Tag:amenity=university
+/- amenity=university
An educational institution designed for instruction, examination, or both, of students in many branches of advanced learning.
Approved Tools for this tag
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- For OSM activities by the scientific community, see Research.
How to map
Universities typically occupy a large area, but in the early days of mapping a city, the entire university might be represented by a single node 
with associated amenity=university and name=* tags. It is however better to create an 
around the entire campus with the amenity=university tag instead. For a more complex multi-site facility then ideally it will be mapped using a multipolygon. There should not be a node and area for the same university.
Buildings can be tagged with building=* and optionally also level=* or height=* for tall buildings. Buildings serving multiple distinct functions can be described using multiple 'building' tags which share nodes on the boundary between functions. Each part of the building can then have its own name. For a building containing multiple departments where there is not a clear split can have multiple names in the 'name' field separated by a ';'. For example name=Chemistry;Bio-Chemistry. Building entrances can be identified using a building=entrance which ideally links to highway=footway, highway=steps or similar to link to the transport network.
It is also useful to tag amenity=parking gardens, bars, restaurants, shops, , and much more besides.
Individual elements of the university should not be tagged with amenity=university but can be mapped with operator=* and the name of the university, for example operator=University College London. Land and building owned by the university but not used for university purposes (ie not used for teaching, research, administration or accommodation) should not be included in this boundary. Where a university owns land and building for investment or future use these should be tagged appropriately with operator=blar university.
When the university accommodates students on a separate site to the site where teaching and research takes place, then the tagging landuse=residential + residential=university can be used (also use operator=*).
Similar tag and proposals
- Key:school Schools use a similar tagging system.
- Proposed features/University Campus (tertiary education) - original proposal for this tag
- amenity=hospital - Hospitals can be large institutions comprising many buildings. We should follow a similar approach when mapping them
Photos and examples
Related terms: <school> <academy> <institution> <university>
