How Amenity and Commercial Data Is Sourced

The amenities and commercial sections of a report list nearby facilities such as shops, parks, gyms, and licensed businesses, sourced from open geographic data and government business licensing records where available.

Where amenity data comes from

Amenity locations are drawn from OpenStreetMap-derived data (via the Overpass API) and, where a more reliable result requires it, a commercial places API. Both sources rely on data that is contributed, maintained, and updated by many different parties, meaning coverage and accuracy can vary between areas. A well-mapped city centre will typically show more complete amenity data than a sparsely populated rural area, simply because more contributors have added detail there.

Where commercial and business licence data comes from

Where available, licensed business data is drawn from municipal or local authority business licensing records. Coverage depends entirely on what a given local authority publishes, which is why commercial data is available for some cities and not others.

What "nearby" measures

Amenities are generally shown within a fixed radius of a community's centre point, measured as straight-line distance unless otherwise noted. This means a listed amenity is within that radius of the community centre, not necessarily within that distance of a specific address inside the community, particularly in larger communities.

What this data does not confirm

• Whether a business is currently open, since licensing records can lag closures or ownership changes
• The quality or suitability of an amenity for any particular purpose
• Complete coverage of every amenity in an area, since this depends on what has been mapped or licensed and published