Discover GHS-OBAT, the first global dataset linking 2.3 billion buildings to key attributes such as height, use, and age. A vital tool for understanding the built environment and planning more resilient cities.
The European Commission has launched GHS-OBAT, a pioneering database that enriches over 2.3 billion building footprints with key attributes such as height, construction epoch, functional use, and compactness. This large-scale integration of vector geometries (Overture Maps) and raster data from the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) marks a significant step forward in characterising the built environment at a global scale.
The methodology, based on zonal statistics and geospatial processing in Python, enables each building to be linked to thematic information derived from satellite imagery, offering a robust tool for urban studies, energy planning, risk management, and housing policy.
While the dataset has limitations inherent to remote sensing and spatial resolution, validation against cadastral sources such as EUBUCCO shows reasonable accuracy in attributes like height and functional use, especially for larger buildings.
GHS-OBAT stands out for its near-global coverage, scalable structure, and alignment with EU regulations on high-value datasets. In the context of energy transition and climate resilience, this initiative provides a homogeneous and open basis for comparative analysis of the built stock, supporting informed decision-making across multiple levels of governance.
GHS-OBAT: Global, open building attribute data reporting age, function, height and compactness at footprint level.pdf
English (2.78 MB - PDF)
