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PDOK basemaps

Source: vignettes/articles/basemaps.Rmd
basemaps.Rmd

pdokr is for reading PDOK data. For the background of a map — the reference topography under your own layers — PDOK publishes its official basiskaart, and pdok_basemap() hands you the URL for it. Nothing is downloaded: you get a URL to pass to your mapping package, so it is instant and works offline.

library(pdokr)
library(tmap)
library(sf)
#> Linking to GEOS 3.12.1, GDAL 3.8.4, PROJ 9.4.0; sf_use_s2() is TRUE
library(dplyr)
#> 
#> Attaching package: 'dplyr'
#> The following objects are masked from 'package:stats':
#> 
#>     filter, lag
#> The following objects are masked from 'package:base':
#> 
#>     intersect, setdiff, setequal, union
library(mapgl)
library(leaflet)

Two kinds of basemap

pdok_basemap() returns one of two things, set by format:

  • raster (the default) — a classic tile URL ({z}/{x}/{y}, PNG/JPEG). Works with tmap, leaflet and maplibre/mapgl. The safe, universal choice.
  • vector — a Mapbox-GL style URL. Works with maplibre/mapgl only, but stays razor-sharp at every zoom and can tilt into 3D.
pdok_basemap()                                # raster, default style
#> [1] "https://service.pdok.nl/brt/achtergrondkaart/wmts/v2_0/standaard/EPSG:3857/{z}/{x}/{y}.png"
pdok_basemap("grijs")                         # another raster style
#> [1] "https://service.pdok.nl/brt/achtergrondkaart/wmts/v2_0/grijs/EPSG:3857/{z}/{x}/{y}.png"
pdok_basemap("standaard", format = "vector")  # a vector style URL
#> [1] "https://api.pdok.nl/kadaster/brt-achtergrondkaart/ogc/v1/styles/standaard__webmercatorquad?f=mapbox"

The available styles differ per format:

format = "raster" format = "vector"
standaard, grijs, pastel, water, luchtfoto standaard, zonder_labels, luchtfoto, darkmode

(luchtfoto is aerial imagery.)

Raster basemaps — tmap & leaflet

Hand the URL to tm_basemap(). Here are the twelve province outlines on the standard PDOK basemap — drawing only the borders keeps the basemap readable:

provinces <- pdok_read(
  "cbs/gebiedsindelingen", "provincie_gegeneraliseerd", datetime = 2025
)
tmap_mode("view")
#> ℹ tmap modes "plot" - "view"
#> ℹ toggle with `tmap::ttm()`

tm_basemap(pdok_basemap("standaard")) +
  tm_shape(provinces) +
  tm_borders(col = "#E8631C", lwd = 1.5) +
  tm_credits("Kaartgegevens © Kadaster")

In plain leaflet the same URL is the urlTemplate:

leaflet() |>
  addTiles(
    urlTemplate = pdok_basemap("standaard"),
    attribution = "Kaartgegevens &copy; Kadaster"
  ) |>
  addPolygons(data = st_transform(provinces, 4326))

A raster basemap is ordinary web tiles, so it also works in static maps: switch to tmap_mode("plot") (or use ggplot2 with maptiles/ggspatial) and the tiles are downloaded and drawn into the image. The vector style, by contrast, is rendered live in the browser, so it is interactive-only.

tmap_mode("plot")
#> ℹ tmap modes "plot" - "view"

utrecht <- filter(provinces, statnaam == "Utrecht")

tm_basemap(pdok_basemap("standaard")) +
  tm_shape(utrecht) +
  tm_borders(col = "#E8631C", lwd = 2) +
  tm_credits("Kaartgegevens © Kadaster")

The styles, side by side

The five raster styles over the same spot in Utrecht. Each tab is just leaflet() |> addTiles(pdok_basemap("<style>")) — only the style name changes.

Vector basemaps — maplibre / mapgl

mapgl brings the MapLibre and Mapbox GL libraries to R: vector maps that stay sharp at any zoom and can tilt into 3D. A GL map takes a style URL — exactly what pdok_basemap(format = "vector") returns.

maplibre(style = pdok_basemap("standaard", format = "vector")) |>
  add_line_layer(
    id = "provinces", source = provinces,
    line_color = "#E8631C", line_width = 2
  ) |>
  fit_bounds(provinces, animate = FALSE)

Which should I use?

raster vector
Works in tmap, leaflet, mapgl maplibre / mapgl
Extra package none (you likely have tmap or leaflet) mapgl
Look fixed tiles, fine for most maps razor-sharp, tiltable, 3D-capable
Best for quick maps, the common case polished, interactive, 3D

When in doubt, use the raster default — it works everywhere.

Attribution

The basemap data is © Kadaster / PDOK. Show this on any map that uses it — via tm_credits() in tmap, the attribution = argument in leaflet. The vector style already carries its attribution, which maplibre/mapgl displays.

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