OvertureMaps · jwass · Feb 4, 2026 · Feb 4, 2026 · Feb 4, 2026
diff --git a/counterexamples/places/bad-address-invalid-property.yaml b/counterexamples/places/bad-address-invalid-property.yaml
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ properties:
   version: 0
   names:
     primary: Fancy POI with invalid address property (region2)
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   addresses:
     - freeform: "770 Broadway, Floor 8"
       locality: "New York"

diff --git a/counterexamples/places/bad-categories-missing-primary.yaml b/counterexamples/places/bad-categories-missing-primary.yaml
diff --git a/counterexamples/places/bad-categories-value.yaml b/counterexamples/places/bad-categories-value.yaml
diff --git a/counterexamples/places/bad-empty-emails.yaml b/counterexamples/places/bad-empty-emails.yaml
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ geometry:
   type: Point
   coordinates: [0, 0]
 properties:
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   confidence: 0.9
   websites:
     - https://www.example.com

diff --git a/counterexamples/places/bad-empty-phones.yaml b/counterexamples/places/bad-empty-phones.yaml
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ geometry:
   type: Point
   coordinates: [0, 0]
 properties:
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   confidence: 0.9
   websites:
     - https://www.example.com

diff --git a/counterexamples/places/bad-empty-socials.yaml b/counterexamples/places/bad-empty-socials.yaml
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ geometry:
   type: Point
   coordinates: [0, 0]
 properties:
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   confidence: 0.9
   websites:
     - https://www.example.com

diff --git a/counterexamples/places/bad-empty-websites.yaml b/counterexamples/places/bad-empty-websites.yaml
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ geometry:
   type: Point
   coordinates: [0, 0]
 properties:
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   confidence: 0.9
   websites: []
   emails:

diff --git a/counterexamples/places/bad-geometry.yaml b/counterexamples/places/bad-geometry.yaml
@@ -8,5 +8,3 @@ properties:
   theme: places
   type: place
   version: 0
-  categories:
-    primary: a_category
diff --git a/counterexamples/places/bad-operating-status.yaml b/counterexamples/places/bad-operating-status.yaml
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ geometry:
   type: Point
   coordinates: [0, 0]
 properties:
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   confidence: 0.9
     - https://www.example.com/
   emails:

diff --git a/examples/common/timestamp/timestamp-utc.yaml b/examples/common/timestamp/timestamp-utc.yaml
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ geometry:
   type: Point
   coordinates: [0, 0]
 properties:
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   theme: places
   type: place
   version: 1

diff --git a/examples/places/place-alternate-categories.yaml b/examples/places/place-alternate-categories.yaml
@@ -5,10 +5,6 @@ geometry:
   type: Point
   coordinates: [0, 0]
 properties:
-  categories:
-    primary: the1_category_you_want_first
-    alternate:
-      - another_category
   confidence: 0.9
   websites:
     - https://www.example.com

diff --git a/examples/places/place-no-emails-phones-socials-websites.yaml b/examples/places/place-no-emails-phones-socials-websites.yaml
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ geometry:
   type: Point
   coordinates: [0, 0]
 properties:
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   confidence: 0.9
   brand:
     names:

diff --git a/examples/places/place-with-basic-category.yaml b/examples/places/place-with-basic-category.yaml
@@ -6,10 +6,6 @@ geometry:
   coordinates: [0, 0]
 properties:
   basic_category: casual_eatery
-  categories:
-    primary: gas_station_sushi
-    alternate:
-      - just_for_fun
   confidence: 0.9
   websites:
     - https://www.example.com

diff --git a/examples/places/place-with-operating-status.yaml b/examples/places/place-with-operating-status.yaml
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ geometry:
   type: Point
   coordinates: [0, 0]
 properties:
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   confidence: 0.9
   websites:
     - https://www.example.com/

diff --git a/examples/places/place-with-taxonomy.yaml b/examples/places/place-with-taxonomy.yaml
@@ -16,11 +16,6 @@ properties:
     alternates:
       - gas_station
       - sushi_restaurant
-  categories:
-    primary: gas_station_sushi
-    alternate:
-      - gas_station
-      - sushi_restaurant
   confidence: 0.85
   websites:
     - https://www.buckysgas.example.com

diff --git a/examples/places/place.yaml b/examples/places/place.yaml
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ geometry:
   type: Point
   coordinates: [0, 0]
 properties:
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   confidence: 0.9
   websites:
     - https://www.example.com

diff --git a/examples/places/place2.yaml b/examples/places/place2.yaml
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@ properties:
     names:
       primary: Example
     wikidata: Q1000
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   emails:
     - info@example.com
   phones:

diff --git a/packages/overture-schema-cli/tests/test_heterogeneous_collections.py b/packages/overture-schema-cli/tests/test_heterogeneous_collections.py
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ def heterogeneous_collection_json() -> str:
         geometry_type="Point",
         coordinates=[0.5, 0.5],
         operating_status="open",
-        categories={"primary": "restaurant"},
         names={"primary": "Valid Place"},
     )
     return json.dumps([building, place])
@@ -55,7 +54,6 @@ def heterogeneous_with_missing_fields_json() -> str:
         type="place",
         geometry_type="Point",
         coordinates=[6.5, 6.5],
-        categories={"primary": "restaurant"},
         names={"primary": "Place missing required field"},
     )
     return json.dumps([building1, building2, building3, place])

diff --git a/packages/overture-schema-places-theme/src/overture/schema/places/__init__.py b/packages/overture-schema-places-theme/src/overture/schema/places/__init__.py
@@ -6,6 +6,6 @@
 
 __path__ = __import__("pkgutil").extend_path(__path__, __name__)
 
-from .place import Address, Brand, Categories, OperatingStatus, Place
+from .place import Address, Brand, OperatingStatus, Place
 
-__all__ = ["Address", "Brand", "Categories", "OperatingStatus", "Place"]
+__all__ = ["Address", "Brand", "OperatingStatus", "Place"]
diff --git a/packages/overture-schema-places-theme/src/overture/schema/places/place.py b/packages/overture-schema-places-theme/src/overture/schema/places/place.py
@@ -51,37 +51,6 @@ class OperatingStatus(str, Enum):
     TEMPORARILY_CLOSED = "temporarily_closed"
 
 
-@no_extra_fields
-class Categories(BaseModel):
-    """
-    Categories a place belongs to.
-
-    Complete list is available on GitHub: https://github.com/OvertureMaps/schema/blob/main/docs/schema/concepts/by-theme/places/overture_categories.csv
-    """
-
-    # Required
-
-    primary: Annotated[
-        SnakeCaseString,
-        Field(description="The primary or main category of the place."),
-    ]
-
-    # Optional
-
-    alternate: Annotated[
-        list[SnakeCaseString] | None,
-        Field(
-            description=textwrap.dedent("""
-                Alternate categories of the place.
-
-                Some places might fit into two categories, e.g., a book store and a coffee shop. In
-                these cases, the primary category can be augmented with additional categories.
-            """).strip(),
-        ),
-        UniqueItemsConstraint(),
-    ] = None
-
-
 @no_extra_fields
 class Taxonomy(BaseModel):
     """
@@ -225,7 +194,6 @@ class Place(OvertureFeature[Literal["places"], Literal["place"]], Named):
 
     # Optional
 
-    categories: Categories | None = None
     basic_category: Annotated[
         SnakeCaseString | None,
         Field(

diff --git a/packages/overture-schema-places-theme/tests/place_baseline_schema.json b/packages/overture-schema-places-theme/tests/place_baseline_schema.json
@@ -56,34 +56,6 @@
       "title": "Brand",
       "type": "object"
     },
-    "Categories": {
-      "additionalProperties": false,
-      "description": "Categories a place belongs to.\n\nComplete list is available on GitHub: https://github.com/OvertureMaps/schema/blob/main/docs/schema/concepts/by-theme/places/overture_categories.csv",
-      "properties": {
-        "alternate": {
-          "description": "Alternate categories of the place.\n\nSome places might fit into two categories, e.g., a book store and a coffee shop. In\nthese cases, the primary category can be augmented with additional categories.",
-          "items": {
-            "description": "Category in snake_case format",
-            "pattern": "^[a-z0-9]+(_[a-z0-9]+)*$",
-            "type": "string"
-          },
-          "title": "Alternate",
-          "type": "array",
-          "uniqueItems": true
-        },
-        "primary": {
-          "description": "The primary or main category of the place.",
-          "pattern": "^[a-z0-9]+(_[a-z0-9]+)*$",
-          "title": "Primary",
-          "type": "string"
-        }
-      },
-      "required": [
-        "primary"
-      ],
-      "title": "Categories",
-      "type": "object"
-    },
     "NameRule": {
       "additionalProperties": false,
       "description": "A rule that can be evaluated to determine the name in advanced scenarios.\n\nName rules are used for cases where the primary name is not sufficient; the common name is not\nthe right fit for the use case and another variant is needed; or where the name only applies in\ncertain specific circumstances.\n\nExamples might include:\n- An official, alternate, or short name.\n- A name that only applies to part of a linear path like a road segment (geometric range\n  scoping).\n- A name that only applies to the left or right side of a linear path like a road segment (side\n  scoping).\n- A name that is only accepted by some political perspectives.",
@@ -428,9 +400,6 @@
           "$ref": "#/$defs/Brand",
           "description": "The brand associated with the place."
         },
-        "categories": {
-          "$ref": "#/$defs/Categories"
-        },
         "confidence": {
           "description": "A score between 0 and 1 indicating how confident we are that the place exists.\n\nA confidence score of 0 indicates that we are certain the place doesn't exist\nanymore and will always be paired with an `operating_status` of\n`\"permanently_closed\"`.\n\nA confidence score of 1 indicates that we are certain the place does exist.\n\nIf there is no value for confidence, it means we don't have enough information on\nwhich to estimate our confidence level.",
           "maximum": 1.0,

diff --git a/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-address-invalid-property.yaml b/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-address-invalid-property.yaml
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@ properties:
   version: 0
   names:
     primary: Fancy POI with invalid address property (region2)
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   addresses:
     - freeform: "770 Broadway, Floor 8"
       locality: "New York"

diff --git a/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-categories-missing-primary.yaml b/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-categories-missing-primary.yaml
diff --git a/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-categories-value.yaml b/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-categories-value.yaml
diff --git a/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-empty-emails.yaml b/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-empty-emails.yaml
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ geometry:
   type: Point
   coordinates: [0, 0]
 properties:
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   confidence: 0.9
   websites:
     - https://www.example.com

diff --git a/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-empty-phones.yaml b/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-empty-phones.yaml
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ geometry:
   type: Point
   coordinates: [0, 0]
 properties:
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   confidence: 0.9
   websites:
     - https://www.example.com

diff --git a/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-empty-socials.yaml b/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-empty-socials.yaml
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ geometry:
   type: Point
   coordinates: [0, 0]
 properties:
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   confidence: 0.9
   websites:
     - https://www.example.com

diff --git a/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-empty-websites.yaml b/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-empty-websites.yaml
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ geometry:
   type: Point
   coordinates: [0, 0]
 properties:
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   confidence: 0.9
   websites: []
   emails:

diff --git a/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-geometry.yaml b/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-geometry.yaml
@@ -8,5 +8,3 @@ properties:
   theme: places
   type: place
   version: 0
-  categories:
-    primary: a_category
diff --git a/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-operating-status.yaml b/reference/counterexamples/places/bad-operating-status.yaml
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ geometry:
   type: Point
   coordinates: [0, 0]
 properties:
-  categories:
-    primary: some_category
   confidence: 0.9
     - https://www.example.com/
   emails: