Placetype

Placetype refers to a categorical label used in geographic information systems to describe the kind of place a dataset refers to. It functions as a metadata field that classifies a feature or area by its nature or role, such as administrative, natural, or cultural. Placetypes enable search, display, filtering, ranking, and toponym disambiguation in maps, gazetteers, and geocoding services.

Common placetypes include country, state or province, city, town, village, suburb, neighborhood, locality, and district for administrative areas; river, lake, mountain for natural features; airport, train station, hospital, museum for points of interest. These labels help users identify the type of place at a glance and tailor queries or results accordingly.

Many data models implement placetype as an enumerated value or as a tag alongside other attributes. OpenStreetMap, for instance, uses a place tag on a feature with values such as country, city, town, village, hamlet, suburb, or locality.

Placetype is not universal; different datasets may use different labels and levels of granularity, requiring mapping when integrating data. This variability can affect data interoperability and user interfaces, making clear documentation of placetype schemas important.

Challenges include name ambiguity, changes in status (for example, a village becoming a town), localization, and varying granularity across regions. Placetype is a foundational concept in toponymy, gazetteers, and geocoding, aiding navigation, search relevance, and geographic analysis.