[](https://pypi.org/project/geodesk/) GeoDesk is a fast and storage-efficient geospatial database for OpenStreetMap data. Also available [for C++](https://github.com/clarisma/libgeodesk) and [for Java](http://www.github.com/clarisma/geodesk). > [!IMPORTANT] > For Version 2.0, you will need to build GOLs with [GOL Tool 2.0](https://github.com/clarisma/geodesk-gol). > > To read GOLs built with [GOL Tool 1.x](https://github.com/clarisma/gol-tool), use [Version 1.3.0](https://github.com/clarisma/geodesk-py/releases/tag/v1.3.0) of this toolkit. ## Why GeoDesk? - **Small storage footprint** — GeoDesk's GOL files are only 20% to 50% larger than the original OSM data in PBF format — that's less than a tenth of the storage consumed by a traditional SQL-based database. - **Fast queries** — typically 50 times faster than SQL. - **Fast to get started** — Converting `.osm.pbf` data to a GOL is 20 times faster than an import into an SQL database. Alternatively, download pre-made data tiles for just the regions you need and automatically assemble them into a GOL. - **Intuitive API** — No need for object-relational mapping; GeoDesk queries return Python objects. Quickly discover tags, way-nodes and relation members. Get a feature's geometry, measure its length/area. - **Proper handling of relations** — (Traditional geospatial databases deal with geometric shapes and require workarounds to support this unique and powerful aspect of OSM data.) - **Seamless integration with Shapely** for advanced geometric operations, such as buffer, union, simplify, convex and concave hulls, Voronoi diagrams, and much more. - **Modest hardware requirements** — If it can run 64-bit Python, it'll run GeoDesk. ## Get Started ### Requirements - Python 3.9 or above - [GOL Tool 2.0](https://github.com/clarisma/geodesk-gol) ### Download ``` pip install geodesk ``` ### Create a GOL Create a Geographic Object Library based on any `.osm.pbf` file, using the [GOL Tool](https://www.geodesk.com/download). For example: ``` gol build switzerland switzerland-latest.osm.pbf ``` ### Example Application Find all the pubs in Zurich (Switzerland) and print their names: ```python from geodesk import * # Open switzerland.gol features = Features("switzerland") # Get the feature that represents the area of the city of Zurich zurich = features("a[boundary=adminstrative][admin_level=8][name:en=Zurich]").one # Define a set that contains nodes and areas that are pubs pubs = features("na[amenity=pub]") # Iterate through the pubs that are contained in the area of Zurich # and print their names for pub in pubs.within(zurich): print(pub.name) ``` ### More Examples Find all movie theaters within 500 meters from a given point: ```python movieTheaters = features("na[amenity=cinema]").around( meters=500, lat=47.37, lon=8.54) ``` *Remember, OSM uses British English for its terminology.* Discover the bus routes that traverse a given street: ```python for route in street.parents("[route=bus]")): print(f"- {route.ref} from {route.from} to {route.to}") ``` Count the number of entrances of a building: ```python number_of_entrances = building.nodes("[entrance]").count ``` ## Documentation [GeoDesk Developer's Guide](https://docs.geodesk.com/python) ## Related Repositories - [geodesk](http://www.github.com/clarisma/geodesk) — GeoDesk for Java - [libgeodesk](https://github.com/clarisma/libgeodesk) — GeoDesk for C++ - [geodesk-gol](http://www.github.com/clarisma/geodesk-gol) — command-line utility for building, maintaining and querying GOL files - [gol-tool](http://www.github.com/clarisma/gol-tool) — legacy GOL Tool (supports GOL 1.0 files)