or for a delivery and they got lost? Today’s topic is about your address or the place you live and the place we all call home. Per the US Department of Labor your address or geographic indicator is a part of a group of data that are “personally identifiable information PHI along with other types of information that permits the identity of an individual to whom the information appliance to be reasonably understood by either direct or indirect means”. Your address is associated with you throughout your life, this is in the form of background information when you apply for a job, it’s in your credit report, it’s in your driving record just to name but a few. Given the significance of this have you ever wondered how those names and addresses you will be associated with come about?
The history of the first addressing and numbering system in the United States is closely tied to the development of cities and towns in the early years of the country. Addressing systems evolved as urban areas grew and the need for organized mail delivery and property identification became increasingly important. In the colonial era, addresses were typically based on landmarks such as “John’s house near the church”. However, as urbanization increased, the need for a standardized addressing system became more evident as the nation expanded and the Postal Service grew. In response the US post office department encouraged cities to establish clear numbering systems to facilitate mail delivery. Around 1850 the US post office department created a standardized addressing system based on a grid system. A grid system or grid plan in its simplest form is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other forming the grid. The system was used historically in ancient civilizations like in China and other colonies of the Roman Empire.
Per the US post office standardization systems streets running north to south were numbered and streets running East to West were given letters. The grid system simplified mail delivery, improved property identification and became the foundation for modern addressing in the United States. Over time as cities continue to grow and evolve some localities refined their addressing systems. The adoption of the zip codes in 1963 further enhanced mail delivery efficiency by providing a standardized postal code for each region. Today the addressing and numbering systems in the United States are well established with addresses typically consisting of a street number, street name, city state and zip code. The grid-based system and the use of numeric and alphabetic characters from streets are widely accepted and used throughout the country facilitating mail delivery, navigation and property identification.
Fast forward to today, how do new names come up? For example in that new subdivision that’s coming up close to your neighborhood. In the majority of cases planners ,developers and local government authorities work together to design the layout of the streets taking into consideration factors like traffic ,access to amenities ,city or town planning guidelines .The geographic layout of an area can also influence street naming .For example streets may be aligned along a grid system following natural geographic features like rivers or mountains or reference historical landmarks.
Street Naming Conventions
- Sequential: Streets may be named sequentially in a specific order such as 1 St. 2nd St. and so on or numerically where the streets are assigned numbers which increase as you move from a certain point. Typically, you would see the city center being where the lowest number is and as you go North and South the numbers would increase. The phrase “all roads lead to Rome” comes to mind. The Romans constructed a vast system of roads radiating from the capital city Rome throughout the Roman Empire. The phrase is often used metaphorically to suggest that there are many ways to reach a certain point or achieve a particular goal.In the historical context however it is more accurate to say that the roads connected various parts of the Roman Empire to the capital rather than literally all roads leading to Rome from every corner of the world.
- Alphabetical: Some streets may be named alphabetically and often follow a theme for example one neighborhood streets are named after famous racehorses like Belmar, Northern Dancer and Real Quiet just to name a few.
- Historical: Streets could also be named in honor of important figures from history, local culture or significant events. According to an article published earlier this year in Time magazine there are approximately 1,000 streets named after the American Civil rights leader Dr.Martin Luther King jr.
- Landmarks: Streets could also be named after local landmarks, prominent geographical features or historical sites. This can help residents and visitors navigate an area more easily.
Street names are chosen to minimize confusion and aid navigation. Efforts are made to avoid similar sounding names. The street names typically need approval from the local government or City Council. This ensures that the names comply with local regulations, do not duplicate existing names and are culturally appropriate. Once approved the names are used for signage and the local authority is normally responsible for maintaining the signs and ensuring accurate address listings. In summary, a street becomes an address when it’s officially assigned recognized as a location for properties or residences by the local governments. The assigned addresses play crucial role in property identification mail delivery and various administrative and civic functions
Navigation
So how do the addresses get to the navigation systems?
In the US the US Department of Transportation maintains the national address database https://www.transportation.gov/gis/national-address-database. This is a database that is a compilation of data from address programs in state local and tribal governments .Geocoding is a process of transforming a description of a location such as an address label or a place name into a location on the earths surface. The resulting locations are output as geographic data with attributes that can be used for mapping and analysis of an unlimited number of topics such as broadband public health and safety and infrastructure. According to the US Department of Transportation website, “address locations are collected and used every minute of every day for the benefit of emergency response the consumption of commercial goods and services mail and package delivery, public and private utility management, voting ,taxation , Licensing, financial lending and real estate transactions as well as road maintenance and transit services and many other purposes”
https://www.fgdc.gov/ngac/meetings/december-2014/ngac-national-address-database-use-case-paper-december-2014.pdf Did you know that artificial intelligence is also used to improve the accuracy of mapping and to identify patterns and user generated data? For example, they can analyze user reports to verify the existence of new addresses or to validate changes. Mapping services regularly release updates to their maps to incorporate the latest data. These updates may include changes to addresses, roads, landmarks and other geographic features. Depending on the service you use the frequency of map updated can vary between different GPS services. The availability of detailed mapping data can also depend on the region or country. Users can help improve map accuracy by reporting any inaccuracies or suggesting updates through their GPS apps
Location Services
The other missing piece in modern day navigation is that location service that is provided by the GPS satellites This is the blue dot that indicates your location. According to GPS.gov the website that contains information regarding the GPS navigation system, in cases where you find yourself lost the problem is likely in the mapping software used by the device or apps and not the location itself .The website also contains links where you can report a problem caused by a mapping error for example “our home or business is missing or appears in the wrong place” or “drivers have a hard time navigating to your location”., Delivery services going to the wrong place”, “GPS devices sending the right bus through our property or back roads”,etc . Head over to gps.gov for a full list of frequently encountered problems and how to submit a correction request online
Fun Facts
As you may have probably noticed where you live some street names are synonymous with more desirable locations .There is a correlation between the desirability or prestige of a street name and the average property prices on that street .This is often due to factors such as historical significance ,scenic views proximity to amenities or exclusivity .Streets with names that reference natural features like Lakeview Ridge hilltop or riverfront may have higher property values if they offer great views or waterfront access .For example,according to an article written by a local NPR station in Oklahoma back in 2018 sites a recent study that says developers have discovered that humans like living close to water and are trying to capitalize on that. Builders will normally build fancier homes on streets that are called lake and those normally cost more. Gated communities or private neighborhood streets may be named after the development itself and these names often convey an upscale image .Streets close to city centers and financial districts are vibrant urban areas often have higher property values due to the convenience and access to amenities just to name a few examples. it’s important to know that while street names can be a factor property values are influenced by combination of factors including location, property size, condition and market conditions .Additionally what is considered an upscale or desirable street name can vary from one region to another based on local preferences and cultural influences .Real estate market trends and demand also plays significant role in property pricing.
Unique and unusual Street names
There are countless unique and unusual street names around the world that reflect the local culture, history, humor or creativity. Some examples include Butthole Road. located in Conisbrough, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England .
This street name attracted a lot of significant attention over the years until it was changed to Archer’s Way in 2009. Residents living on the street experienced issues with the address as they were refused services due to the name and they were the target of pranks and f jokes. There’s a Chicken dinner Rd. in Caldwell ID. Easy street and memory lane are both popular street names in various parts of the US. Do you have any unusual street names that you know or have encountered? Please share in the comments .
If you had an opportunity to name a road or a street, what would you call it ? For example fans of anime and manga may come up with names like “Naruto street”, “One piece Rd”. Akira Way just to name but a few. Share in the comments and we’ll follow up in future episodes on the most unusual ones.
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