Farmland and the built city

Every polygon OpenStreetMap tags as farmland, orchard, vineyard, farmyard or greenhouse — and every one it tags as residential, commercial, industrial or institutional — clipped to 48 Ontario municipal boundaries and set against each city's census land area. Put the two layers side by side and most of what looked like geography turns out to be mapping effort.

48cities
117,264ha farmland
329,033ha built
1.52%median farm share
40.2%median built share
5with no farmland

The three cards that give the game away

Chatham-Kent is the most intensively farmed municipality in Ontario — close to the whole 2,458 km² is under crop. Ottawa is a capital city with a rural belt. OSM has Ottawa at 10× the farmland share and 13× the polygons. Now look at the grey-blue: 5% of Chatham-Kent has any land use drawn on it at all, against 45% of Ottawa. The gap is not agriculture, it is attention. Guelph is the opposite case — 56% of it is mapped as built city, so nobody is neglecting Guelph; it is the fields specifically that go unrecorded.

#1
Outline of Ottawa, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Ottawa

30.43% farm 14.9% built
Farmland
84,831 ha
Built
41,499 ha
Of drawn
67%

67% of everything mapped here is farm rather than town. 2,322 farm polygons - somebody has been systematic here.

Greenbelt Research FarmCanadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)Central Experimental Farm+73 more

residential 28,589 / commercial 3,904 / industrial 5,322 / institutional 2,182 / other built 1,973

#17
Outline of Chatham-Kent, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Chatham-Kent

3.12% farm 2.2% built
Farmland
7,665 ha
Built
5,321 ha
Of drawn
59%

Only 5% of this municipality has any land use drawn on it at all.

Field 12322Thompson's MillRyckman Family Farms

residential 3,838 / commercial 286 / industrial 1,044 / institutional 77 / other built 99

#29
Outline of Guelph, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Guelph

1.04% farm 56.2% built
Farmland
90 ha
Built
4,899 ha
Of drawn
2%

Cambridge, Milton and Kitchener farm the same ground and run 9-12%. This is a gap in the map, not in the fields.

residential 3,288 / commercial 367 / industrial 1,078 / institutional 36 / other built 149

All 48 cities

Each map is fitted to its own frame — Ottawa is 185× Orangeville — so check the scale bar before comparing two shapes by eye. The bar under each city is a share of its land area; whatever stays grey is land nobody has assigned a use to.

farmland, orchard, vineyard, greenhouse residential, commercial, industrial, institutional no land use drawn
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#1
Outline of Ottawa, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Ottawa

30.43% farm 14.9% built
Farmland
84,831 ha
Built
41,499 ha
Of drawn
67%

67% of everything mapped here is farm rather than town. 2,322 farm polygons - somebody has been systematic here.

Greenbelt Research FarmCanadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)Central Experimental Farm+73 more

residential 28,589 / commercial 3,904 / industrial 5,322 / institutional 2,182 / other built 1,973

#2
Outline of Stratford, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Stratford

13.51% farm 50.7% built
Farmland
406 ha
Built
1,520 ha
Of drawn
21%

4 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 946 / commercial 113 / industrial 344 / other built 125

#3
Outline of Cambridge, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Cambridge

12.24% farm 48.1% built
Farmland
1,384 ha
Built
5,436 ha
Of drawn
20%

4 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 3,396 / commercial 370 / industrial 1,495 / institutional 44 / other built 146

#4
Outline of Milton, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Milton

10.01% farm 10.3% built
Farmland
3,634 ha
Built
3,752 ha
Of drawn
49%

389 farm polygons - somebody has been systematic here.

residential 1,723 / commercial 201 / industrial 1,377 / institutional 13 / other built 440

#5
Outline of Kitchener, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Kitchener

9.26% farm 48.1% built
Farmland
1,266 ha
Built
6,582 ha
Of drawn
16%

5 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

Steckle Heritage FarmThe Working Centre Market GardenMansion Greens Edible Forest Garden

residential 4,721 / commercial 604 / industrial 764 / institutional 41 / other built 463

#6
Outline of Peterborough, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Peterborough

8.75% farm 48.8% built
Farmland
566 ha
Built
3,163 ha
Of drawn
15%

6 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 2,361 / commercial 285 / industrial 370 / institutional 46 / other built 119

#7
Outline of St. Catharines, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

St. Catharines

8.47% farm 48.0% built
Farmland
815 ha
Built
4,621 ha
Of drawn
15%

More vineyard (441 ha) than field crop - the only city in the list where that is true.

13th Street - Whitty VineyardKing's Court Vineyard13th Street - Home Farm Vineyard+2 more

residential 3,511 / commercial 416 / industrial 523 / institutional 139 / other built 51

#8
Outline of London, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

London

6.77% farm 31.4% built
Farmland
2,849 ha
Built
13,192 ha
Of drawn
18%

5 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

OrchardGreenhouses

residential 9,298 / commercial 918 / industrial 2,453 / institutional 140 / other built 387

#9
Outline of Brampton, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Brampton

6.03% farm 53.4% built
Farmland
1,603 ha
Built
14,205 ha
Of drawn
10%

9 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 9,980 / commercial 859 / industrial 2,797 / institutional 74 / other built 562

#10
Outline of Owen Sound, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Owen Sound

5.53% farm 38.3% built
Farmland
134 ha
Built
926 ha
Of drawn
13%

A single parcel is 98% of the farmland here. 2 farm polygons in the whole city.

residential 687 / commercial 108 / industrial 116 / institutional 1 / other built 14

#11
Outline of Windsor, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Windsor

4.94% farm 60.1% built
Farmland
724 ha
Built
8,794 ha
Of drawn
8%

12 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 5,946 / commercial 791 / industrial 1,758 / institutional 15 / other built 326

#12
Outline of Vaughan, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Vaughan

4.84% farm 41.8% built
Farmland
1,319 ha
Built
11,395 ha
Of drawn
10%

9 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 6,652 / commercial 857 / industrial 3,063 / institutional 31 / other built 831

#13
Outline of Markham, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Markham

4.81% farm 41.5% built
Farmland
1,014 ha
Built
8,752 ha
Of drawn
10%

9 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 6,321 / commercial 682 / industrial 1,019 / institutional 72 / other built 684

#14
Outline of Waterloo, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Waterloo

4.16% farm 51.6% built
Farmland
266 ha
Built
3,308 ha
Of drawn
8%

12 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 2,532 / commercial 386 / industrial 282 / institutional 17 / other built 108

#15
Outline of Oakville, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Oakville

3.88% farm 49.6% built
Farmland
539 ha
Built
6,886 ha
Of drawn
7%

13 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 5,160 / commercial 451 / industrial 1,052 / institutional 39 / other built 205

#16
Outline of Ajax, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Ajax

3.44% farm 44.0% built
Farmland
229 ha
Built
2,927 ha
Of drawn
7%

52 ha of the farmland is orchard.

Highland Farms Orchard

residential 2,181 / commercial 195 / industrial 455 / institutional 26 / other built 80

#17
Outline of Chatham-Kent, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Chatham-Kent

3.12% farm 2.2% built
Farmland
7,665 ha
Built
5,321 ha
Of drawn
59%

Only 5% of this municipality has any land use drawn on it at all.

Field 12322Thompson's MillRyckman Family Farms

residential 3,838 / commercial 286 / industrial 1,044 / institutional 77 / other built 99

#18
Outline of Brantford, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Brantford

3.08% farm 42.0% built
Farmland
304 ha
Built
4,150 ha
Of drawn
7%

14 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 2,725 / commercial 310 / industrial 947 / institutional 25 / other built 152

#19
Outline of Niagara Falls, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Niagara Falls

2.89% farm 19.8% built
Farmland
606 ha
Built
4,157 ha
Of drawn
13%

7 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 2,689 / commercial 433 / industrial 824 / institutional 34 / other built 190

#20
Outline of Hamilton, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Hamilton

2.46% farm 14.6% built
Farmland
2,756 ha
Built
16,317 ha
Of drawn
14%

Mostly countryside on the ground; 2.5% of it is drawn as farm. 386 farm polygons - somebody has been systematic here.

Drummond Farms/Belvedere OrchardsMerrick Apple orchard (fallow)Triple C Farm+4 more

residential 11,396 / commercial 1,030 / industrial 3,544 / institutional 141 / other built 245

#21
Outline of Welland, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Welland

2.40% farm 31.9% built
Farmland
194 ha
Built
2,584 ha
Of drawn
7%

13 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 1,786 / commercial 187 / industrial 360 / institutional 16 / other built 253

#22
Outline of Richmond Hill, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Richmond Hill

2.26% farm 54.1% built
Farmland
228 ha
Built
5,454 ha
Of drawn
4%

24 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 4,316 / commercial 378 / industrial 435 / institutional 20 / other built 318

#23
Outline of Whitby, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Whitby

1.63% farm 28.8% built
Farmland
240 ha
Built
4,221 ha
Of drawn
5%

18 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 3,026 / commercial 332 / industrial 681 / institutional 27 / other built 168

#24
Outline of Pickering, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Pickering

1.62% farm 13.3% built
Farmland
376 ha
Built
3,091 ha
Of drawn
11%

8 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 2,005 / commercial 215 / industrial 513 / institutional 25 / other built 354

#25
Outline of Mississauga, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Mississauga

1.43% farm 62.8% built
Farmland
417 ha
Built
18,356 ha
Of drawn
2%

44 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

Britannia Farm Field CentrePinchin Farm

residential 11,113 / commercial 1,762 / industrial 5,104 / institutional 82 / other built 337

#26
Outline of Kingston, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Kingston

1.08% farm 12.4% built
Farmland
488 ha
Built
5,590 ha
Of drawn
8%

A single parcel is 66% of the farmland here.

Frontenac Prison FarmLemoine Point FarmBellevue House Orchard

residential 2,811 / commercial 483 / industrial 1,111 / institutional 1,010 / other built 180

#27
Outline of Oshawa, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Oshawa

1.08% farm 36.9% built
Farmland
158 ha
Built
5,372 ha
Of drawn
3%

34 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 3,902 / commercial 395 / industrial 728 / institutional 41 / other built 364

#28
Outline of Newmarket, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Newmarket

1.05% farm 58.1% built
Farmland
40 ha
Built
2,239 ha
Of drawn
2%

55 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 1,688 / commercial 267 / industrial 252 / institutional 13 / other built 18

#29
Outline of Guelph, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Guelph

1.04% farm 56.2% built
Farmland
90 ha
Built
4,899 ha
Of drawn
2%

Cambridge, Milton and Kitchener farm the same ground and run 9-12%. This is a gap in the map, not in the fields.

residential 3,288 / commercial 367 / industrial 1,078 / institutional 36 / other built 149

#30
Outline of St. Thomas, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

St. Thomas

1.02% farm 48.2% built
Farmland
36 ha
Built
1,710 ha
Of drawn
2%

A single parcel is 44% of the farmland here.

1Password Park

residential 1,085 / commercial 118 / industrial 282 / institutional 22 / other built 209

#31
Outline of Quinte West, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Quinte West

0.86% farm 6.6% built
Farmland
424 ha
Built
3,271 ha
Of drawn
12%

Only 7% of this municipality has any land use drawn on it at all. A single parcel is 48% of the farmland here.

Knuckle Down Farm

residential 1,462 / commercial 119 / industrial 561 / institutional 1,046 / other built 103

#32
Outline of Woodstock, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Woodstock

0.80% farm 39.0% built
Farmland
45 ha
Built
2,200 ha
Of drawn
2%

49 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 1,146 / commercial 139 / industrial 829 / institutional 26 / other built 64

#33
Outline of Orangeville, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Orangeville

0.74% farm 59.9% built
Farmland
11 ha
Built
910 ha
Of drawn
1%

A single parcel is 50% of the farmland here. 3 farm polygons in the whole city.

residential 669 / commercial 100 / industrial 133 / institutional 6 / other built 2

#34
Outline of Burlington, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Burlington

0.71% farm 33.6% built
Farmland
133 ha
Built
6,254 ha
Of drawn
2%

47 hectares of built city for every hectare of farm.

residential 4,401 / commercial 516 / industrial 1,293 / institutional 42 / other built 32

#35
Outline of Brockville, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Brockville

0.62% farm 53.6% built
Farmland
13 ha
Built
1,120 ha
Of drawn
1%

5 farm polygons in the whole city.

residential 642 / commercial 117 / industrial 294 / institutional 10 / other built 62

#36
Outline of Sarnia, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Sarnia

0.60% farm 24.8% built
Farmland
98 ha
Built
4,066 ha
Of drawn
2%

A single parcel is 45% of the farmland here.

residential 2,559 / commercial 216 / industrial 1,216 / institutional 41 / other built 84

#37
Outline of Toronto, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Toronto

0.59% farm 63.5% built
Farmland
373 ha
Built
40,081 ha
Of drawn
1%

84% of the farmland is one cluster in the northeast: the Rouge park fields, which Parks Canada leases to working farms.

Riverdale FarmBlack Creek FarmFresh City Farms+2 more

residential 29,192 / commercial 2,945 / industrial 6,461 / institutional 504 / other built 1,109

#38
Outline of Belleville, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Belleville

0.22% farm 10.1% built
Farmland
54 ha
Built
2,502 ha
Of drawn
2%

Only 10% of this municipality has any land use drawn on it at all.

residential 1,458 / commercial 273 / industrial 585 / institutional 29 / other built 191

#39
Outline of Barrie, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Barrie

0.21% farm 53.3% built
Farmland
21 ha
Built
5,275 ha
Of drawn
0%

A single parcel is 81% of the farmland here. 4 farm polygons in the whole city.

residential 3,522 / commercial 555 / industrial 830 / institutional 65 / other built 336

#40
Outline of Timmins, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Timmins

0.12% farm 3.0% built
Farmland
353 ha
Built
8,951 ha
Of drawn
4%

Only 3% of this municipality has any land use drawn on it at all. 7 ha under glass.

Millson Forestry Service

residential 1,389 / commercial 319 / industrial 7,092 / institutional 6 / other built 149

#41
Outline of Kawartha Lakes, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Kawartha Lakes

0.11% farm 1.3% built
Farmland
338 ha
Built
3,923 ha
Of drawn
8%

Only 1% of this municipality has any land use drawn on it at all.

residential 2,248 / commercial 192 / industrial 1,250 / institutional 173 / other built 78

#42
Outline of Greater Sudbury, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Greater Sudbury

0.07% farm 4.2% built
Farmland
207 ha
Built
13,293 ha
Of drawn
2%

Only 4% of this municipality has any land use drawn on it at all.

residential 5,460 / commercial 597 / industrial 7,040 / institutional 15 / other built 193

#43
Outline of Sault Ste. Marie, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Sault Ste. Marie

0.06% farm 18.7% built
Farmland
13 ha
Built
4,180 ha
Of drawn
0%

Boreal, not farm country - the little that is drawn sits around the town. A single parcel is 98% of the farmland here.

residential 2,511 / commercial 283 / industrial 1,316 / institutional 27 / other built 66

#44
Outline of Pembroke, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Pembroke

0.00% farm 50.2% built
Farmland
0 ha
Built
718 ha
Of drawn
0%

Not one field drawn. The built city is mapped though: 50% of the land.

residential 508 / commercial 89 / industrial 111 / institutional 15 / other built 1

#45
Outline of Orillia, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Orillia

0.00% farm 54.8% built
Farmland
0 ha
Built
1,560 ha
Of drawn
0%

Not one field drawn. The built city is mapped though: 55% of the land.

residential 1,109 / commercial 170 / industrial 188 / institutional 7 / other built 91

#46
Outline of Cornwall, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Cornwall

0.00% farm 35.6% built
Farmland
0 ha
Built
2,188 ha
Of drawn
0%

Not one field drawn. The built city is mapped though: 36% of the land.

residential 1,285 / commercial 211 / industrial 596 / institutional 19 / other built 86

#47
Outline of North Bay, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

North Bay

0.00% farm 8.1% built
Farmland
0 ha
Built
2,540 ha
Of drawn
0%

No farmland at all - this far north the ground is forest, not field.

residential 1,563 / commercial 106 / industrial 635 / institutional 249 / other built 6

#48
Outline of Thunder Bay, built-up land in grey-blue and farmland in green

Thunder Bay

0.00% farm 17.0% built
Farmland
0 ha
Built
5,581 ha
Of drawn
0%

No farmland at all - this far north the ground is forest, not field.

Greenhouse

residential 4,064 / commercial 578 / industrial 613 / institutional 10 / other built 324