Hugging Face's logo

Datasets:
EmbedEarth
/
tactile-paving

Modalities:
Geospatial
Tabular
Size:
1M<n<10M
Tags:
geospatial
open-data
tabular
computer-vision
accessibility
pedestrian-infrastructure
License:
Dataset card Files
xet
 Community
tactile-paving / README.md
paulwynter's picture
paulwynter
Improve dataset title for discoverability
7bc816f verified
preview code
|
Raw History Blame
7.93 kB
metadata 
tags:
  - geospatial
  - open-data
  - tabular
  - computer-vision
  - accessibility
  - pedestrian-infrastructure
  - tactile-paving
  - urban-planning
  - mapping
  - parquet
  - geojson
  - csv
  - openstreetmap
  - year-2025
libraries:
  - datasets
size_categories:
  - 1M<n<10M
license: odbl
pretty_name: Tactile Paving Dataset - Global Accessibility Infrastructure Data - EmbedEarth

Tactile Paving Dataset - Global Accessibility Infrastructure Data - EmbedEarth

This dataset maps tactile paving features from OpenStreetMap. Tactile paving uses patterned or textured surfaces that can be detected underfoot or with a mobility cane, helping people identify routes, platform edges, crossings, hazards, and changes in walking surfaces.

This release contains up to 1,100,000 geolocated records from 2025. The export is capped at 1.1 million records, so it should be understood as a large snapshot rather than a complete count of every mapped feature.

Prepared and distributed by EmbedEarth from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Search millions more geographic features

This Hugging Face release is one downloadable dataset from the broader EmbedEarth geographic index. EmbedEarth provides developers and AI systems with tools for searching and working with geographic features, places, infrastructure, and other observations of the physical world.

Build with EmbedEarth

  • EmbedEarth — programmable infrastructure for Earth
  • Geographic Feature List — browse geographic features available through EmbedEarth
  • Developer Documentation — APIs, SDKs, tools, guides, and examples
  • Geographic Search SDK — search geographic features and regions programmatically
  • API — integrate geographic search and spatial data into applications
  • SDK — build geographic capabilities directly into applications
  • CLI — work with geographic data from the terminal
  • MCP — connect geographic search and spatial tools to AI agents

Search the physical world

The same geographic infrastructure used to create this dataset can support searches such as:

tactile paving near subway stations in Toronto
accessible pedestrian infrastructure in Montreal
tactile paving around schools in New York
sidewalk accessibility features in London

Dataset overview

This dataset focuses on tactile paving represented in OpenStreetMap. Each record is a geolocated map feature with source attribution and, where available, additional tags such as names, addresses, references, operators, websites, access details, and feature-specific values.

Mapped tactile paving and detectable-surface features intended to help pedestrians, including people who are blind or have low vision, navigate crossings, platforms, sidewalks, and other walking environments.

Use cases

Accessibility mapping

Map tactile paving coverage around crossings, transit stops, sidewalks, and public facilities.

Pedestrian network analysis

Study how accessible walking infrastructure connects across neighborhoods and corridors.

Urban design research

Compare mapped accessibility infrastructure with roads, buildings, transit, and land-use data.

OpenStreetMap quality checks

Find areas where accessibility tags are present, missing, or inconsistent.

Geospatial machine learning

Build spatial features for accessibility research, map enrichment, or geographic AI.

Schema

The downloadable Parquet and CSV files use a normalized schema. Source-specific attributes are preserved inside the JSON-encoded properties field rather than expanded into separate top-level columns. GeoJSON exposes the same record attributes alongside its geometry.

Column Type Description
id string Stable identifier for the exported record.
sample boolean Whether this record was selected for the optional image archive sample.
latitude float64 Latitude in decimal degrees using WGS 84 when a valid location is available.
longitude float64 Longitude in decimal degrees using WGS 84 when a valid location is available.
geometry_wkb binary The record geometry encoded as Well-Known Binary for spatial workflows.
media_url string URL for associated imagery or other visual media when available.
attribution string Attribution information carried into the exported record.
source string Source or provider associated with the observation.
properties string JSON-encoded object containing source-specific OpenStreetMap attributes.

Source-specific properties

The properties field preserves additional OpenStreetMap tags associated with each feature. Exact keys vary by record and region; common examples include:

Property Description
osm_id OpenStreetMap object identifier when supplied.
name / ref Name, reference, or local identifier when mapped.
surface / tactile_paving Surface or tactile-paving tag values when supplied.
access / wheelchair Accessibility-related tags when mapped.
operator / website Responsible organization or public information link when supplied.
address Address or location text when available.

Not every property is populated for every record.

Download

The dataset is available in Parquet, GeoJSON, and CSV formats:

Parquet is recommended for analytics, Python workflows, DuckDB, and large-scale processing. GeoJSON is useful for GIS software and web maps. CSV is convenient for tabular analysis and interoperability.

Data sources and attribution

This dataset was prepared and distributed by EmbedEarth from data contributed to OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMap data is available under the Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0. When using or redistributing the data, retain the OpenStreetMap attribution and follow the applicable ODbL requirements. Record-level media or third-party links may have additional terms set by their original providers.

Suggested attribution:

Contains information from OpenStreetMap, which is made available under the Open Database License (ODbL). https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright

Methodology and limitations

Records were exported from an OpenStreetMap snapshot for 2025. The dataset represents mapped feature coverage, not a complete audit of accessibility conditions. A missing record does not prove that tactile paving is absent, and a mapped record does not independently verify the current condition or installation quality.

OpenStreetMap coverage and tagging vary by place and contributor. Geographic absence should not be interpreted as real-world absence, and mapped presence should not be treated as an independent inspection or operational certification.

License

The OpenStreetMap-derived database in this repository is made available under the Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0. See the ODbL license text and OpenStreetMap attribution guidance.

EmbedEarth-created explanatory text and metadata are provided to help users understand the release. Users are responsible for complying with the terms applying to OpenStreetMap data and any underlying third-party media or links.