This document discusses problems with how polygons are represented in OpenStreetMap and proposes a new area datatype to address these issues. Specifically, it notes that there are currently multiple ways to define polygons that make them difficult to understand, edit, and use. The proposed area datatype would provide a single representation for polygons and make them easier to validate and work with programmatically. It outlines high-level considerations for what such a datatype might look like and how existing polygon data could be migrated to the new format.