evaluate Global Building Atlas for additional building geometries and heights

[danabauer]

Discussed in https://github.com/orgs/OvertureMaps/discussions/437

^{Originally posted by pratiman-91 November 3, 2025}
https://mediatum.ub.tum.de/1782307

This data is available as CC 4.0. Maybe incorporated to fill the gaps in building and height?

[johnphilippowell]

I've already had a quick look at this and think there is great benefit in using it to fill in gaps in building coverage and height. Happy to be part of the discussion and help out on this.

[aidannewsome]

johnphilippowell has there been some progress made on this? It would improve the dataset durastically if suddenly everything that never had a height value had one. I think the key is to potentially store it as a seperate key/value from anything using OSM as its primary data source. The reason is that a lot of the OSM 3D buildings height values are incredibily specific as their used to create 3D buildings.

For example, I'm using the Overture data for buildings and building_parts to help me make architectural site models. This church in Strasbourg has been created with basically height, roof_height, roof_shape, min_height, min_floor and the relationship between them. If sudddently the height changed on a part but the min_height didn't also and so on, then the model will break.

However, all those buildings in the background would greatly benefit from a height value because they don't already have one. Just curious what your approach is and when you think the data will be integrated as my project would greatly benefit from it.

[johnphilippowell]

Nothing whatsoever. I believe there are licensing issues with the height data, as it uses some commercial EO data in it's derivation.

[aidannewsome]

Nothing whatsoever. I believe there are licensing issues with the height data, as it uses some commercial EO data in it's derivation.

Yes, you're right. I discovered this myself after posting as well. That's too bad.