> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.os.uk/more-than-maps/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.os.uk/more-than-maps/data-demonstrators/topography-demonstrators/os-mastermap-r-demonstrators/os-mastermap-greenspace-layer-and-os-open-greenspace.md). # OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer and OS Open Greenspace A Lightning Talk {% hint style="warning" %} #### Product nearing its End of Life (withdrawal) date The OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer product will become End of Life on 31 March 2027. As of this date, Ordnance Survey will cease to maintain or publish updates to the product, and access to the product will be removed from the OS Data Hub, OS Features API and OS Vector Tile API. Further information and details about the recommended product migration pathway are available on the [End of Life Notice – OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer page](broken://pages/7H8srPpKC7uedbUHN8ly#whats-the-product-migration-path). {% endhint %} Ordnance Survey publish two greenspace products to provide digital representations of Great Britain's accessible and non-accessible green spaces in urban areas. OS Open Greenspace *(Opensource)* and OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer *(Premium)* offer differing levels of generalisation and are suited to different applications. ## OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer™

Diagram showing the OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer in the context of the OS MasterMap family of products. It shows the product family including Topography Layer, Water Network, Sites Layer, Greenspace Layer and Highways Network — OS MasterMap family of products structure

The OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer provides a comprehensive view of urban greenspaces and is part of the OS MasterMap family of products. It includes a vector feature layer with polygons, each representing an urban green space. ### How is the product created? The dataset is directly derived from a sub-set of areas published in OS MasterMap Topography Layer, with additional attribution including the function of the greenspace *(i.e. Playing Field, Private Garden, School Grounds)*. The sub-set of areas are determined by the Topography Layer attribution itself, and from green space-relevant Topographic Sites. It therefore retains the TOID attribute, version number, detailed features, and positional accuracy from OS MasterMap Topography Layer, making the product suitable for analyses which incorporate other OS MasterMap products. ### What does it include? The OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer contains one feature type: *GreenspaceArea.* This includes a combination of publicly accessible and private green spaces, sports facilities, and natural environment features to provide a comprehensive view of spaces that are important for applications such as environmental management, health, planning or habitat mappings. Green spaces for all major urban areas in Great Britain (GB) are available in the *GreenspaceArea* feature type.

Image of OS MasterMap Greenspace polygons in Exeter, which appear as green polygons on a pale coloured basemap — OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer Areas

### Attribution {% tabs %} {% tab title="Function Attribute" %} All Greenspace Areas have a primary **function** derived from the OS MasterMap Topography Layer. There are 18 functions depicted by OS MasterMap Greenspace layer - these will be explored in more detail later.

Image of OS MasterMap Greenspace polygons, colour coded by primary function with a legend on the right describing the available functions. Examples include Allotments of Community Growing, Playing Field and Public Park or Garden — Functions of OS MasterMap Greenspace Areas

Where appropriate, greenspace areas also have a secondary function. Where an area has multiple functions there is a [defined function hierarchy](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/products/land-and-terrain-portfolio/os-mastermap-greenspace-layer/os-mastermap-greenspace-layer-technical-specification/function-hierarchy) to determine which becomes the primary and secondary function.

Attribution table for OS MasterMap Greenspace demonstrating primaryFunction and secondaryFunction. It shows attributes for ID, version, primary function, secondary function, primary form, secondary form and geometry, and how these attribute names differ between formats — Attribution on OS MasterMap Greenspace Areas

Please note the naming of attributes differs between the various formats. This is due to the differing naming conventions associated with each format (for example, presence of underscores, character limitations and capitalisation). Depending on which format you select when downloading the data, you will only see one attribute column and the associated value column in your data. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Form Attribute" %} Where applicable greenspace sites contain information on their **form** - derived from the land cover classification of the site. There are 6 forms depicted in the OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer. Similarly to function, where multiple forms exist there is a [defined hierarchy](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/products/land-and-terrain-portfolio/os-mastermap-greenspace-layer/os-mastermap-greenspace-layer-technical-specification/form-hierarchy) to determine primary and secondary.

Codelist for form attribute in OS MasterMap Greenspace layer, showing definitions for Woodland, Open Semi-Natural, Inland Water, Beach or Foreshore, Manmade Surface and Multi-Surface — OS MasterMap Greenspace Areas Form codelist

{% endtab %} {% endtabs %} ### **How can I access OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer?** This is a premium product and can be accessed through the [OS DataHub](https://osdatahub.os.uk/). If you are a member of the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA), the data is freely accessible to you. If you are not a member of the PSGA this product can be accessed via our Partners. ## OS Open Greenspace™ OS Open Greenspace is our opensource alternative to the Premium OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer. It provides Britain's most comprehensive open dataset of green spaces which are *likely* to be accessible to the public. The primary purpose of OS Open Greenspace is to enable members of the public to find and access nearby greenspaces for exercise and recreation, such as parks and sports facilities. In most instances, where data is available, OS Open Greenspace also includes access points to show where and how these sites can be accessed. ### How is the product created? OS Open Greenspace is a generalised product which has been automatically generated and generalised from Ordnance Survey large-scale data. ### What does it include? OS Open Green space has two feature types: *Greenspace Site* and *Access Point.* {% tabs %} {% tab title="Greenspace Site" %}

Image of OS Open Greenspace site polygons in Exeter, which appear as green polygons on a pale coloured basemap — Greenspace Site feature type

A generalised polygon defining the extent of greenspaces, such as parks and sports facilities that are likely to be open for use by members of the public. *Note that the presence of a site in this product does not indicate that the site is guaranteed to be open to the public or free to access without a fee.* The sites also feature up to four attributes related to their names. Where available, local names or language alternatives will be provided.

Attribution table for OS MasterMap Greenspace demonstrating distinctiveName attributes. It shows attributes for ID, function, distinctive name 1, 2, 3 and 4, and geometry, and how these attribute names differ between formats

As with the OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer, the casing of attribute headers differs slightly between formats. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Access Point" %}

Image of an OS Open Greenspace site polygon with access points. The site appears as a green polygon on a pale basemap. Access points appear as blue point features around the edge of the green polygon representing points where access is possible in the real world. — Access Point feature type

OS Open Greenspace also includes a corresponding Access Point feature layer. These points show the locations that can be used to access the site. This point also indicates the kind of access possible at this location. The three types of access described in this layer are: * *Motor Vehicle* * *Motor Vehicle and Pedestrian* * *Pedestrian* Access Point attribution also includes a unique identifier, a reference to the greenspace it permits access to, and the geometry of the point.

Again, the casing of attribute headers differs slightly between formats. {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} ### **How can I access OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer?** You can access this data for **free** as an OS OpenData download from the [OS DataHub](https://osdatahub.os.uk/downloads/open). ## Comparison between OS MasterMap Greenspace and OS Open Greenspace {% tabs %} {% tab title="OS Open Greenspace" %}

Image of OS Open Greenspace site polygons in Exeter, which appear as green polygons on a pale coloured basemap. Access points appear as blue point features around the edge of the green polygons representing points where access is possible in the real world. — OS Open Greenspace

{% endtab %} {% tab title="OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer" %}

Image of OS MasterMap Greenspace site polygons in Exeter, which appear as green polygons on a pale coloured basemap. Compared to the open product, the polygons are much more detailed. — OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer

{% endtab %} {% endtabs %} While OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer and OS Open Greenspace represent features of a similar theme, there are significant differences between the two products. Three important distinctions are: 1. The level of **generalisation** of greenspace features. 2. The **attribution** available for each greenspace polygon. 3. The **number of functions** represented by the greenspace feature type. ### Generalisation OS Open Greenspace is a generalised representation of greenspace features. The generalisation aims to reduce the complexity of the data whilst maintaining each feature's key elements and characteristics. An example of the generalisation can be seen below in the representation of a *Public Park or Garden* in OS Open Greenspace and OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer. {% tabs %} {% tab title="OS Open Greenspace" %}

Image of an OS Open Greenspace site depicting Rougemont Gardens, Exeter. It appears as a roughly crescent shaped green polygon on a pale basemap. — Rougemont Gardens, Exeter as shown in OS Open Greenspace

OS Open Greenspace represents an entire green space *site* as a single polygon, providing a single generalised view of public greenspaces. For example Hyde Park is represented as a single polygon in the open greenspace data. This generalisation can be seen here in the example of Rougemont Gardens, Exeter. This is particularly useful for identifying nearby or individual named and defined greenspace areas. {% endtab %} {% tab title="OS MasterMap Greenspace" %}

Image of an OS MasterMap Greenspace site depicting Rougemont Gardens, Exeter. It appears as a series of green polygons in a roughly crescent shape on a pale basemap. Compared to the open data, it has more detail e.g. more detailed shape, more polygons, and showing where paths and buildings exist within the site. — Rougemont Gardens, Exeter as shown in OS MasterMap Greenspace

In contrast to this, OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer represents each individual *area* of a greenspace site separately. Consequently, it excludes certain features within the greenspace such as buildings and footpaths. This is useful for analytical use cases including calculations of the area of green space within a location. {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} ### Attribution There are also differences in the attribution associated with greenspaces, which make each product suitable for different use cases. In this example, we can see the differences in attribution for a sports facility for OS Open Greenspace and OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer.

Attribution for a Sports Facility in OS MasterMap Greenspace, including ID, function and names — Attribution for a Sports Facility in OS Open Greenspace

Attribution for a Sports Facility in OS MasterMap Greenspace, including ID, version, primary function, secondary function, primary form and secondary form — Attribution for a Sports Facility in OS MasterMap Greenspace

OS Open Greenspace provides information about the name of the associated sports facility, again making it most useful for identifying specific green areas. Alternatively, OS MasterMap Topography Layer provides the form of the facility and is represented by a number of greenspace area polygons. This is perhaps more useful for analytical purposes for example, calculating areas of greenspace of certain surface types ### Number of functions OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer represents 8 additional functions that are not represented in OS Open Greenspace. These are greenspace areas that are not expected to be accessible to the general public. An important note about function comparisons between OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer and OS Open Greenspace is that the methods of derivation are different and rely on different data sources. Therefore there may be instances where a certain feature may appear in one of the products but not in the other.

Table showing which functions appear in OS Open Greenspace, OS MasterMap Greenspace and both. The eight functions which do not appear in Open data are "Amenity - Residential or Business", "Amenity - Transport", "Land Use Changing", "Camping or Caravan Site", "Institutional Grounds", "Natural", "Private Garden" and "School Grounds"

### Interoperability For some applications, it is anticipated that these products may be used together. To support these applications a lookup table is provided to customers taking full GB supply of OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer. The attribute table is provided as a csv, listing the OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer TOID and the OS Open Greenspace ID for a polygon which intersects with the relevant TOID. ## Greenspace Functions

Allotments or Community Growing Spaces

Areas of land for growing fruit, vegetables, and other plants, either in individual allotments or as a community activity. Produce is for the growers own consumption and not primarily for commercial activity.

An allotment site as shown in OS Open Greenspace. It appears as a roughly rectangular green polygon on a pale basemap. — An allotment site in OS Open Greenspace

A collection of allotment areas as shown in OS MasterMap Greenspace. They appear as a series of green polygons in a roughly rectangular shape on a pale basemap. Compared to the open data, there is more detail and individual areas of green space, broken up by paths and buildings, are shown. — Allotment areas in OS MasterMap Greenspace

Amenity - Residential or Business

Landscaped areas providing visual amenity or separating different buildings or land uses for environmental, visual or safety reasons. Where the area is better described by another category this will be used in preference (e.g. playing field, public park, play space). An example would be a shared green within a residential area. *Note that this function is in the OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer Only*

Amenity - Transport

Landscaped areas providing visual amenity or separating different buildings or land uses for environmental, visual or safety reasons when related to a transport function, such as a road, or within a transport hub. A example of a transport amenity greenspace is the grassy centre of a roundabout or verges alongside a road. *Note that this function is in the OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer Only.*

Bowling Green

A specially prepared area intended for playing bowls.

A collection of bowling green areas as shown in OS MasterMap Greenspace. They appear as a series of green polygons in a roughly rectangular shape on a pale basemap. Compared to the open data, there is more detail and individual areas of green space, broken up by paths and buildings, are shown. — Bowling Green areas in OS MasterMap Greenspace

Camping Or Caravan Park

An organised area of ground designated for tents or caravans, intended for temporary occupation by holidaymakers. *Note that this function is in the OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer Only.*

Cemetery

Areas of land associated with burial areas or crematoriums.

A collection of cemetery areas as shown in OS MasterMap Greenspace. They appear as a series of green polygons on a pale basemap. Compared to the open data, there is more detail and individual areas of green space, broken up by paths and buildings, are shown. — Cemetery areas in OS MasterMap Greenspace

Golf Course

A large area of land that is specially prepared for playing golf.

A collection of golf course areas as shown in OS MasterMap Greenspace. They appear as a series of green polygons on a pale basemap. Compared to the open data, there is more detail e.g. more detailed shape, more polygons, and showing where paths and buildings exist within the site. — Golf course areas in OS MasterMap Greenspace

Institutional Grounds

Areas of land normally enclosed and associated with institutions. Grounds may be reserved for private use or have restricted access. Includes Universities, Hospitals, Nursing homes, Emergency Services, Prisons, Military Sites, Government and Community Buildings providing public services, Libraries, Museums, Zoos and Theatres. This example represents the grounds of the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. *Note that this function is in the OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer Only.*

Land Use Changing

Areas of land that are currently under development or awaiting redevelopment. This example represents a site side awaiting redevelopment. *Note that this function is in the OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer Only.*

Natural

Land use areas with no other function but with Form attribute of woodland, open semi-natural, open water, beach or foreshore. This example represents areas with forms of inland water (a brook) and an area of open semi-natural woodland. *Note that this function is in the OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer Only.*

Other Sports Facility

Land used for other sports not specifically described by other categories. Includes facilities for sports spectating (for example, stadiums) as well as participation.

A collection of Other Sports Facility areas as shown in OS MasterMap Greenspace. They appear as a series of green polygons on a pale basemap. Compared to the open data, there is more detail e.g. more detailed shape, more polygons, and showing where paths and buildings exist within the site. — Other Sports Facility areas in OS MasterMap Greenspace

Play Space

Areas providing safe and accessible opportunities for children’s play, usually linked to housing areas or parks and containing purpose built equipment. If a play space is within a school or paid-for tourist attraction it will not be represented in this product.

A collection of play space areas as shown in OS MasterMap Greenspace. They appear as a series of green polygons in a roughly rectangular shape on a pale basemap. Compared to the open data, there is more detail and individual areas of green space, broken up by paths and buildings, are shown. — Play Space areas in OS MasterMap Greenspace

Playing Field

Large, flat areas of grass or specially designed surfaces, generally with marked pitches, used primarily for outdoor sports, i.e. football, rugby, cricket.

A collection of playing field areas as shown in OS MasterMap Greenspace. They appear as a series of green polygons on a pale basemap. Compared to the open data, there is more detail and individual areas of green space, broken up by paths and buildings, are shown. — Playing Field areas in OS MasterMap Greenspace

Private Garden

Areas of land normally enclosed and associated with private residences and reserved for private use. *Note that this function is in the OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer Only.*

A collection of private gardgen areas, as shown in OS MasterMap Greenspace. They appear as a collection of green polygons on a pale basemap. — Private Garden areas in OS MasterMap Greenspace

Public Park Or Garden

Areas of land normally enclosed, designed, constructed, managed and maintained as a public park or garden. These normally have a defined perimeter and free public access, and generally sit within or adjacent to urban areas. Access is granted for a wide range of uses and not usually restricted to paths or tracks within the area. Features may include areas with managed facilities such as benches and flowerbeds, and more natural areas.

A collection of public park or garden areas as shown in OS MasterMap Greenspace. They appear as a series of green polygons on a pale basemap. Compared to the open data, there is more detail and individual areas of green space, broken up by paths and buildings, are shown. — Public Park or Garden areas in OS MasterMap Greenspace

Religious Grounds

Areas of land associated with churches and other places of worship. Here the green space surrounding Exeter Cathedral is represented in both OS Open Greenspace and OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer. Our open data offering represents the entire religious site, including Cathedral, as a generalised polygon. Our premium product provides a more detailed view of the grounds, excluding the Cathedral itself, and including the footpaths that divide the green spaces.

A collection of religious grounds areas, representing Exeter Cathedral, as shown in OS MasterMap Greenspace. They appear as a series of green polygons on a pale basemap. Compared to the open data, there is more detail and individual areas of green space, broken up by paths and buildings, are shown. — Religious Grounds areas, representing Exeter Cathedral, in OS MasterMap Greenspace

School Grounds

Areas of land normally enclosed and associated with a school and primarily reserved for their use. Whilst not in OS Open greenspace, a generalised representation of school sites is available in OS MasterMap Sites Layer, OS Open Zoomstack, and OS OpenMap Local. *Note that this function is in the OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer Only.*

A collection of religious grounds areas, as shown in OS MasterMap Greenspace. They appear as a collection of green polygons on a pale basemap. — Schools Grounds areas in OS MasterMap Greenspace

Tennis Court

A specially prepared area intended for playing tennis.

A collection of tennis court areas as shown in OS MasterMap Greenspace. They appear as a series of green polygons on a pale basemap. Compared to the open data, there is more detail and individual areas of green space, broken up by paths and buildings, are shown. — Tennis Court areas in OS MasterMap Greenspace

## Use Cases The two OS Greenspace products cater to a wide range of use cases: * Providing detailed data to support audit policy, planning, environmental planning, and research * Analysing air quality and use of amenities * Investigating access to private and open greenspaces in urban areas * Managing and planning green spaces efficiently * Encouraging activity for all, improving mental and physical health * Allowing local residents to find new nearby greenspaces and information on how they can be accessed Click the link below to discover how OS Open Greenspace can be used in conjunction with other OS Products to identify accessibility to green spaces. [Accessibility to green spaces: Quantifying the accessibility to greenspace for the most deprived areas of England](https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/1695fc8584b44e5f9baf98c9c3d85ae4) For more OS Data use cases, visit our [ Data In Action ](https://docs.os.uk/more-than-maps/data-in-action/examples) section of the More than Maps site. ## How are these products supplied? This data is available as full supply only (not as a Change Only Update - COU) and can be accessed via the [ OS DataHub ](https://osdatahub.os.uk/). Both products are published bi-annually in April and October. Both OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer and OS Open Greenspace are supplied in four geospatial formats for full GB coverage, two of which are also available for Area of Interest (AOI) orders. **GB and AOI:** GML 3.2.1 ESRI Shapefile **GB only:** GeoPackage Vector tiles (MBTiles) A custom AOI can be selected when using GML and Shapefile supply formats. These will be provided as 5km-by-5km tiles of data for the **OS MasterMap Greenspace Layer** and as 10km-by-10km tiles corresponding to OS grid references for **OS Open Greenspace**. GeoPackage and Vector tile formats are supplied with only GB coverage. ## Supporting Documents * **Overview:** [ OS MasterMap Topography Layer ](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/topography/os-mastermap-topography-layer/os-mastermap-topography-layer-overview) | [ OS Open Greenspace ](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/topography/os-open-greenspace/os-open-greenspace-overview). The overview introduces the product and gives context for all users. It highlights key features, provides examples of potential uses for the product and lists details like file sizes, supply formats, etc. * **Getting started guide:** [ OS MasterMap Topography Layer ](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/topography/os-mastermap-topography-layer/os-mastermap-topography-layer-getting-started-guide) | [ OS Open Greenspace ](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/topography/os-open-greenspace/os-open-greenspace-getting-started-guide). The getting started guide provides instructions for using the product in different software applications. Users with limited technical knowledge will be able to follow this guide. * **Technical Specification:** [ OS MasterMap Topography Layer ](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/topography/os-mastermap-topography-layer/os-mastermap-topography-layer-technical-specification) | [ OS Open Greenspace ](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/topography/os-open-greenspace/os-open-greenspace-technical-specification). The technical specification provides detailed technical information about the product. It is targeted at technical users and software developers. *** Links that may be useful: {% embed url="" %} {% embed url="" %} --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.os.uk/more-than-maps/data-demonstrators/topography-demonstrators/os-mastermap-r-demonstrators/os-mastermap-greenspace-layer-and-os-open-greenspace.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.