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I'm defining "address" as "a physical location, usually visibly numbered". Numbered was used in the definition to exclude purely geographical features not usually considered to have or need an address. Visibly was used in the definition to exclude entities that might be numerically coded (like census features) but the number is not typically apparent nor used for directional or delivery purposes. Usually was used in the definition because exceptions abound (such residences in Carmel).

Enumerating the possible kinds of addresses resulted in:

  • buildings.
  • entire floors of buildings.
  • apartments/offices/rooms in buildings.
  • cubicles/mailstops in buildings.
  • loading docks.
  • slips on boat docks.
  • slots in trailer parks.
  • post office boxes and private mail drops.
  • military APO/FPO addresses.
  • jail/prison cells.
  • campground lots.
  • outbuildings (not usually visibly numbered, but often desireable in delivery databases).
  • undeveloped parcels (not usually visibly numbered, but often required in address databases).

What other kinds of "physical locations, usually visibly numbered" have I forgotten to include in the above list? Two questionables are:

  • hospital beds.
  • cemetary plots.

Update from comments:

The enumeration (ie, determining how many codes are necessary) is desired to allow coding address kinds to differentiate records in an address database.

Eg, SELECT * FROM ADR WHERE KIND IN (1,3,5).

"Usually visually numbered" (alphanumerics are OK) is preferred to just "coded" as described in the original question. If the location isn't visually numbered, it's unlikely to be the target of directions/deliveries, and would not be kept in the address database.

Just think of the question as "how many different kinds of places do we physically stick a number on to make directions/deliveries easier?"

Witness Protection ID 44583292
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    bit of an open ended question - what would be a correct answer? – Mapperz Sep 19 '11 at 21:21
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    what about houseboats? – Mapperz Sep 19 '11 at 21:22
  • what about cell towers? – Brad Nesom Sep 19 '11 at 21:34
  • What problem are you trying to address? Without a clear problem statement, the requested enumeration seems pointless and suggests this question ought to be closed. Some additional difficulties are: (i) "numbered" seems unnecessarily restrictive, and probably should be replaced by "uniquely identified by a number or other code"; (ii) the important distinction between an object and its location is lost; (iii) the purpose of the "numbering" is not mentioned. To be an address, there must be some efficient algorithm to determine the location from its identifier, short of an exhaustive search. – whuber Sep 19 '11 at 21:38
  • @Mapperz: I think it's the opposite of open ended, because I can't think of another example. A correct answer would be a physical location usually visually numbered for purposes of giving directions or making deliveries. Houseboats are handled by the "slips on boat docks" kind. (SLIP is already a standard USPS secondary unit.) – Witness Protection ID 44583292 Sep 20 '11 at 00:08
  • @whuber: The enumeration (ie, determining how many codes are necessary) is desired to allow coding address kinds to differentiate records in an address database. Eg, SELECT * FROM ADR WHERE KIND IN (1,3,5). "Usually visually numbered" (alphanumerics are OK) is preferred to just "coded" as described in the original question. If the location isn't visually numbered, it's unlikely to be the target of directions/deliveries, and would not be kept in the address database. Just think of the question as "how many different kinds of places do we number to make directions/deliveries easier?" – Witness Protection ID 44583292 Sep 20 '11 at 00:25
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    @BradNesom: Are cell towers usually located via an address? Especially those out in the hills? Perhaps "outbuilding" should be generalized to "miscellaneous structure" to include things like the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower (not occupied, but still the target of directions/deliveries). – Witness Protection ID 44583292 Sep 20 '11 at 00:27
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    Thanks for the clarification. I still wonder about what problem you might be trying to solve. The potential applications of addressing are infinite, extending from designating RAM in a computer system to naming galaxies in catalogs. It's hard to see either a point in creating an exhaustive list or even to hope that such a list could ever be built. – whuber Sep 20 '11 at 02:48
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    Street furniture has 'an address'. with the address being the physical location. Road works have an address, accidents have an address. It is actually very open ended as anything with a physical location can be deemed as havign an address, determined by what system you are using; if you are using asset management, accident stats, road network management, etc, etc. – Hairy Sep 20 '11 at 06:48
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    Cell Towers are required to have a physical address. Accidents do not necessarily have an address; e.g. in Missouri they have a route designator instead of an address. This is taking the more strict definition of an address in something like the URISA address standard. – blord-castillo Sep 20 '11 at 11:04
  • Airports, with airport terminal numbering. Its my understanding that Japan uses a completely different addressing system. Also don't forget intersections. – patrick Sep 20 '11 at 14:01
  • @whuber: The "problem" is how to enumerate the kinds of addresses in an address database. Gender is usually encoded as 2 kinds: M or F, so you can select one or the other. Similarly, numbering the kinds of address allows subsets to be chosen. RAM and galaxies aren't applicable because we don't visually label them for purposes of directions/deliveries. – Witness Protection ID 44583292 Sep 21 '11 at 15:49
  • @Hairy: We don't visually number street furniture, road works, or accidents for purposes of directions/deliveries. – Witness Protection ID 44583292 Sep 21 '11 at 15:51
  • @blord-castillo: Are cell towers actually visually numbered, or simply referenced by the address of the parcel they're on, and where is the address requirement you're referring to stated? The URISA spec doesn't include any numbered address kinds not already in the above list. – Witness Protection ID 44583292 Sep 21 '11 at 15:58
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    Mike, actually, we do address both RAM (to read and write it) and galaxies (to point telescopes at them). Both can be, and have been, labeled on maps, and both have physical extents (which can be relevant for RAM when designing chip layouts, for instance). The extensive list of comments here and the applications they suggest testifies to the vagueness and generality of the question. – whuber Sep 21 '11 at 15:59
  • @iterationx: I think "airport gate" is the first good suggestion anyone's offered. Intersections are identified by two street names, not a number. – Witness Protection ID 44583292 Sep 21 '11 at 16:01
  • @whuber: Please please please stop being concerned with things we don't VISUALLY number for delivery/direction purposes. Restrict your suggestions to things that, when we look at them, we see an actual number stuck to them. – Witness Protection ID 44583292 Sep 21 '11 at 16:06
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    I'll have to make this a comment instead of an answer, since the overzealous police have already closed what I consider a good question: parking spots (garages, airports, rental lots, etc). I understand the desire to code address kinds in your database. You probably would have gotten a better understanding/appreciation of the question by posting in Stack Overflow or Database Admin. – joe snyder Sep 21 '11 at 16:31
  • @mike the cell phone towers have assigned addresses separate from the parcel they are on, but consistent with street numbering. – blord-castillo Sep 21 '11 at 23:00
  • Unfortunately Mike, in many asset management systems, street furniture does have an address, as do road works. A Street works notification can, and does, involve addressing. – Hairy Sep 22 '11 at 06:28
  • @Hairy: I don't think fixed assets like benches are typically visually (ie prominently) numbered for public purposes of directions/deliveries. After changing "outbuildings" to "misc structure", I think only airport gates and parking spots are probably worth adding to the list. In any case, it appears a single-character code will be sufficient to enumerate all the cases. – Witness Protection ID 44583292 Sep 28 '11 at 23:18
  • @Mike, I helped built both an Asset Management System, and Road works notification system, and I promise you, they all contained addresses. All stakeholders, internally, and externally, needed address data attached, in order they could route deliveries away from road works, adjust cycle networks, plan refurbishments on a logical basis. Sometimes, just because you don't think something should have an address, it actually does, and maybe it's a blinkered approach to think they don't. – Hairy Sep 29 '11 at 06:54

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QR Codes 'could' replace addresses (house numbers etc) http://delivr.com/qr-code-generator as they can can be applied to even down to equipment in a datacenter - all with location embedded. It is just how it is managed that is the barrier.

enter image description here

Mapperz
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    Isn't this just a means of encoding an address rather than a type of address or even a replacement thereof? Except if you're suggesting that URLs might replace addresses which is a bit far-fetched; – mkadunc Sep 20 '11 at 14:10
  • encodes location - that is not an address. only when geocoding location to match an address - location can be more useful that address as it is universally - US addresses do not make sense in the UK - this idea bridges that. – Mapperz Sep 20 '11 at 14:13
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    The information in the image you posted is 'some text' (without the quotes). My point is that the image itself is no different (for the purpose of this discussion) than the information it represents. If the QR codes were used to encode location, then they would probably contain a geo URI (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geo_URI), e.g. 'geo:48.1624233,17.1464180'. So you're basically saying that geoURIs 'could' replace addresses... – mkadunc Sep 20 '11 at 14:27