Openness and OSM compatibility of cantonal geodata

Simon Poole has compiled an overview of Swiss cantonal #opendata by #licence type: which “access authorisation level A” datasets are truly #open and which are compatible with #OpenStreetMap. Separately, a weekly-updated monitor tracks the openness and availability of all cantonal geodata on geodienste.ch.
Author

Ralph Straumann

Published

June 8, 2026

Simon Poole has compiled a brief overview of which cantonal geodata of “access authorisation level”1 “A” can be considered open and/or OSM compatible. Simon’s disclaimer:

In the following I’m using “open” in a hand wavy, “close enough” fashion (…), and not applying the strict definition as per the open defin[i]tion.

Simon’s overview does not include cadastral surveying2 data, as these are often subject to special rules and restrictions. By the way, some special terminology in Simon’s post that may not be obvious to everybody:

Out of 26 cantons, Simon classifies the “A” level data of 12 as OSM3 compatible, 9 as not OSM compatible, and 5 as unclear:

Different, but somewhat related: This page4 analyses the openness and general availability of all cantonal geodata available through geodienste.ch, the portal by KGK-CGC5 that provides access to both geospatial data and services. The monitor is updated weekly on Monday.

Footnotes

  1. In German: Zugangsberechtigungsstufe, in French: Niveau d’autorisation d’accès.↩︎

  2. In German: Amtliche Vermessung (AV), in French: Mensuration Officielle (MO).↩︎

  3. OpenStreetMap, a collaborative, open-licensed map of the world.↩︎

  4. Transparency note: I have built and maintain the geodienste.ch monitor.↩︎

  5. The Conference of the Cantonal Geoinformation and Cadastral Offices in Switzerland.↩︎