ISO 19160-1:2015

Overview - ISO 19160-1:2015 (Addressing - Part 1: Conceptual model)

ISO 19160-1:2015 defines a conceptual model for address information (the address model) and the terms/definitions that describe its concepts. Presented in UML, the model covers lifecycle, metadata, provenance, locale, and address aliases, and is intended as a common, implementation‑independent representation to enable interoperability and cross‑mapping between different address specifications. It provides a foundation for national or community‑specific address profiles and for converting address information between systems.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Conceptual model (UML): Core classes (Address, AddressComponent, AddressableObject, ReferenceObject, AddressSpecification) and their associations are described to provide a standardized data structure.
• Lifecycle and lifespan: Support for lifecycle attributes, version increments and unique identifiers to manage address changes over time.
• Provenance and metadata: Attributes for provenance and metadata to document source, quality and lineage of address data.
• Locale and internationalization: Locale attributes and recommendations to handle country‑ or culture‑specific addressing practices.
• Address aliases and alternatives: Mechanisms for alternative names/labels and alias types to support multiple naming conventions (e.g., native scripts, historic names, postal vs. navigational labels).
• Types and codelists: Defined types and codelists (e.g., AddressAliasType, AddressComponentType, AddressLifecycleStage) to standardize classification and status information.
• Conformance classes and requirements: Sections define conformance levels (Model - Core, Lifecycle, Provenance, Locale, Full conformance) and concrete requirements (classes, associations, attributes) that profiles can implement.
• Annexes and test suites: Normative abstract test suites and informative annexes (guidelines for profile development, sample profiles, lifecycle/alias examples, external class examples) support practical adoption and validation.

Practical applications

ISO 19160-1 supports interoperability and consistent handling of addresses across systems and use cases, including:

• Postal delivery and logistics
• Emergency response and public safety
• GIS, land administration and utility asset management
• Customer relationship management and e‑commerce
• In‑vehicle navigation and intelligent transport systems
• National addressing programs and address data governance

By providing a neutral conceptual model, ISO 19160-1 helps organizations map and transform address data between legacy formats, international templates, and local addressing schemes.

Who should use ISO 19160-1

• Standards developers and national mapping agencies creating address specifications or profiles
• GIS architects, data modelers and software developers working with address datasets
• Postal operators, local governments and emergency services planning addressing systems
• Data stewards and quality managers implementing address lifecycle, provenance and metadata practices

Related standards and resources

• ISO 19160 series (other parts planned or under development for good practices, quality management, postal templates and rendering)
• ISO/TC 211 Geographic information/Geomatics publications and normative references listed in the standard

Keywords: ISO 19160-1, addressing standard, conceptual model, address model, UML, address components, address lifecycle, provenance, address aliases, address profile, interoperability.