The relationship between municipalities and populated places in the United States is often not obvious, especially in New England due to the naming of their local governments. Naming them towns has blurred the distinction of populated places and municipal governments, when in reality, a clear distinction can be made between the two.

First, let’s look at the things almost everyone should agree with. Nodes tagged with a “place” tag can be referred to as “populated places”, or named concentrations of people. The GNIS definition of a populated place says it best: “Place or area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population (city, settlement, town, village). A populated place is usually not incorporated and by definition has no legal boundaries. However, a populated place may [correspond with a] “civil” [entity], the legal boundaries of which may or may not coincide with the perceived populated place. Distinct from Census [places] and Civil [entities].” In other words, nodes with a place tag refer to a human settlement, NOT to a municipality. They are the places one might see on a green direction sign while on the road. The exception to this is if the municipal boundary corresponds to the extent of the populated place, which is the norm in most states.

However, in New England, town boundaries are usually formed out of straight lines and rivers, not with the intention of delineating the boundary of a populated place. Therefore, even if a town shares a name with a populated place within its borders, the populated place will not always fill the entire municipality, leaving room for other populated places to fill the rural areas. Some municipalities even lack a populated place with the same name as it. This leads to there being no 1:1 correspondence between municipalities and populated places in New England.

Before we explore some real-world examples, I would like to categorize each scenario. The possible cases for a municipality are: 1. A municipal boundary corresponds directly to a populated place’s boundary (most common in urbanized areas); 2. A municipality contains a populated place with the same name, but that place is not coterminous with the municipality; 3. A municipality does not contain a populated place with the same name. 4. A populated place is not within a municipality of the same name.

An example of scenario 1 is Nashua, New Hampshire. Nashua is the second-most populous city in New Hampshire, and it has grown to fill the entirety of its city limits, houses filling every corner of the city. Another example of scenario 1 is Woonsocket, Rhode Island, an important city of the state. Unlike many municipalities in New England, Woonsocket’s boundaries appear to have been drawn around the physical limits of the populated place. In the case of Nashua and Woonsocket, they should be tagged as place=city due to their regional significance; however, smaller category 1 places should be tagged as such. Any other populated place within the municipality should be a place=suburb/quarter/neighborhood.

An example of scenario 2 is the Town of Voluntown, Connecticut. Voluntown does happen to correspond to a populated place located in the west of the Town. However, it makes up only a small section of the municipality. Another example of scenario 2 is Lincoln, Vermont. The populated place of Lincoln is tiny and centered around a Methodist church near the geographical center of the town. The populated place of Lincoln is also represented by a census-designated place of the same name. Much of the town is rural wilderness, putting it soundly in category 2. Each populated place within the town should be tagged as place=town/village/hamlet, depending on the significance and available amenities.

An example of scenario 3 is Griswold, Connecticut. There are a few populated places within the Town of Griswold, including Glasgo, Hopeville, and Pachaug, but none are actually called Griswold. Their town hall is located within the Borough of Jewett City, a category 1 place. Griswold should not receive a place node since there are no populated places known as Griswold. The municipal boundary shall suffice.

One example of scenario 4 is Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. Shelburne Falls is a village within the Town of Shelburne. Shelburne Falls is unique in that it is much larger than the Town’s center. However, this does not distinguish it from other category 4 populated places. It should still be tagged as place=village (due to its size), not as a suburb or a neighborhood. It is a distinct community from the tiny hamlet of Shelburne. Another example is Shin Pond, Maine, located in the Town of Mount Chase. Shin Pond, a community distinct from the Mount Chase populated place, should be mapped as a place=village or place=hamlet.

In summary, not every New England town corresponds 1:1 with a populated place. Just like other states, the populated places of New England are not dispersed perfectly evenly; some variation can be seen. Therefore, we should conform our tagging schemes to how our communities developed naturally, not by how they are governed. And most of all, we should not fabricate populated places on the map.