Meaning of grey and yellow/brown colors of buildings in Google Maps?

Question

I'm wondering what the difference beween those yellowish and the grey buildings is in Google Maps.
I marked a few of the yellowish building as an example in the picture below.

score 14 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 18 '16 at 13:24

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Orange buildings are "interesting", according to Google. In my experience with areas that I am familiar with, these are buildings that are "popular", as likely determined by how many people visit, check in there, etc.

answered Oct 18 '16 at 13:24

Atanas Entchev

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score 7 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 19 '16 at 02:17

Here's a recent blog post from Google with some information on this: https://maps.googleblog.com/2016/07/discover-action-around-you-with-updated.html

We determine “areas of interest” [orange/yellow areas] with an algorithmic process that allows us to highlight the areas with the highest concentration of restaurants, bars and shops. In high-density areas like NYC, we use a human touch to make sure we’re showing the most active areas.

score 5 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 18 '16 at 13:00

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Orange buildings represent areas of interest determined by an algorithm.

answered Oct 18 '16 at 13:00

Adam Kara

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Could you add a source or reference for this statement? – kwah Oct 18 '16 at 20:11

score 4 · Answer 4 · answered Oct 18 '16 at 13:01

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According to this Google Maps Help Forum where an answer has been marked by a Google Maps Community Manager:

White roads = Normal streets
Yellow roads = Main streets/roads
Orange roads = Highways
Very light gray = Normal areas (houses, buildings, etc)
Green = Parks
Light green = Forests
Light brown = Universities
Grey = Factories, harbours and other heavy duty areas.
Ligh red = Hospitals

answered Oct 18 '16 at 13:01

Joseph

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Note: the referenced answer is from 2011 and may be outdated. – David Starkey Oct 18 '16 at 15:45
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In terms of actual correlation with what's on the ground, "green = there might be something park-like in this general area". Google is spectacularly bad at mapping the larger parks around me. – Mark Oct 18 '16 at 22:10
@Mark - Yes, now that you mention it, I have noticed something similar in areas around me too... – Joseph Oct 19 '16 at 08:56

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Mar 17 '22 at 15:42

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I live at an Apartment complex, having three main buildings. One of them is yellowed, the others are Grey. Make some sense of that.

answered Mar 17 '22 at 15:42

Heartset Punker

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Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please [edit] to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center. – Community Mar 17 '22 at 15:47
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This does not provide an answer to the question. Once you have sufficient reputation you will be able to comment on any post; instead, provide answers that don't require clarification from the asker. - From Review – Vince Mar 17 '22 at 16:16

Meaning of grey and yellow/brown colors of buildings in Google Maps?

5 Answers5