Integration of Building Footprints of Microsoft Building Footprints and OpenStreetMap

Abstract

Accurate and up-to-date information on buildings has numerous applications, but is crucial for emergency interventions in disasters; however, topographic maps are rarely updated. OpenStreetMap (OSM) offers high positional accuracy where data exists, but often incomplete coverage, while Microsoft Building Footprints (MBF) from 2022 (approximately 1.4 billion buildings, generated by AI from Bing Maps imagery collected between 2014 and 2024, under the ODbL licence) provides better coverage with lower accuracy. The cited authors propose merging these sources using the example of Coimbra and its surroundings in Portugal, comparing them with the 1:5000 topographic map from 2007. Where the footprints overlap, they retain the OSM data (better detail and positional accuracy) and add the remaining MBF footprints to OSM. The resulting dataset (MBF+OSM) shows a larger built-up area than both the topographic map and MBF alone, and is particularly useful in rural areas where OSM coverage is lacking. This approach improves the quality of building data in regions where topographic maps are unavailable and helps identify new buildings.