1.4 Open Street Map (OSM)

OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a collaborative project to create a free and editable geographic database of the world. The geodata underlying the maps is considered the primary output of the project. The creation and growth of OSM has been motivated by restrictions on use or availability of map data across much of the world. It is possible to download map data from the OpenStreetMap dataset in a number of ways. One convenient way is using the Geofabrik download server that extracts data from the OpenStreetMap project which are updated every day. Geofabrik is a consulting and software development firm specializing in OpenStreetMap services. The server allows the user to select the continent and country of interest to download the available OSM data.

In this guide OSM data is downloaded using the Geofabrik online server for extracting a vector layer of the city building footprints. To download OSM data from the Geofabrik online server click here.